How To Dehydrate Kiwi
Would you like to know how to dehydrate kiwi fruit? This is a little different type of fruit to dehydrate because it’s not a really sweet fruit. It’s a perfect fruit to dehydrate because it dries fairly quickly, depending on the humidity in the location where you’re drying it. Today this batch took 16 hours to dehydrate because I sliced them 1/4-inch thick instead of 1/8-inch for dehydrated kiwi chips.
Is it just me, or do you sometimes purchase a little too much fruit or veggies for your family? I can only freeze so much and only make so many smoothies or soups. This is why I believe learning to dehydrate in a dehydrator, Sun Oven, regular oven, or just a homemade screen frame to let your excess food air dry will save us money. It’s also great to have more healthy snacks around and to have some long-term storage food items.
I try to prepare dehydrated food that doesn’t need steaming, boiling, or other special treatment. I love my time in the kitchen, but I don’t want to spend unnecessary time if I don’t have to. It has to be easy, and save me time and money for me to want to do projects like this.
The dehydrated kiwi is perfect for a healthy snack, camping, or hiking treat. No chemicals or preservatives just naturally dried kiwi chips! Let’s get started learning about this fun dehydrated kiwi recipe for success. I originally wrote this post in March 2014, I updated the post with better pictures and more information.
How To Dehydrate Kiwi
Step One: Soak the Kiwi
We soaked the fresh kiwis in a bowl of water hoping it would wash off some of the “fuzzy” stuff. It did wash some off. I like to wash all my fruit and vegetables before using them, it’s just me.
Step Two: Cut The Ends Off
Then we cut the ends off so they’d be ready to slice 1/4-inch thick. You can slice them thinner (1/8-inch thick) with a mandolin, we used a good sharp knife. I have a family-favorite paring knife I use for so many food prep projects. The kiwi was absolutely perfect, with no bruises, and no mushy spots. Note that you don’t need to peel the kiwi, they work out just fine without that step. I do use my vegetable peeler when dehydrating other food items.
Step Three: Slice The Kiwi
We sliced these 1/4-inch thick, or as close as we could, to 1/4-inch thick. We wanted each dried kiwi slice to be as uniform as possible.
Step Four: Spread Evenly On Racks
Next, you place the sliced kiwi evenly onto your dehydrator trays. Luckily my drying racks have screens. I would worry the kiwi may stick to a wire drying rack used in some dehydrators.
Step Five: Set The Temperature
We set the Excalibur Dehydrator at (135°F ) = (57°C) degrees. It’s so fun to see these shelves ready to dehydrate. Life is so good with the food we preserve, and dehydrated kiwi fruit is one of my favorites.
Finished Product
Here they are dehydrated and ready to snack on! I like storing them in airtight containers. They can be kept in your refrigerator or freezer to maintain freshness. If truly sealed in an airtight container you can store them for an extended period in a cool, dry, dark place. Ours usually spend just a short time in the pantry since they are a popular snack around here. We eat them like candies and justify it since they are a “fruit.”
How To Dehydrate Kiwi
- 10-15 Kiwi, soak or wash. Cut the ends off. Slice into 1/8 to 1/4-inch slices. I did 1/4-inch slices today.
-
We soaked the Kiwi in a bowl of water hoping it would wash off some of the "fuzzy" stuff. It washed some of it off.
-
Then we cut the ends off so they would be ready to slice 1/4-inch thick. You can slice them thinner (1/8-inch thick) with a mandolin, we used a good knife. The Kiwi was absolutely perfect, with no bruises, and no mushy spots.
-
We sliced these 1/4-inch thick or very close to 1/4-inch thick.
-
Next, you place the sliced Kiwi evenly onto your dehydrating racks. Luckily my racks have screens. I would worry the Kiwi may stick to the wire racks available these days as they dry.
-
We set the Excalibur Dehydrator at (135°F ) = (57°C) degrees. It’s so fun to see these shelves ready to dehydrate. Life is so good with the food we preserve.
