Dehydrated Strawberries – Step by Step
Dehydrated strawberries are incredibly easy and take only a few minutes hands on time. Use them sliced or make strawberry powder.
In the Spring and Summer when strawberries are at their peak it is nice to have a series of techniques that will preserve them to enjoy all year long. Dehydrating is a great way to preserve them without using a ton of space in the freezer. It’s also a whole lot easier than making jams, jellies, pie fillings and the like.
We love dehydrating fruits, vegetables and even meats. Before we learned how to dehydrate, it was a chore packing everything into the 4 freezers that we own. And once you crammed everything in the freezers it was another chore to find what you were looking for.
An entire quart of berries will fit into a half-pint mason jar so there is only one jar in the pantry, instead of many bags in the freezer. Then, to make them even more compact, make strawberry powder to add to strawberry milk, smoothies, puddings, cake mixes, frostings, cereals and more.
What you need
You just need ripe, fresh strawberries. Don’t use strawberries from the grocery store. They have lost a lot of their flavor, at least most of time. Also, don’t use berries that have been previously frozen. They will have lost all their texture and would take forever to dry.
How to dehydrate strawberries
Step One
Wash berries well. Pat dry with paper towel.
Remove hull. Slice strawberries, crosswise.
Place them in a single layer on dehydrator rack.
Step Two
You can also slice berries lengthwise. Which ever presentation you prefer.
Place them in a single layer on dehydrator rack.
Slide the racks into the dehydrator.
Set temperature to 135°F / 60°C.
Set timer for 5 hours. Turn it on.
Check berries after 5 hours. They should still be a bit pliable but dry to the touch Unlike other vegetables and fruits, they will not snap or shatter when fully dried. If they are not, return to the dehydrator and continue drying until you get them fully dry.
They usually take 5-8 hours in the dehydrator.
Dehydrating in your oven
Perform steps one and two above. Except place a sheet of parchment paper over a rimmed baking sheet. Add a rack to the top. Arrange fruit in single layer on the rack.
Turn oven to lowest setting. Usually 155-175°F / 90°C. Place baking sheet in the oven. Prop the door with a wooden spoon or heat safe spatula.
Dry for an hour. Remove baking sheet from oven and flip berries so that they don’t stick to rack. Place sheet back in oven. Dry another hour and flip back to the first side. After this you shouldn’t have to flip them again. Continue drying checking often so that they don’t burn.
They should take between 3 and 5 hours in the oven.
Conditioning your fruit
Conditioning your fruit is an important step in the drying process, so don’t skip this step.
Conditioning is the process of testing the fruit to make sure that it is thoroughly dry.
Even a bit of moisture in a couple of pieces has the potential to ruin a whole batch.
Allow the dehydrated fruits to come to room temperature. Immediately place them into a glass mason jar. Place the jar in a dark area.
Shake the jar daily to break up any stuck pieces. Allow them to stay in the jar for 7-10 days, shaking daily.
If you see any moisture droplets collecting on the jar. You know you have moisture in them.
If you see any evidence of moisture or any condensation in the jar, re-dry the food in your oven or dehydrator. After re-drying condition them again. Once they are fully dry, pack in tight fitting glass jars.
If you see any evidence of mold during the conditioning process. Discard the product.
How to store dehydrated foods
The best way to store fully dried dehydrated foods is to vacuum pack single serve portions. Vacuum sealing larger portions exposes moisture to the product, from the air, every time the bag is opened.
Food can also be packed tightly into jars or other airtight container. The addition of a food safe silica gel pack (affiliate link) will help the foods stay moisture free.
Shelf life of the strawberry chips is approximately one year.
What to do with dried strawberries
Dried strawberries are great to add to so many of your current recipes to give them a punch of strawberry flavor or just use them for snacking. Add them to;
- granola or trail mix
- cereals – they bump up the flavor and healthiness of everything from oatmeal and grits to cold cereals.
- Flavor vanilla pudding
- Ice cream for a strawberry flavored treat.
- Garnish cocktails and mocktails
- Muffins, cakes or quick bread
- Frostings
- Make strawberry powder to make it easier to incorporate them into some dishes.
If you plan on doing a lot of dehydrating to preserve your harvest you should really invest in a good food dehydrator. This Vevor is our favorite dehydrator. It is light-weight, easy to store, and has adjustable heat settings and a time cook option. (affiliate link)
More Strawberry Recipes
More Drying Recipes
- Dried Orange Slices
- Dehydrated Lemon
- Dehydrated Limes
- Dehydrating Grapefruit
- How to Dehydrate Garlic Scapes
Love Gardening? If you love growing your own produce, these posts are packed full of information about how to get that big harvest by the end of the season! Don’t miss our How to Start a Garden Series!
The first section is Planning Your Garden. Second is Preparing the Garden Site.
The third is Choosing Plants and Planting Your Garden. The fourth is Garden Maintenance.
The last is Harvesting a Garden and Preserving the Harvest, this article has over 100 FREE recipes for preserving your harvest!
These dehydrated strawberries couldn’t be easier and are great added to so many things. What a great way to preserve berries.
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Enjoy. And have fun cooking!
Dehydrated Strawberries
Ingredients
- 1 quart fresh strawberries
Instructions
- Wash berries well. Use a salad spinner to remove a lot of the water. Pat dry with paper towel.
- Remove hull. Use a hull remover or a sharp paring knife. With a knife, come in on one side of the hull, slice down and then angle the knife back up on the other side of the hull to slice a "v". This will remove the hull (the green stem and leaves) and preserve as much of the flesh as possible.
- Slice strawberries, either crosswise or lengthwise into ¼ inch slices.
- Arrange them in a single layer on racks of your dehydrator. To use your oven, arrange the slices on cooling racks placed over a sheet of parchment paper covered on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Slide the racks into the dehydrator. If using oven, heat to lowest heat setting, usually 155-175°F/ 90°C.
- For dehydrator, set temperature at 135°F / 60°C. Set time at 5 hours. Start machine. Flip slices every hour or so to prevent sticking.
- For oven, set timer to 2 hours. Prop door open with a heat resistant spatula or wooden spoon. The oven gets much hotter than a dehydrator so keep a close eye that they don't burn. Flip slices after an hour or so to prevent sticking.
Conditioning
- This is an important step for food safety, so don't skip!
- Once fully dry, and cooled, place berries in a glass or plastic jar. Place the jar in a dark area. Daily, for 7-10 days, shake the jar to break them apart. If you see any signs of moisture on the jar, dehydrate them again.
- Once fully dry, condition them again.
- See notes for storage tips.
See all of my favorite tools and gift ideas on my New Amazon Store!Check out Binky’s Amazon Store!Notes
- granola or trail mix
- cereals – they bump up the flavor and healthiness of everything from oatmeal and grits to cold cereals.
- Flavor vanilla pudding
- Ice cream for a strawberry flavored treat.
- Garnish cocktails and mocktails
- Muffins, cakes or quick bread
- Frostings
- Make strawberry powder to make it easier to incorporate them into some dishes.
Nutrition
Originally published June 24, 2022.
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I made strawberry powder and added it to the top of ice cream, in my smoothies and I made a strawberry frosting with it. They were all incredible! Thanks!
That’s great Mary Alice. I’m so glad you like it!