Homemade dehydrated pineapple chunks - Here you will learn how to make them.
I cover 3 drying options, but with a focus on how to use a food dehydrator.
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The benefit of drying your pineapple slices is that you can make it without sugar.
This is a great option too if you suffer from food allergies because dried fruits are often while processed in food factories where they also process nuts, such as peanuts.
Besides, dehydrated pineapple makes a great healthy snack!
I bet you are sold on the idea now, right?
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📕 What are dehydrated pineapples?
Dehydrated pineapples are fruit slices left to dry over a period of time so that they can be preserved.
Fruit juices are sucked out by drying the fruits over low heat and what remains are dried out fruit pieces.
When dry, fruits turn like chips or candy. Dried pineapple will turn chewy and crunchy (if cut into thin slices and dried longer).
💡 3 Drying options
You can dehydrate and dry pineapple slices in 3 different ways.
The dehydrator is a device just for drying fruits and is the most suitable option.
The other two options are drying in the sun or in the oven.
Dehydrator (best option)
A dehydrator is a device that dries fruits at low temperatures.
Over the course of a handful of hours, the fruits are dried and turned into crispy or chewy chips or slices.
A dehydrator consists of the main body to control the temperature and mesh racks which are placed on top of each other.
The fruit slices are spread out on the racks.
In this post, we will focus on how to dry pineapple with a food dehydrator with my how-to recipe and the video.
Sun-dried
Pineapple slices can be dried in the sun too. This works great if you live in a hot, sunny and dry environment.
Spread the fruit slices over a tray and keep in the sun to dry.
This method doesn't require a kitchen device but the downside is that it will take days before the fruits have dried completely.
Oven
You can also dry fruits in the oven by spreading the pineapple slices over a baking sheet and drying them at the lowest possible temperature.
The lowest temperature on an oven is mostly somewhere between 120 and 210 Fahrenheit or 50 to 100 Celsius.
The disadvantage is that the fruits will not dehydrate equally well and that some parts will be too much dried while other parts are not.
🔪 How to dry with a dehydrator?
Here you can see the steps and the dehydration progress between hours for sliced pineapple chunks.
I'm using a whole fresh pineapple in the tutorial but you can use canned pineapple slices too (just strain them well and pat dry).
Step 1
Cut off the pineapple greens and cut off the pocky peel with the black parts.
Cut out the center part as it's tough. Some people can't digest it and it can cause an allergic reaction.
Step 2
Slice pineapple into equal-sized pieces and decide if you want to cut into smaller chunks or if you want to make pineapple flowers.
Gently press pineapple through a colander to get rid of excess juices.
Collect the juice on the other side and drink it.
Step 3
Place pineapple pieces over the dehydrator racks next to each other and place racks over the main body of the device.
Dry over the course of a few hours until you get the desired chewy/ crunchiness. (See recipe card further below for all the details)
📜 Flavor variation ideas
You can flavor your pineapple chunks. Add the following ingredients over your fresh pineapple chunks, just before the drying process.
- chili pepper powder - for spicy pineapple chips
- cinnamon powder
- ground green cardamom
- powdered sugar - to make it sweet
- powdered stevia - to make it sweet all low carb
💡 What dehydrator to get and use?
Get a dehydrator with a timer and adjustable temperature function.
Some food dehydrators can stack more trays then others.
Decide how much you are going to use this device and if you will be drying a lot of fruits in one go.
The Excalibur 3926TW comes with 9 trays, a built-in on/off switch and a 5 years warranty.
The NESCO FD-75A is round, gives you a 1-year warranty and comes with 5 trays but you can easily expand it to a 12 tray tower.
I’m using a food dehydrator like the Nesco model. (mine is from a Swiss brand called Sigg).
🍴 Uses
Dried pineapple chunks or slices are a healthy snack. I love to chew on them during a work break.
Whole dried pineapple rings are also used as a cocktail garnish.
Another idea is to cut your pineapple into smaller pieces before drying and dry them that way.
Then use in candied fruit cakes or in desserts such as in my orange semolina bowl.
💭 FAQs
It can take 10-14 hours to dehydrate your pineapple chunks or slices. It depends on the thickness and juiciness of your fruit. Slice them equally thick and pat them dry before you place them into the dehydrator racks.
If stored as instructed, dried pineapple slices can last for over 6-12 months.
Store in airtight containers, glass jars or in food-grade vacuum bags. Keep away from direct sunlight and in a dry and cool environment. If you live in a hot tropical climate, keep the dehydrated pineapple in your fridge!
Follow the instructions in your food dehydrator booklet that came with the device. Newer devices can be kept alone overnight. I do not recommend doing this with older devices. I personally don't like the idea of keeping a low heating device alone overnight and I would always prefer dehydrating fruits in the day when I can check on the progress.
Follow the instructions in your dehydrator manual. Set temperature somewhere between 135 – 145 Fahrenheit/ 57- 62 Celsius.
👁️ More dehydrated fruit guides
📖 Recipe
Dehydrated Pineapple
Ingredients
- 1 large pineapple fresh
Instructions
- Trim off the green leaves and slice off the top of the pineapple.
- Cut off the peel as well as possible. Also, cut out the pokey dark holes.
- Cut pineapple around the core. I don't use the core.
- Slice pineapple into equal thick pieces.
- Place pineapple pieces into a colander (and with a bowl under the colander) and gently press the pineapple so that excess juices come out.
- Turn on your food dehydrator and arrange your pineapple chunks next to each other on the racks.
- Place one rack over the other and make sure the pineapple pieces are not overlapping in the rack.
- Dry for about 12-14 hours or until you are satisfied with the result. I left mine for 14 hours and turned the pieces in between.
- Store in a cool, dry and dark place away from direct sunlight and humid places. Use airtight containers, glass jar or vacuum bags.
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