How To Dry Dates

Learn how to dry dates since this would allow you to afford a large supply quite economically. Drying dates can be done using easily available kitchen appliances. Given below are the simple steps which you can follow to dry them with ease…

Prepare Dates For Drying

1. Select ripe dates with no sign of spoilage.
2. Wash dates well in water.
3. Remove the seeds and slice dates into equal sized pieces. They can be slices into bite sized pieces or cut lengthwise.
4. Take 2 vitamin C tablets and crush them into a powder. Dissolve this in two cups of water.
5. Alternately, 2 tablespoons of ascorbic acid can be dissolved in water and used.
6. Soak dates in vitamin C water for 3 minutes.

 Various Ways of Drying Dates

• Sun Drying – Place the dates on a tray and keep this tray in a sunny area. The area should receive direct sunlight without any shadows. Let dates dry under sun for 5 days. Cover dates with mesh or netted cloth to protect it from birds and insects while drying. Make sure to turn dates twice in a day for even drying and do not forget to keep them indoors during night, else, dew can interrupt drying process.
• Oven Drying – Cover oven racks with cheese cloth and preheat oven to 150 degrees F. Turn oven off and place dates on the cheese cloth with cut part downwards. No two pieces should touch each other. Keep the oven door ajar and let dates dry inside for 5 to 12 hours. Once dates are moisture free, remove from oven.
• Drying in Dehydrator – Heat dehydrator to 100 degrees F. Place dates face down on trays inside dehydrator. Let dates dry for 20 hours.

Dry dates are leathery in texture and chewy. Place dry dates in paper bags or airtight plastic or glass containers. Store them in a cool and dry place. Use them in delicious recipes.

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