In the last free video, I showed you how to freeze prunes or plums — this time, I’m showing you how to dehydrate them. They’re easy to do, take up very little storage space and don’t require special temperatures (although cooler is better). The only problem is, they get eaten too quickly! 😉
How To Dehydrate Plums or Prunes
You can use dried fruits to make fermented fruit butters such as in Nourishing Traditions on page 110. These fermented fruit butters are great because you can make them in the off-season.
Instructions
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Wash plums.
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Pull off stems.
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Cut in half to remove pit.
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Discard pit and lay halves, cut side up, on a dehydrator tray in a single layer without touching.
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Dehydrate at 145 degrees Fahrenheit for the first 2 hours (Excalibur dehydrator only), then turn down to between 105 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit for the rest of the drying time.
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Check every few hours and flip over as needed to dry consistently.
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When they are still supple, yet no moisture is released when pressed, they are done.
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Allow to cool.
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Store in airtight containers, preferably in a dark, cool place.
How do you preserve plums or prunes? What are your favorite recipes for using them?
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I have lost my recipe for German Sour Cream Plum Cake. It is a thin layer of cake that you bake then spread with plums and top with a mixture of sour cream and eggs and bake some more. It is absolutely delicious. Anyone out there have a recipe similar to that?
where do you buy prunes in an un-dehydrated state?
From local farmers. They’re alot like plums, just a different variety.
Once the plums are dry, will they get moldy? I dried mine 3 days and many are a bit soft, but no liquid and a bit wrinkled, some are thinner than others… thought I’d like to put them in pint jars and remove the air or in the regular bags made to remove all the air for long term storage… they are delicious!!!!!!!!!!!!! I did 25 trays of them. I dehydrated carrots a long time, and they all got moldy… Lost over 50# of carrots (before drying) 🙁 Just stumbled on your site and checked out the videos… thanks!
Lois
Lois — If they get totally dry and then are kept in an airtight container, they won’t get moldy. I vacuum seal my dry goods now, but I didn’t used to and they didn’t get moldy. You’ve got to keep moisture out no matter what else you do.
Any chance the survival bundle will make a reappearance? I so wanted to purchase it but missed the deadline with my newborn.
My plums are not freestone so pit does not come out clean. Can I dry them with pit in?
Hi, Kathryn.
While plums can be dehydrated whole, you’ll get better results if you pit the fruit.
~Danielle, TCS Customer Success Team
Thanks for answer. I cannot take pit out as shown because they are not cling free plums. I will cut around the pit to open the sides and try to dry
them like that.
Have you ever heard of non cling free plums?
Kathryn
Hi Kathryn,
All stone fruits come either as freestone, clingstone, or semi-cling varieties. So you can have plum varieties that are freestone. 🙂
~ Vicki, TCS Customer Success Team