How to Make and Use Fruit Powders

Fruit powders are basically dried fruits that have been pulverized into powder form. Why would one do that, one might ask. Well, there are lots of ways to use fruit powders, from using them to color or flavor baked goods to adding nutrition to smoothies, yogurt, and ice cream.

They especially make sense if you find yourself with an overabundance of fruit that you couldn’t possibly get through before it turns bad. Dry that fruit out, grind it to a fine powder, and keep it on hand for anytime you find yourself short of fresh fruit or you want to add a few more vitamins to your meal.

What Fruits Can I Use to Make Fruit Powders?

Berries tend to be the best fruits to use for making fruit powders but feel free to play around with peaches and nectarines, pineapple, and even kiwi.

What Equipment Do I Need to Dry My Fruits?

In an ideal world, you would have access to a freeze-dryer. However, that isn’t the most common appliance around. Since we want to turn this dried fruit into a powder, not a paste, it is very important that we remove as much moisture as possible. As a result, regular ovens are not ideal as they tend to hold moisture and will not allow your fruit to dry completely. You could try keeping your oven door open slightly to let the moisture out, but the results won’t be optimal.

Using a dehydrator is the next best thing after a freeze-dryer. You will also need some kind of blender or a coffee or spice grinder to make your dried fruits into powder and clean, dry glass jars to store your powders in.

How Do I Prepare the Fruits?

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First of all, make sure that you have clean, dry, and blemish-free fruits. Next, you must decide on how to prepare your fruits for the dehydrator. If you have small berries such as blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries, you can place them whole onto your dehydrator trays. Bigger berries like strawberries can be sliced evenly before laying them out on the trays.

Larger fruits, such as peaches or oranges, should be sliced as thinly and evenly as possible to make sure that they dry at about the same rate. The thinner the slice, the shorter the drying time will be.

Alternately, you can blend your fruits first into a purée before spreading it out onto parchment paper on a dehydrator tray. The purée will dry into a sheet that can be peeled or broken away from the paper before putting it into a blender.

How Do I Dry the Fruits?

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Once you have your fruits on your dehydrator trays, put them into your dehydrator and set the temperature. Unfortunately, it is difficult to give a recommended temperature and drying time as this will depend on the water content of the fruit you have chosen and the humidity in the air.

That said, a lower temperature and a long time will be better as you want as much water removed as possible. If you don’t have a manual with recommended drying times for your machine, set your dehydrator to 125°F. Your fruit may take anywhere between 6 hours to a whole day to fully dehydrate. Just be sure to check on your fruits regularly. You want them to be as brittle as possible.

How Do I Turn My Dried Fruits into a Powder?

Once you are satisfied with how dry your fruits are, transfer them to a high-powered blender or grinder. Whizz the fruits until they become a fine powder. At this point, you may also add 1/2-1 teaspoon of arrowroot or cornstarch to help with clumping, but this is optional.

Before you store your powder, lay it out on a tray in a cool dry place so that any residual moisture may escape. Next, transfer it to a clean and very dry glass jar for storage. Shake your fruit powder every day for up to a week to see if there is any clumping due to residual moisture. If you notice that there is moisture, you may pour the powder out over parchment paper on a dehydrator tray and dry it for a couple more hours.

Your fruit powder should last up to three months, but always check for signs of spoilage and discard accordingly.

What Can I Do with My Fruit Powders?

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Fruit powders are usually stunning in color and very concentrated in flavor. As a result, they are wonderful for using to flavor cakes and icings. As well they can add gorgeous colors without having to use yucky artificial colors and flavorings.

Sprinkle fruit powders onto your favorite vegan yogurts, ice creams, and plant-based milk. You could also try stirring them into oatmeal and other hot puddings. Make fun colored pancakes and waffles by adding a spoon or two of fruit powder to your batter.

Related Content:

• Chocolate-Strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups
• 12 Recipes You Can Make with a Dehydrator
• 11 Cooking Tips for Dehydrated Vegetables
• How to Make Healthy Dehydrated Fruit
• Demand for Fruit and Vegetable Powders is Growing!

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