If you love fresh fruit, you know how hard it can be to keep fruit fresh for more than a few days. It can be hard on your food budget to have to throw out a lot of your fruit because it goes bad before you can enjoy it.
If you have a dehydrator or an oven, you can create dehydrated oranges that will keep for months.
For those who love to make sauces, jams, and other kinds of cooking confections that include oranges, this is an ideal way to preserve your oranges.
Dehydrated fruit can also be ideal for things like trail mix and snacking. If you want to know more about creating delightful, easy-to-store dehydrated oranges, you need to keep reading.
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How to Dehydrate Oranges
If you have never dehydrated fruit, you might be uncertain about how to get started undertaking this process. You will want to make sure that you pick firm and ripe oranges. These oranges will be more likely to dry out evenly and will take less time to get dehydrated properly.
You can use your oven or your dehydrator to dry out oranges for storage. You will want to determine if you are going to slice up your oranges into smaller segments or if you want to open the oranges and spread the slices on the drying sheet or tray.
The choice is up to you and is usually guided by how you enjoy your oranges. If you tend to use oranges for cooking processes, cutting wedges into smaller pieces might be ideal.
For the oven, you will want to arrange the slices in a single layer with space between each slice on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. You can sprinkle the slices with brown sugar or other spices if you wish.
You will then bake your oranges in the oven for about 3-4 hours at 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure that you check on the progress of your oranges as they are drying.
If you have a dehydrator, you will arrange the slices on the dehydrator trays for your machine. Make sure that they are not crowded together too closely. Set your dehydrator to 135 degrees Fahrenheit. You might also be able to just select the fruit/vegetable setting.
Allow the slices to dehydrate for about 3-7 hours, depending on how thick your slices are. You might need to flip them over part way through the drying process.
In both drying processes, your oranges will be dehydrated correctly when they are dehydrated and not sticky. Make sure that you are checking the largest slices when testing, as these will take the longest to be ready for storage.
How Long Do Dehydrated Oranges Last?
Dehydrated oranges can last for 6-12 months if stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark place, away from moisture and direct sunlight.
Vacuum-sealed bags or mason jars work well for preserving the flavor and texture of your dehydrated oranges.
However, the exact duration may vary depending on the drying method and storage conditions. Be sure to watch for any signs of spoilage before consumption.
Storing Dehydrated Oranges
The whole goal of dehydrating oranges is to be able to store them for the long haul. This means that you need to have a good storage plan for your dehydrated oranges once they are ready to be put away.
You will have great luck using a vacuum sealer for this process. Make sure that you are not putting too many slices in each storage bag, and also be sure that you use a flat surface to seal your oranges on.
Once your oranges have been sealed into storage bags, you will want to mark the date that you stored them on the vacuum-sealed bag. This will help you to keep track of which of your stored oranges are the oldest so that you can use them first.
Make sure that you always wash your hands before you start sealing your dehydrated oranges into storage bags. Bacteria that have been stored inside the bags with your oranges can lead to inedible fruit when you are ready to enjoy the oranges that you have stored so carefully.
Having clean hands is always a good rule of thumb, no matter what kind of food you are sealing into vacuum-sealed bags.
Your dehydrated oranges can be kept safely in the pantry on the shelf so long as they are not exposed to heat or light while they are stored. Oranges stored in this way will keep for as long as a year.
Be sure that you are checking on the seal on your stored bags from time to time. It is rare, but the vacuum seal can slowly loosen up over time, which can cause the food stored inside to spoil.
Rehydrating Orange Slices
If you are ready to rehydrate your oranges, you will just need to boil some water in a pot. You can then pour the hot water over the fruit in a strainer so that the water can drain off.
You can also use room-temperature water to slowly rehydrate your stored fruit. Make sure that you drain off all the water before you use your orange slices for cooking or eating.
This process is very simple, but it is not required. You can usually enjoy your orange slices without rehydrating them as well. This is the common use of fruit stored in this way as it can be carried on trips, hikes, and more.
If you like to make your trail mix and other kinds of snack mixes, you will not want to rehydrate your dehydrated oranges before you use them.
Orange Slices Can be Dehydrated With Ease
Dehydrating fruit can be a great way to ensure that you can keep dried fruit on hand for a variety of different uses. You might just want to prevent your oranges from spoiling, or you might be planning to make trail mix or cook recipes with dried fruit.
No matter the reason that you want to dehydrate the oranges that you have purchased, this process is quite simple. If you have a vacuum sealer, you can dehydrate your oranges and then store them with ease for months at a time.
Being able to count on having fresh fruit to enjoy whenever you are ready for something sweet and healthy can be nice. Preventing food waste can be as easy as dehydrating your favorite foods and storing them properly for future use.
I am Brianna, a self-published author with a passion for sharing my knowledge and expertise on various topics with people looking to find the perfect items for their needs. I love ensuring that the right informative content is available to people looking for the right information. I am an avid horseback rider and reader when I am not writing.
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