Y’all.
I am so tired. Tired from our trip to California.
Tired because I can’t seem to get to sleep at a decent hour these days.
Tired because I’m going 100% in my workouts and my body is exhausted.
Tired because I haven’t taken the time to just sit, alone with God, and pray and LISTEN to him. There’s nothing wrong per se, I just feel spiritually exhausted in that I’m not giving myself the time to just rest in his loving arms.
That being said, this is going to be a short post but a good one for anyone who:
- Doesn’t have a dehydrator but loves dried fruit;
- Doesn’t want to spend money on a dehydrator or dried fruit;
- Wants to know exactly how their food is processed;
- Thinks it’s really cool to make fun things like dried lemons in their oven;
- Needs to just rest in the fact that the oven can do all the work except the cutting.
Just to note: I’ve made lemons (great for steeping in hot water or even just putting in a glass of iced tea), apples, apricots and pears. The cooking time for each varies based on how thick the fruit is sliced and the water content; the apricots were just halved and they have a really high water content so I left them in the oven overnight and woke up to perfectly chewy sweet morsels. But if you’re looking for something quick, thinly-sliced apples and/or pears are the way to go! Just let your imagination (and your oven) run wild!
Since this isn’t a exactly a recipe, here’s what you need to do:
- Preheat your oven to 150-185 degrees (I have a convection option on mine which I love and recommend using if you have it. If not it will still work just fine with a regular oven).
- Place an oven-safe rack on a baking sheet.
- Slice your fruit about 1/8-inch thin if you can; a mandolin would be ideal but I don’t have one so I just (carefully) used a sharp knife.
- Lay the fruit slices on the baking sheet and place in the oven for anywhere from 4-12 hours (again, depending on thickness and water content). For me the apples/pears took 4-5 hours, the lemons took 7-8 and the apricots took about 12.
- Let cool and enjoy!
Just have to say I love you guys. The end 🙂
**Edited to add this fun link of how to use the lemons!**
sorry, yes, my bad.. I meant this link… https://www.dandee-designs.com/2008/12/neighbor-gifts.html
I haven’t tried that recipe out but I’m sure it smells delicious! I also really like the williams sonoma stovetop scent… lemon slices, rosemary sprigs, and vanilla. Not as Christmas-ey, but makes the house smell marvelous!
That recipe above is a direct copy from another blog, https://shannoneileenblog.typepad.com/happiness-is/2011/12/christmas-in-a-jar.html
just thought credit should be given where due
Hi C! I don’t see a recipe on the link that you listed, but I promise you that I did this solely on my own and have never heard of that site before. I do agree that credit should always be given where it’s due, and although I didn’t take this recipe from someone else, I’ll certainly list the link on this post as a great idea of how to use the dehydrated lemons.
DOH! I see what you mean now…and yes, it is the same recipe! Sorry for the confusion! It’s in the post anyhow – thanks for the link C!
What a great idea! I am making little gifts for the holidays for people that are “Holiday Potpourri Bags”. I want to dehydrate some apples, oranges and lemons and use them for the potpourri. I also make wreathes with the dried citrus slices, bay leaves, and cinnamon sticks. Smells so wonderful and look beautiful! Now I don’t need to buy a dehydrator!
Here is a great gift idea for anyone wanting a nonfood item for holidays… (great for neighbors, etc)
Take 5 cinnamon sticks,
1 dried lemon slice,
1 dried orange slice,
3 dried apple slices,
1/2 c whole cloves,
1 T nutmeg,
1/4 c whole allspice
1 T bay leaf pieces
Put all in a bag, add a card that says “add water and heat over stovetop” and you have a great smelling holiday gift!
God bless 🙂
Sounds super simple! I want to try banana chips(: Just curious, what do you do with your dehydrated lemons?
Wow; I had no idea it was this simple. I’m going to try this!
Breathe. Deeply. He’s not going anywhere. Just give him a shout out here and there during your day until you can dig back in. And I’ve never owned a dehydrator, so this is perfect.
I’m praying for you to be rejuvenated! When I’m feeling spiritually parched and exhausted, my grandmother’s wise words ring true in my ears: “Keep God first and foremost by praying constantly and praying together with your husband”. All that to say, I know it’s tough but we’re all in this together and this life is the closest to hell we will ever be. 🙂
Xoxo,
Iradis
p.s. I love this idea of drying fruit without a dehydrator. I won’t be able to borrow my Mom’s dehydrator anymore once we move away so now I have just the solution. Thanks!
Yum! Dried fruit chips is one of my favorite snacks!
Love this! There’s no way I’d ever drop the money on a dehydrator but love dried fruit.