How can I make home dried fruit come out of the dryer tasting sweeter?

Question

I dry apples, pears, strawberries, kiwi, banannas, you name it in our Cabella food dryer. Up to now I have just sliced, soaked in citric acid (to prevent browning) and dried. It is good, but maybe a little sweeter would be better. Anyone out there dry fruit and soak or coat with something that will make the dried fruit taste sweeter? How should I do it?

Answer 1

i would sprinkle it with some raw sugar or organic sugar...it has that natural taste and isn't overpowering and i think it would be pretty on the fruit dried!! good luck! :)

Answer 2

I have always found dried fruit to be plenty sweet.... but I guess one thing is to be sure you have VERY RIPE fruit. Sometimes the supermarket stuff is just bland bland bland. Buy it in season, nice and ripe, and dry it in big bunches.

I've made fruit leather in the dehydrator, cooking down strawberries with a little sugar and putting in blender.... it is very sweet.

Perhaps you could also sprinkle the apples with cinnamon?

maybe use less citric acid?

I just brush them with orange juice or fresh lemon juice.... perhaps if you brush them with OJ you will get the sweetness from the juice with the fruit.

Answer 3

Maybe soaking the cut up fruit in sugar water before drying. It might soak up additional sugar.

Answer 4

soak in any kind of fruit juice...or...honey and lemon juice...it gives it a great sweetness and prvents browning of course. hope it helps