Dehydrating Blueberries {How-To}
Do you know how simple it is to dehydrate blueberries? So simple!
Servings: 10
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh blueberries
- 10 cups boiling water
Instructions
- I like to pour the blueberries into a colander. Then dip the colander into the boiling water for about 20-40 seconds. It won't take long.
- This is done to soften the skin and split it just a little bit.
- Remove from the water and let it drain. You may need to do this in batches.
- Spread the berries on the dehydrator trays.
- Dehydrate it on 130 degrees for at least 18 hours. It could take quite a bit longer, depending on the size and moisture content of your blueberries.
- Make sure they are completely dehydrated before turning off the dehydrator.
Notes
- Blueberries have skin that gets pretty hard when it dehydrates. It is also covered in thin natural waxy skins. The skin needs to be pierced in some way, this will give you the best results.
- I like to "check" the blueberries by boiling them for a short period of time. It only takes seconds, so don't walk away. Especially if you have small blueberries- don't boil them for more than 10 seconds. The easiest way is shown in the photos- add them to a colander and dip it in the boiling water. You can also add the berries directly to the water and remove them with a slotted spoon when they are done.
- You can also pierce the berries with skewers, chop them, or pulse them a couple of times in the food processor. Out of all of these, I like the boiling method best.
- Next spread them in a single layer on your dehydrator trays. Make sure you are using mesh trays. Some people recommend drying the berries with paper towels, but I have not found this makes a difference. I use a L'Equip food dehydrator and love it. The trays are easy to remove and fill and the temperature is consistent. All the dehydrated foods I have done in it have turned out really well. This size also allows you to do lots of blueberries at one time!
- Dehydrate between the temperature of 115-130 degrees. I usually do mine about 125-130 degrees. This needs to be done on low heat.
- Once they are dried, let them cool to room temperature, and store.
- I like to store them in glass jars (mason jars), an air-tight container, or even plastic bags. Just make sure to remove all air. If you want, you can also add in a desiccant pack as well to remove any extra moisture.
- Make sure they are stored in the pantry, in a dark place, out of direct sunlight.
- You can also use frozen berries. If you do, make sure and thaw them and drain really well. Also, you will not need to boil the blueberries if they were previously frozen. Their skin is already split, so no need.