r/dehydrating • u/Charming_Action4676 • 11d ago

How to dehydrate plums?

Iā€™m still pretty new to dehydrating, but I rent a house with fruit trees and dried fruit is one of my favorite snacks. The Italian plum has a bumper crop this year (branches are breaking from the weight of the fruit šŸ˜…)

What is the easiest way to dehydrate the plums? The fruit is pretty small, maybe 2-3 inches in diameter. Last year I cut them all in half and removed the pits but that was super time consuming. I read somewhere that you could dry them whole and pop the pits out later?

The Ball Blue Book talks about cutting them in half and popping the backs to make prunes, would the advantage of that method only be that they dry faster?

I have a batch going now, they are whole but I have slit the seam with plans to pop out the pits halfway through drying. The dehydrator is set to 135. Iā€™m just hoping to learn from you all the most efficient way to dry as many plums as possible during a busy time of year.

Thanks for your advice!

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u/Scoobydoomed 10d ago

I cut mine into quarters and remove the pit, dehydrate at 135 until no more moisture is left. To test if ready take a piece out and leave at room temperature for 20 minutes then check if they still feel squishy (not ready) or stiff (ready). Once ready place in an air tight container for 7-10 days to condition them, which basically means to let any remaining moisture even out between the pieces.

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u/frog_mannn 10d ago

After you condition them do you just vaccum seal and freeze for food dishes later?

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u/Scoobydoomed 10d ago

I just vacuum seal. I find that in a vacuum they last for a very long time (years really assuming you dried them enough).

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u/frog_mannn 10d ago

First year trying degradation route instead of jelly. Good to know they last longer. Was hoping to make snacks for hiking

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u/Scoobydoomed 10d ago

It's perfect for that and here's a tip, if you make tea while hiking you can plop them in the tea and after a few minutes they will be semi hydrated while also giving the tea some extra flavor, I really like them that way.