To preserve a variety of pears, drying is a good option. People used this method as early as the Middle Ages - they let the fruit dry in the warm ambient air. For this purpose they threaded pear rings on long strings and hung them up in the attic or in other warm and dry rooms. It took a few days for the pears to dry. Today you can still dry the fruit in the same way - but there are now more time-saving solutions…

The dehydrator is the fastest way to dry pears

This is how you can dry your pears

There are basically three ways to dry pears:

  • in the dehydrator
  • in the oven
  • in the air

General preparatory measures

The following steps apply across the board - regardless of how you want to dry your pears:

  1. Only use ripe and undamaged fruit (no damaged areas).
  2. Wash the pears thoroughly.
  3. Remove the cores (preferably with an apple corer).
  4. If you wish, you can peel the pears (not a must, but it is advisable for hard-skinned specimens).
  5. Cut the fruit into 5 to 20 mm slices. The following applies: thinner slices become pear chips.
  6. Briefly dip the pear slices in lemon juice. This is to avoid discoloration.

Dry the pears in the dehydrator

All you have to do is place the pear slices on each tier of the device and follow the manufacturer's instructions to dry the fruit. Good models calculate the ideal temperature and drying time themselves.

tips

Drying in the dehydrator is the gentlest and most efficient method. This is where most of the vitamins are retained.

Dry pears in the oven

  1. Place the pear slices on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
  2. Dry the fruit in the oven for 30 minutes at 40 degrees Celsius. The door should be open a crack - simply clamp a cooking spoon between them.
  3. After half an hour, increase the temperature to 70 degrees and dehydrate your pears until they are still pliable but no longer damp. This process usually takes about six (with circulating air) or twelve (with top and bottom heat) hours.
  4. Take out the tray with the dried fruit slices and let the dried fruit cool down completely.

Important:

  • When drying with circulating air, the door can remain closed, when drying with top and bottom heat it has to be open a little (the heat wants to escape…).
  • Turn the pear slices several times - for even drying.

Air dry pears

  1. Slide the pear slices onto bamboo sticks.
  2. Place the whole thing on the ledge of an activated fireplace.

Note: The drying process can take a few days or even weeks. Turn the sticks regularly.

Save dried pears

To store the dried pear slices, it is best to fill them in screw-top jars - this way they are protected from moisture and vermin.

The garden journal freshness ABC

How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?

The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:

  • as a free PDF file to print out yourself

Category:

Trees