How to Dehydrate Pineapple
Dehydrated pineapple is a delicious and healthy snack to eat alone or to use in other recipes. If you know how to dehydrate pineapple (with a light honey glaze) you can preserve the sweet tangy taste of the fruit. Here, I share my favorite way to dehydrate pineapple slices or chips using an electric dehydrator and just enough honey to add flavor and prolong storage time. You need never be without a great fruity snack.
Sometimes when I use honey in recipes, you don’t really taste an overwhelming sweetness. That is the case with these dehydrate pineapple chips – the sweetness is not too sweet.
Dehydrating Pineapple Chips
So what’s the big deal with dried pineapple? There are several reasons it is a good snack to keep on hand. Full of dietary fiber, snacking on dehydrated pineapple can help support a healthy digestive tract and help you feel full between meals.
However, when fruit is dehydrated, the water is removed but the sugars remain. For this reason, dried pineapple should be viewed as an energy booster or small snack and consumed in moderation. It is very portable and stores well and lasting for months in the freezer.
Ingredients
- pineapple
- honey
Choosing a Pineapple
When choosing your fresh pineapple for dehydrating, be sure to get a ripe one – but one that is still firm. A mushy piece of fruit will not work well. It will also be more difficult to peel, core and slice.
Honey as Dried Fruit Pretreatment
Honey is one of those marvelous pantry staples. When honey is stored properly, it never spoils – it lasts forever.
When choosing honey to use for dehydrating fruits like pineapple – variety doesn’t really matter. Of course, I always recommend buying raw honey straight from the beekeeper when possible.
The Process
1. The first step involves preparing the pineapple. This involves cutting off the top, peeling, cutting out the eyes and coring your piece of fruit. This can be a juicy adventure so protect your counter.
2. Use a sharp knife or a mandolin slicer (which is wonderful) to slice the pineapple into uniform thick slices. This helps insure even drying.
3. Place pineapple slices on dehydrator tray in a single layer. Brush each side of the slice with a light coating of honey.
Some recipes suggest, creating a water soak using 1 cup of honey to 3 cups of hot water. Once stirred well, the fruit is soaked for a few minutes – then removed and allowed to drain.
In making these dehydrated pineapple slices, we chose to brush on a small amount of honey rather than using the soak method. When making dehydrated apples with cinnamon and honey in the dehydrator – I use the soak method.
4. Dehydrate until pineapple is firm and dry. The time required depends on many factors including the model of your hydrator, weather conditions and fruit thickness.
Storing Dehydrated Pineapple
After allowing the dried pineapple to cool, store in an air-tight container. Clear mason jars (with wide mouths) are wonderful storage containers for dried fruit.
Inside a glass jar, moisture condensation should not be a problem if you have dried the pineapple sufficiently.
However, If you are concerned about mold or the product absorbing moisture – pop a few packets of food grade silica gel (link in recipe card) in there.
If you plan to consume it within a few days, a jar on the counter is fine. It also stores in the refrigerator for several weeks or freeze it for months of storage.
Honestly, I also like to use vacuum seal bags for my bulk food storage. They are easier to stack in the pantry and I can open them and transfer to a jar if desired.
More Ideas
Dehydration as a way of food storage has many applications in the kitchen. If you really want to get creative, you can try your hand at dehydrating honey. But, you don’t have to worry as honey has a very long shelf life in its natural state.
Perhaps, these Honey Caramel Apples would be a great snack for another day! The honey caramel is a bit thinner than regular caramel but still as tasty – and fewer empty calories.
If food preservation is your thing – get ready for blueberry season. This recipe for making honey blueberry syrup is awesome. Its a yummy topping for pancakes and waffles. And a great way to use up the blueberry harvest.
Another fresh recipe idea is my honey lime fruit salad. Light are refreshing it is a great way to use up fresh fruit in season – don’t let it go to waste.
FAQs
The dehydration time can vary depending on the thickness of the slices and the temperature settings of your dehydrator. Generally, it takes about 8 to 16 hours at 135°F (57°C) to fully dehydrate pineapple slices
Yes, you can dehydrate pineapple using an oven if you don’t have a dehydrator. Set your oven to its lowest temperature (usually around 170°F or 77°C) and arrange the pineapple slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Prop the oven door open slightly to allow moisture to escape, and expect the process to take around 8 to 12 hours.
How many calories will this sugar add to your finished dried pineapple treat? Well, that depends in part on how much honey you leave on the fruit. For this reason, brushing a thin layer on each piece of fruit results in less calories than dipping.
Learning how to dehydrate pineapple is a great way to store fruit for future use. The shelf life is long and it does not take up a lot of room in the freezer or pantry.
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Dehydrated Pineapple Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Read my disclosure.Equipment
- Mandolin Slicer (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 piece pineapple ripe
- 1/2 cup Honey
- 1 pkg Food Grade Silica Gel (Optional)
Instructions
- Choose the PineappleSelect a nice pineapple of medium size. If it is still very green, let it ripen for a few days. However, do not wait too long – over-ripe pineapples will be more acidic.
- Off With Its Head!The first thing to do is to “behead” your pineapple. Hopefully, the top is still mostly green with a few dried ends of the foliage. This is a good sign.
- Remove Peeling from SidesPineapples can be a rather frustrating food to peel. They are a bit rough and lack the smooth peel of an apple. Use a knife to slice off the outer covering. Several cuts from top to bottom are required.You will see some brown spots left (eyes). Use your knife to cut the brown away – it is okay if you have to cut into the pineapple a bit. That is normal.
- Remove CoreThe center of a pineapple is the core. This area of the fruit is woody and not as flavorful. It is common to discard the core.Some cooks use a pineapple corer. That is great if you have one on hand but a knife will work just as well. Slice the whole thing into pieces and then cut off the core.
- Slicing Uniform PiecesUsing your knife (or a slicer) cut all of the pineapple into slices of near uniform thickness. If using a mandolin slicer take care to avoid cutting yourself. Cut resistant gloves are a good kitchen accessory to have.
- Absorb Excess MoistureLay pineapple slices on a flat surface with a paper towel underneath. Use another paper towel to blot off any excess juice on top of the slices. You don't have to do this but I think it is worthwhile.
- Brush Honey on one SideUse a silicone brush to apply a light coat of honey to the top side of each pineapple slice.
- Repeat for other sideFlip fruit over and place on dehydrator trays. Apply another light coat of honey to this side.
- Dehydrate for 16 HoursDehydrate pineapple until firm and dry. It may be slightly sticky but there should be no wetness. Normally this takes approximately 16 hours at 135°F.
- Remove from DehydratorWhen pineapple is dry and firm, remove from dehydrator and allow it to cool.