Oven-Drying

By Hklbrries

Try oven drying to save and savor Fall's bounty.

In his cookbook "Charlie Palmer's Casual Cooking" (Harper Collins 2001), the acclaimed chef wrote about one of his favorite things to do in the Fall:

"Oven drying fruits and vegetables has become one of my passions," he says. "It takes time but no real effort, which makes it a perfect technique for casual cooking. Turn the oven on its lowest setting, add a tray or two of cut-up sliced fruits or vegetables, and go about your business. Start checking after two hours to see how far along the drying process is. If you want something to be very dry, allow it to sit in a very low oven overnight or all day."

"In our house, drying fruits is the real deal. Home-dried fruits like pears, apples or figs make great snacks for the kids, easy desserts accompanied by some yogurt, port, or ice cream, or a unique addition to soups, stews, or salads."

More oven-drying tips from chef-restaurateur and cookbook author Palmer, who lives in Sonoma, California, where he cooks at home for his family:

When cutting up or slicing fruits or veggies, pieces should always be uniform to assure they will all dry at the same time. They do not have to always be wafer thin. You can use larger pieces of apricots, for example, and you can dry small fruits whole.

Make dried plum tomatoes then season with a bit of olive oil, a touch of balsamic vinegar, and some fresh herbs, or just leave them as is for an aromatic addition to soups or stews. Remember, when you dry the fruit or vegetable, you are removing the moisture, so add the olive oil at serving time to slightly plump the dried tomato and for flavor.

Drying time for fruit depends on the fruit and what type of dried fruit you want - semi-dried fruit will take less time than completely dried fruit. You know it's done by its firmness.

Semi-dried fruits and veggies can be kept in an airtight container for about 2 months. Completely dried fruits and veggies can be stored in a moisture-proof bag for up to a year.

Palmer's sons love to eat dried fruit as a snack, he says, but there are many ways to use dried fruits. Semi-dried pears can be julienned and tossed with greens in a salad. Pears also go well with lemon and thyme or with black pepper and fresh herbs.

Dried fruits are great when they are reconstituted. Add them to a flavored liquid and plump them, to serve over pancakes. Raisins can be plumped in rum and used in desserts.

Ingredients

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Details

Adapted from kraft.com

Preparation

Step 1

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