[sclarke624]

As title:
Can you dehydrate frozen fruit.  Strawberries in particular.
Thanks

[mumofstig]

I wouldn't think so. The freezing process has already destroyed some of the cell wall structure, and that's why they tend to collapse on thawing

[Madame Cholet]

What about fruit leathers, I made a load with the glut of plums in the freezer.

[sclarke624]

I wouldn't think so. The freezing process has already destroyed some of the cell wall structure, and that's why they tend to collapse on thawing

Thats what I was thinking, probably end up a splodgy mess.

What about fruit leathers, I made a load with the glut of plums in the freezer.

I was going to make some of these, just got to get some parchment paper.

[Swing Swang]

If this is a question about freeze drying then the answer your question has to be yes, although in practice (in a domestic setting) it would be very difficult to achieve.

The freeze-dehydration of food/fruit etc. is a complex process and is temperature critical. Your ultra quick-frozen strawbs would then have to be raised to the triple pint of water in vacuo so that the frozen water that they contain is converted to water vapour without becoming liquid water.

You'd then need to consider how you'd want to store the food - in vacuum sealed pouches with/without and inert gas...

Anyway this question is interesting because in Peru potatoes are stored by freeze-drying to make a product known as chuño. Basically the spuds are left out overnight to freeze in the dry cold air, trodden, and dried out in the daytime sun. This process is repeated until they're bone dry. I trid this with maincrop spuds and a domestic freezer/cool oven cycle with terrible results.

Shame really, because I quite like chuño.

SS

[Spana]

Anyway this question is interesting because in Peru potatoes are stored by freeze-drying to make a product known as chuño. Basically the spuds are left out overnight to freeze in the dry cold air, trodden, and dried out in the daytime sun. This process is repeated until they're bone dry. I trid this with maincrop spuds and a domestic freezer/cool oven cycle with terrible results.

.

SS

.. and i suppose to the people of Peru its an easy peasy no sweat process

[sclarke624]

What about fruit leathers, I made a load with the glut of plums in the freezer.

Whats your recipie for the leathers or how did you do them.  I have googled and had a look at methods, but was wondering what you did rachelk cos I am going to copy you LOL

[Madame Cholet]

With the plums I reduced them to about 1/4 of their original volume in a pan with a tiny

amount of water. then poured them out very thinly on to oiled cling film in a swiss roll type

tin put them in the oven on a very low heat  40 to 60 with the door open for several

hours turning over when solid enough to pick up.

When cool slice into strips roll up and store in an airtight container.

Might try the next lot in the attic room if we have another heat wave.

Ps if you need to add sugar wait until reduced to stop sticking to the pan