-
Please check your own machine for the correct temperature to dry them. The time will always depend on the humidity in the room where you are dehydrating. Today these took sixteen hours to dry. I dried them until they were leathery, pliable, and would easily break. These are great for garnishes or fruit compotes. No chemicals or preservatives. It's a naturally healthy sweet and tart snack.
How do I know when they are done?
They should be leathery, pliable, and break easily. If not, turn your dehydrator back on and check them again in a few hours. Kiwi does have a fairly high water content, so it does take a while to complete the dehydration process.
How To Condition Your Fruit or Vegetables
If you live where it is HUMID: “To condition the fruit, take the dried fruit that has cooled and pack it loosely in plastic or glass jars. Seal the containers and let them stand for 7 to 10 days. The excess moisture in some pieces will be absorbed by the drier pieces. Shake the jars daily to separate the pieces and check the moisture condensation.” https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/dry/pack_store.html
I used to live in the DRY DESERT: I set my fruit and vegetables on my countertop for 5-7 days. Ten days is even better to make sure everything is dry before using your FoodSaver unit.
How long can I store my dehydrated kiwi?
When Mark and I took our Master Canner Preserver Classes, we were instructed for safety reasons, to only store home-dehydrated fruit or vegetables for a year. When the fruit or vegetables are dry after the conditioning period, I place them in pint or quart mason jars and use my FoodSaver to seal them.
A FoodSaver and the FoodSaver Jar Sealer are what I use. I don’t use oxygen absorbers because I only dehydrate what I will eat within the year.
What are the health benefits of Kiwi?
Nutrients in the food we eat are very important. Kiwis are low in calories and high in vitamins C, E, and K, and potassium and folate. They have antioxidants we all need, they contain fiber for digestive health, and minerals as well. The serotonin in kiwi fruit is known to help with sleep. Since an average kiwi has only 42 calories, it may help you with weight control.
How can I use dehydrated Kiwi?
- Snacks
- Add to fruit salads (cut into bite-size pieces)
- Place them on a charcuterie or cheese board
- Cut into pieces for granola or mix with your cereal
- Smoothie bowls
- Add pieces to baked goods before baking
- Mix in with your yogurt
Can I dehydrate these in the oven?
Yes, you can. In fact, some ovens now come with a dehydrating feature. If you don’t want to invest in a dehydrator, set your oven as low as possible. The lowest I can set my oven is 170 degrees. This is the recommended temperature for oven dehydration. For oven dehydration, slice the kiwi into 1/8-inch slices because it would take way too many hours to dehydrate the 1/4-inch slices I used today. Place your slices on parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
You may even have a convection button on your oven, which would be awesome because the air will circulate around the food to dry it more evenly. Just keep in mind you must keep an eye on the tray you have dehydrating or they may get too hot and burn. If your oven will not go below 200 degrees, prop the oven door open with a ball of foil.
Final Word
There is something awesome about preserving our own food, don’t you agree? Some of us can no longer have fruit trees or large gardens. That’s okay, you can hopefully go to your local Farmer’s Market and preserve what is in season. Please keep prepping, we must. May God Bless this world, Linda
Here are the other Dehydrating Posts I have done, be sure to check them out:
- Dehydrating Apples
- Dehydrating Bananas
- Dehydrating Blackberries and Powder
- Dehydrating Blueberries and Powder
- Dehydrating Cilantro
- Dehydrating Cucumbers and Powder
- Dehydrating Ginger and Powder
- How To Dehydrate Grapes
- Dehydrating Green Onions and Powder
- Dehydrating Kale and Kale Powder
- Dehydrating Kiwi
- Dehydrating Lemons and Powder
- Dehydrating Marshmallows
- Dehydrating Peppermint Marshmallows and Powder
- Dehydrating Mushrooms and Mushroom Powder
- Dehydrating Onions and Powder
- Dehydrating Pears
- Dehydrating Pineapple
- Dehydrating Raspberries and Powder
- Dehydrating Spinach and Powder
- Dehydrating Strawberries
- Dehydrating Tomatoes and Powder
- Dehydrating Watermelon
I have never tried kiwis before but I’ve been seeing them down in Florida. I am so excited to have found this post, so I know what to do with them.
