Dehydrated Foods: Dried Apples & Apple Fruit Leather

[Music] My name is Kelly Street, and I'm a registered dietitian with the Oregon State University Extension Service Family and Community Health Program in Clackamas County. In this video, we will discuss the Oregon farm direct marketing law and demonstrate how to dehydrate fruit and make fruit leather using a food dehydrator.

So, what is the Oregon farm direct marketing law? The Oregon farm direct marketing law, passed in 2012, allows farmers to produce certain low-risk value-added products, such as fruit spreads, pickled, and lacto-fermented fruits and vegetables, and sell them directly to the consumer without a processing license, as long as they grow the produce themselves. This law provides farmers with an opportunity to generate a supplemental income, add variety to their offerings, use up excess produce, and extend their market season.

We have found that farmers need a bit of guidance in implementing the law, including where to find tested recipes and interpreting labeling and record-keeping requirements. That's why OSU Extension is delivering education on the farm direct law through a series of videos and workshops. Information on the law can also be found in the Oregon State University publication, Oregon's Farm Direct Marketing Law: Producer Processed Value-Added Products.

If you plan to produce a product for sale under the farm direct marketing law, you will have to use a tested recipe. A tested recipe has data to support food safety. You will find tested recipes and current food preservation instructions in the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, So Easy to Preserve, the University of Georgia National Center for Home Food Preservation, Pacific Northwest Extension Service food preservation publications, as well as other publications from other extension services located throughout the United States.

If you want to produce an acidified food, such as a relish or salsa, using your own recipe, you must first submit it to a recognized process authority for approval. This process is outlined in the mentioned OSU publication.

Today, we will prepare apple slices and apple fruit leather puree for drying in an electric dehydrator. You will find instructions on how to dry fruits and vegetables in Pacific Northwest Extension Publication 397, "Drying Fruits and Vegetables." Microorganisms and enzymes that cause food spoilage need water to survive. The food drying process removes the water and slows enzymatic action. Dried fruits and vegetables added to bakery items, cereals, and main dishes add color, texture, flavor, and nutritional value. They're also ideal for hiking and camping because they are lightweight, nutrient-dense, and don't require refrigeration. Extra ripe fruit that is unsuitable for canning makes excellent fruit leather. With all of that going for it, who can say no to dried foods? So, let's try some apples and make some apple fruit leather. Your customers will love them.

We begin by assembling our equipment and utensils. An electric dehydrator is the best method for drying because it consistently produces a quality product. Your dehydrator should have an enclosed heat source, a thermostat with settings between 85 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit, a fan that circulates air, and open mesh trays made of food-grade plastic. Fruit leather will also require leather sheets that fit on top of the trays. Utensils that will come in handy when you are preparing your apples for the dehydrator include an apple slicer, apple corer, and mortar and pestle. You will also want to have a blender or food processor available to mix up the puree for your fruit leather.

Before cutting into the apples, you will want to prepare an anti-browning solution. Crush 1500 milligrams of vitamin C with the mortar and pestle. Add the vitamin C to a quart of water and stir until the vitamin C dissolves.

We start by rinsing our apples in cold water, coring, and slicing the apples using an apple slicer, and then cutting those slices in half to a thickness of about an eighth of an inch. Immediately place the apples into the anti-browning solution for three to five minutes, and then drain.

While the apple slices are soaking, we will prepare the apple puree for our fruit leather. We cut the apples into chunks and then place them in the food processor. We have added some orange juice to help with the mixing as well as to serve as an anti-browning agent in this case. We've blended this puree into about the thickness of applesauce. Now we're going to taste our puree. It's always important to taste what you're making, and I like that flavor. I wouldn't do anything to it in this case, but if for some reason you need to add a little bit of sweetener, you can either add some honey or some corn syrup to it. Do not use granulated sugar because it may crystallize during storage. You may also want to add a pinch of spice to your puree, such as allspice, cinnamon, ginger, or nutmeg. In this case, I am going to add a little bit of ginger.

Now we're ready to load our trays with the apple slices. Normally, you would spray the trays with vegetable cooking spray to prevent sticking, but in this case, we've got these nice mesh sheets, so we won't need to do that. Next, we're going to place the apples on the trays in a single layer. Our apples can touch, but they can't overlap.

Now we're going to spray our fruit leather sheet with some vegetable oil spray. Next, we're going to pour the puree onto the sheet and spread it with a spatula to one-eighth inch thickness, almost to the edge of the sheet.

After that, we place the trays in the dehydrator and set the temperature to 145 degrees Fahrenheit for two to three hours. After that time, lower the temperature to 135 degrees Fahrenheit for the duration of the drying time. Be sure to rotate the trays every few hours to ensure even drying. The average drying times for the apples and the fruit leather will range from about 6 to 12 hours.

The apples are sufficiently dry when they are pliable and leathery. To test for doneness, remove a piece and allow it to cool completely. It should feel pliable and leathery and have no pockets of moisture. The fruit leather is properly dried when it is translucent, slightly tacky to the touch, and pulls away easily from the tray.

Some of the apple slices will retain more moisture than others, so we will condition them prior to storage. To condition the apple slices, loosely pack them in a plastic or glass container two-thirds full, seal the container, and shake the container daily for two to four days. Excess moisture in some pieces will be absorbed by the drier pieces. If you notice water forming in the container, place the apples back in the dehydrator.

After conditioning, you can pack your apple slices into home canning jars, plastic freezer containers, or plastic freezer bags. Fruit leather can be left whole or cut into pieces, wrapped in plastic wrap, and packed in airtight containers. Label your dried food products following the guidelines outlined in the Oregon farm direct marketing law. Store your product in a cold, dark, and dry place. Many people store dry food in the refrigerator or freezer. For best quality, sell and/or consume within one year of production.

Thanks so much for joining us for this introduction to the Oregon farm direct marketing law and demonstration of how to dry foods for sale to the public. We hope you

have found it helpful. For more information on the Oregon farm direct marketing law, you can contact the Oregon State University Extension Service in Clackamas County, the OSU Extension Service Small Farms Program, or the Oregon Department of Agricultural Food Safety Program. [Music]