How To Dehydrate Kiwi

Would you like to know how to dehydrate kiwi? This is a little different type of fruit to dehydrate because it’s not real sweet fruit. It’s a perfect fruit to dehydrate because it dries fairly quickly depending on the humidity where you are drying it. Today this batch took 16 hours to dehydrate because I sliced them 1/4-inch thick instead of 1/8-inch for chips.

Is it just me or do you sometimes purchase a little too much of a fruit or veggie? I can only freeze so much and only make so many smoothies or soup. 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.

I try to dry food that does not need steaming or parboiling or whatever. I guess I am just lazy. It has to be easy, save me time and money for me to want to do it.

The dehydrated Kiwi is perfect for a healthy snack, camping, or hiking treat. No chemicals or preservatives….just naturally dehydrated Kiwi!

How To Dehydrate Kiwi

Step One

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.

Step Two

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.

Step Three

We sliced these 1/4-inch thick or very close to 1/4-inch thick.

Step Four

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.

Step Five

We set the Excalibur Dehydrator at 135 degrees. It’s so fun to see these shelves ready to dehydrate. Life is so good with food we preserve.

Finished Product

Here they are dehydrated and ready to snack on!

How To Dehydrate Kiwi

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.

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 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, only store home dehydrated fruit or vegetables for a year. After 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 do not use oxygen absorbers because I only dehydrate what I will eat within the year.

What are the health benefits of Kiwi?

They are low in calories and high in vitamins C, E, and K, and potassium and folate.

How can I use dehydrated Kiwi?

• Snacks
• Add to fruit salads (cut in bite-size pieces)
• Place them on a charcuterie or cheese board
• Cut into pieces for granola
• Smoothie bowls
• Add pieces to baked goods before baking

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 dehydrating. Slice the Kiwi 1/8-inch because it would take way too many hours to dehydrate the 1/4-inch slices as I did in your oven. 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 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:

• Dehydrating Apples
• Dehydrating Bananas
• Dehydrating Blackberries and Powder
• Dehydrating Blueberries and Powder
• Dehydrating Cilantro
• Dehydrating Cucumbers and Powder
• Dehydrating Ginger and Powder
• 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

the kiwi