Simple Strawberry ‘Candy’ Treats

Not everyone has access to a dehydrator but not to worry, your oven and a few tips will result in some deliciously tasty dried strawberries.

I recently made a post to my Facebook page about dehydrated strawberries. Judging by the huge number of likes, comments, and shares this is a sweet treat that a LOT of people want to try. Judging by the taste, I can see why!

Many raved about how wonderful they were but others had trouble when they tried to make the treat so I wanted to write this blog post to offer some helpful tips and advice for strawberry drying success.

This isn't an exact recipe because there are many variables that impact cook time and final outcome. You just have to experiment a bit until you get it right using your own oven.

The size and ripeness of the berries, how thin they are sliced, the consistency of your oven temp. and even relative humidity of your climate can all play a role in how your berries turn out.  Some will take longer to dehydrate than others so keep a close eye on them.

Dried strawberries can make a great snack to satisfy a craving for something sweet. Just like most fruits they do contain a lot of sugar so should be eaten in moderation and my diabetic readers should consider how much sugar they've had throughout the day before opting for these.

Ingredients

2 pints fresh organic strawberries

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 200ºF.
  • Remove stems and rinse strawberries
  • Slice the berries ¼ inch thick Spread strawberries on a parchment-lined cookie sheet
  • Place strawberries in the oven on low heat (200 – 210F). Turn on hood vent and crack the oven door to allow moisture to escape and keep a close eye on your berries. I usually cook mine for about 3 1/2 hours rotating the cooking sheet every 90 minutes
  • When fruit appears to be mostly dry, remove from oven Let the berries ‘cure’
  • Be sure to wait until berries are completely cooled Use a spatula to carefully remove them from cookie sheet (some will still be sticky) Place in small glass jar Leave the jar open 4 – 5 days. (cover with a paper towel at night) allowing any moisture left from the drying process to evaporate Give the jar a shake every day a few times to move the fruit around
  • Storage: Store in a sealed jar in a dark, dry location (about 60 F) Feel free to keep in the fridge but note when removed there may be some condensation, and candy becomes stickier but it is still tasty!

 

Hope you enjoy this project and the delicious dried strawberries. They are a perfect treat for the kids as an alternative to candy too.

 

Yours in Health,

Danette

P.S. Please share this with your friends and I love to read all of your comments below