Home dehydrated strawberries are easy to prepare and also taste great as a healthier nutritious snack.
I share how you can dry your strawberries at home with tips, flavor ideas and much more.
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📕 What are dehydrated Strawberries?
Dehydrated strawberries are prepared by cutting or slicing fresh strawberries and allowing them to dry slowly until they lose all their moisture, which enables them to be stored for several months without spoiling.
This technique has been used for centuries to trade other dried fruits and nuts along the Silk Road from Asia to Europe.
Drying fruits was an essential method of preserving them during the long voyages along the Silk Road that could take months.
In medieval times, dried fruits such as apricots and figs were highly sought-after and considered a luxury food item for the wealthy, who purchased them from traveling traders.
Dried strawberries were not common back then, but instead gained in popularity over the last decades.
Especially kids adore dehydrated berries as a fun snack, and they are healthy at the same time. It's a win-win!
🔪 How to dehydrate with a dehydrator?
I thought, you would appreciate an overview of how to dry strawberries in a dehydrator. The full recipe with video is located further below and can be printed.
Step 1
Begin by rinsing your fruits thoroughly and then pat them dry with a towel.
Next, remove the stems and cut the strawberries with a sharp knife.
Decide whether you want to cut your strawberries in halves or into slices before proceeding.
Step 2
Spread the cut fruits out evenly on a dehydrator tray.
Stack the trays on top of each other and heat up the dehydrator. You may need 1 or 2 trays only.
Step 3
Dry the strawberry slices until they are crisp and perfectly dried.
Finally, store the dried strawberries in an airtight container or simply enjoy them as a delicious snack.
💡 Tips
- Use a sharp knife to cut off the top green part of the strawberry, which is called a calyx. You can also get a strawberry huller to take out the white core, but it's not necessary, and you won't waste too much of your strawberry without it.
- I recommend cutting your strawberries into thicker slices because they are delicate. The more they dry and the thinner they have been sliced, the more they stick to the dehydrator tray.
- You can choose to dry your strawberries halfway through so that the result are chewy strawberries.
- If you decide to dry them longer, your strawberries will turn out crispy.
- The longer you dry your strawberries, the longer they will remain good.
- The larger the strawberry pieces, the longer they need to dry through. The thinner or smaller the strawberries, the shorter the drying time.
- You can regulate the heat setting on your dehydrator. 135 – 145 Fahrenheit/ 57- 62 Celsius is a good base setting.
- Dried strawberries can be crushed and turned into strawberry powder too.
- Dry a large batch of strawberries during peak season, which is April through June.
📜 Flavor Variations
Yes, you can add some flavors to your home dried strawberries and it is super easy and fun.
That will turn your dried strawberry slices into unique healthier snack treats.
Sprinkle some freshly crushed black pepper over your strawberries before you dry them. Black pepper is known to enhance and compliment the fruity aspects of strawberries.
Spread a small quantity of vanilla paste over your raw strawberry pieces or a drop of vanilla extract.
If you like cinnamon, then sprinkle some over your freshly sliced strawberries.
🍱 Storing
To preserve your dried strawberries, store them in airtight containers, mason jars or a large cookie tin box, jar lined with parchment paper or a vacuum-sealed bag.
Unless you live in a humid tropical region, there's no need to refrigerate or freeze them. But you can choose to do so if you want freeze-dried strawberries.
Another idea is to vacuum seal them in bags, so that they last even longer.
But, make sure to protect them from direct sunlight, moisture, and high temperatures.
When stored and prepared correctly, they can stay fresh for up to 6–12 months, assuming you don't finish them before that.
💭 FAQs
To operate your dehydrator, refer to the manual for guidance and adjust the temperature settings to be within the range of 135 Fahrenheit / 57 Celsius.
Depending on the size of your strawberries and the selected heat setting on your dehydrator, dry them between 4 and 12 hours.
A dehydrator can dry strawberries and other fruits more evenly and effectively compared to some ovens that may not be able to operate at low temperatures and could potentially cause the fruits to burn. Additionally, drying fruits in the open sun may not be as hygienic as using a dehydrator. A dehydrator is worth an investment if you intend to dry more fruit snacks. The sun is a great tool to dry your strawberries if you live in a country with many sun days.
I recommend that you follow the steps outlined in the food dehydrator pamphlet. While some newer models can be operated overnight, I, personally, prefer to keep an eye on my strawberries when I'm awake.
Yes, you can add dried strawberries to muesli, granola, oatmeal, cereals, trail mix, yogurt or add them to a rice pudding or fruit salad. Another idea is to add the pieces to a homemade strawberry or vanilla ice cream.
👁️ More DIY Home Dried Ingredients
We have been dehydrating fruits and foraged ingredients for years at home. Here are more dehydrator recipes to try.
- Dried Mango
- How to dry garden fresh Herbs
- Dehydrated Blueberries
- Drying Pineapples
- Drying Apples Slices
- Guide to dried Mushrooms
- Home dried Apricots
Strawberry Recipes
If you have plenty of fresh strawberries that need to be used and prepared into something, make this:
Global Food Recipes
with Spices and Herbs
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📖 Recipe
Dehydrated Strawberries Recipe
Instructions
- Give your strawberries a good rinse. I place them in a large bowl with fresh water and a dash of vinegar. The vinegar cleans them better.1 Pound Strawberries
- Pat dry your strawberries between two towels. Pick out and remove the green top (called hull or calyx).
- Decide if you want to half, quarter or slice your strawberries. Slices dry through faster. Don't cut the slices too thin because they can stick on the dehydrator tray.
- Thereafter, simply spread the apricots out on your dehydrator trays, making sure to leave some space between them.
- Stack the trays on top of each other and set the temperature between 135 Fahrenheit (or 57 Celsius).
- Dry your strawberries between 4 and 6 hours in your dehydrator over the same even heat setting. The time to dry depends on the size of your strawberries. *see Notes
- When your strawberries are dried to the desired consistency, take them out of the dehydrator and store them in airtight containers or vacuum bags, or enjoy them straight away.
Notes
- Larger strawberry pieces will take longer to dry. If you want to dry whole medium-sized strawberries, it can take more than 12 hours to dry them. Strawberry halves can take about 8 hours, strawberry quarters about 6 hours and strawberry slices are done drying after 4 hours.
- I don't recommend cutting the strawberries too small or else they will stick to the dehydrator tray and getting off is a pain in the a**.
- If you decide to cut your strawberries into slices, I recommend turning the strawberries every hour to that they don't stick to the tray.
- Dried strawberries are good for a couple of weeks. The best before date depends on how well you have dried them and how and where you store them. Airtight containers are your best option.
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