Amazing Sliced & Dried Pineapple

I made a discovery at the grocery store last weekend that was very exciting...99 cent pineapples! So, I bought two. I would have purchased two more, but my husband managed to talk me down.

After a busy week, the 2 pineapples sat, waiting patiently for me on the counter. I finally realized it was unlikely that I would be able to eat them before they went bad, so I busted out the handy-dandy dehydrator to preserve them.

My husband uses this pineapple corkscrew that makes easy work of peeling, coring and slicing the fruit into perfect rings. Just chop off the top leaves and twist the handle into the flesh...presto! After slicing, I broke the pineapple into 1 inch pieces and placed them onto the drying trays in a single layer.

 

I am loosely following the directions in a book called "The Beginner's Guide to Preserving Food at Home" by Janet Chadwick. You can find this book HERE in my urban homestead supply store. The book suggests that you dip the pineapple into honey before drying, but the pineapple is already very sweet, so I skipped that step this time.

2 Pineapples = 4 Dehydrator Trays or 1/2 quart
Drying Temperature: 115 degrees
Drying Time: 24 hours

The photo above shows the yield that four trays will give you—about half of a quart sized bag—less than I expected.

I am so glad I tried this. The dried pineapple is absolutely delicious! I will be drying more because it seems like a great alternative to sweet snacks and would be great in a homemade trail mix.

Next time...Strawberries!