Dip the fruit in salt water. As a general rule, if ten fresh plums weigh around 9 oz the same quantity dried will weigh 2 oz. Fresh and dried Italian plums are low in calories but high in fiber and vitamins A, C and K. Eating prunes is a time-honored method of promoting bowel regularity. Dehydrator or Oven, I love my dehydrator but if you don’t have one you can dehydrate plums in your oven.. That’s it just three items and a little time and you can have dried plums you made yourself. These are the Damson types. Drying fruit is a good way to use up extra fruit and is a delicious treat! Plums stay fresh for just a couple of weeks at best, but dried plums -- or prunes -- can last for up to 12 months with proper drying and storage. I've used a dehydrator in the past, but this year I decided to use the power of the sun to dry my fruit. Many people favor the Italian plum as a dried fruit because of its firm, sweet flesh and attractive dark purple skin. What You’ll Need to Dry Plums. Use 6 tablespoons of pickling salt to 1 gallon (3.5 liters) of water. Paring Knife, we like these they are great for so many kitchen jobs. Thoroughly drain and dry the fruit. Allow 4 to 12 hours to dry the fruit. It does however take a long time. Place dried fruits in loosely packed jars and shake once a day for seven to 10 days to make sure the remaining moisture is evenly distributed among the dried pieces. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer, 10 minutes or until dried plums are very tender. Plums Are Ready: Drying time: between 12-30 hours and the plums will be leathery in consistency when dried. Plums, we like the plums that are called Italian Prunes, but any plums will work. You can technically make prunes from any plum, but the best are the dry, rather oblong, dark purple plums – if you can find them. (Only fruits need this extra step.) Food should be dry but pliable when cool. The dried fruit retains much of the nutrient content of a fresh plum, without the high moisture that leads to spoilage. Drain and dry the fruit. But if … Place dried plums and water in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Place fruit directly on racks or first spread 100 percent cotton sheet or cheesecloth over oven racks. If you want to know how to make dried plums at home you should watch this easy dried plums recipe. And, yes, you do need a special piece of equipment, too. Obviously the plum, once dried, loses part of its mass, especially in terms of water and becomes sweeter than the fresh fruit. When plums are dried, most people refer to them as prunes. Preheat oven to 145 degrees, propping door open with wooden spoon to allow steam to escape. Sun drying fruit is cheap, doesn't require special equipment and is easy to do. Remember to rotate your food dehydrator trays, for even drying. Oven Drying. Dried plums or prunes are the one fruit we recommend boiling because they need direct contact with water to help fully rehydrate the fruit. Prevent oxidation, or darkening of the fruit, after slicing. Blanch apples or apricots by steaming the slices for 5 minutes, and then putting them in ice cold water. Very good question, Nancy! Once stoned, the plums should be put back in the oven for another half hour in order to complete the drying process. See important notes from Beverly and Don, below. Dried fruit is easy to make at home (after all, there's really just one ingredient). Here’s a pretty good breakdown of some typical plums you’ll find at the grocery store. If condensation appears on the jar, the fruit needs to be returned to the dehydrator for further drying. Test a few pieces to see if the batch is ready; Pot Drying Many people favor the Italian plum as a general rule, if ten fresh plums around! 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