HI Jess, oh you have got to try dehydrating some! They are so good!! Linda
Hey, Linda: I just HAVE to comment about the knife in the picture!! I just now noticed that it is a fabulous Cutco knife!! That is the knife they say is for cutting cheese and vegetables, I believe, but it would be fabulous for using to cut fruits, too! The only thing about that exact knife is that you’d better be pretty careful while using it, because if you slip, you could end up with quite a deep cut! Then again, that is true of so many Cutco knives, as they are all super sharp and ready to do the job! I love Cutco knives, because they are superb quality AND you can send them back into the factory for repair or resharpening for a “song”! We love to do this on a every few years basis, and the knives come back like new within about 12 days!! I have even sent in very slightly used ones that I wanted to give as gifts and had them factory-sharpened. When they arrived back, they looked exactly like new, so we were super-happy!
You do know that Cutco products are made out here in New York State, right? Olean is not too far from the PA border, so we have visited their showroom at the factory while traveling through the area. Superb!
Hi Jess, thank you for the 5 stars, my friend!! Yes, I do know that Cutco knife is for cheese and vegetables. But, it was the perfect one for the kiwi’s! I first got introduced to Cutco knives by a friend, she got the bread knife. I have all the knives now!! LOL! Wait, not the steak knives though. I get them when they are cheaper at Costco at one of their roadshows. I buy one or two every time I see them at Costco. I give them as gifts as well. I did not know they were made in New York State! I would love to see their showroom factory! I love hearing you love the knives as much as I do!! Linda
So come visit Linda, the factory and guest center is 1 1/2 hour from our home!
Hi Chris, oh my gosh that would be so fun to meet up! Linda
Hi Jess, thank you for the 5 stars, my friend! My kids used to cut them in half after washing them and use a spoon to eat the inside of the kiwi! Linda
My family loves kiwi! I can’t wait to try dehydrating them! Thank you for another great recipe!❤️
Hi Camille, oh you will love dehydrating kiwi! It was so fun to slice them with the peel!! They are so yummy! Linda
Love it! Thank you for the tips.
Hi Tiffany, you are so welcome! Linda
Hi, Linda. Can you dehydrate peeled kiwi? I’m not crazy about kiwi rind. It’s the fuzzy textural thing. What does the rind taste like when it’s dehydrated? If the rind is crunchy I could probably handle it. Thanks!
Hi Kay, I’m too lazy to peel them but yes, you could peel them. Because they have a different texture I would say they are a bit crunchy. I do not like the fuzzy texture at all, but it does have the same texture after dehydrating them. When I started I was going to peel them, but they got so slippery and mushy I opted not to. It’s hard to describe the taste, but my family loves them. Linda
Last fall, my sister and I dehydrated all sorts of fruits for her to take with her on her drive to Florida and then home from Florida to Virginia. We did both the regular green kiwis and also the golden kiwis…. if you haven’t tried to dehydrate the golden kiwis, you have to try, they are so wondeful! My sister said that they didn’t even make it to our cousin’s house in Tennessee, let alone all the way to Florida. So good.
The other thing that we all liked were gala apples generously sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.
Hi Topaz, oh I have to try the golden ones!! Did you peel your kiwis? It was too much work for me and they tasted great! I love your travel comment! They were gone before they made it to Tennessee!!! Love it! Linda
We did peel the kiwis. It was a little more work but with 3 of us getting the fruit ready, it didn’t take that long. We had an apple peeler corer to get the apple slices ready so they took no time at all. We also dried some blueberries, strawberries and pears. I’ve dehydrated all sorts of veggies to put together some camping meals. I bought a book from https://www.backpackingchef.com/ that has some tasty recipes to dehydrate ingredients to make the camping meals. These would also be great for to go bags and short term food storage. I need to try and make some vegan freeze dried meals for my youngest daughter, especially if she goes on another summer field experience.
HI Topaz, oh thank you for telling me you did peel the kiwis!!! I love it! I love dehydrating everything as well. I will be republishing many of my dehydrated fruits and veggies. I will have to check out that book, thank you! Linda