GRAPES
Grapes are probably the oldest & most well-known dried foods - raisins & sultanas have been around forever! While they do take a long time to dry, they're well worth the effort. Home-dried grapes are far superior to commercial brands.
The following recipes show you why Grapes are such a great fruit to dehydrate! With an Ezidri dehydrator you can create your own Sultanas and Raisins in no time at all! Dried grapes make a great snack and can be easily added to trail mixes or cereals. They are also delicious when used in a variety of recipes like cakes, biscuits & breads - almost any baked product!
Simply click on the dish you're interested in to go to that recipe:
* How to dry Grapes
* Apple Raisin Biscuits
* Fruited Honey Bars with Cinnamon Glaze
* Mince, apple & raisin roll-up
HOW TO DRY GRAPES
Seedless grapes are best for drying, but if not available remove the seeds before or after drying. Sultana grapes, muscatels & black grapes are great varieties for drying.
You can choose to dry the grapes in halves or whole. If drying whole, simply boil them for 2-3 minutes to 'craze' the skin and make them ready for drying.
Then place them on your Ezidri dehydrator trays (if in halves, cut side down) and dry at 55 deg C (Snackmaker - Medium) for 24-36 hours.
Dry the grapes until they look like sultanas and are slightly sticky to the touch with no signs of visible moisture.
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APPLE RAISIN BISCUITS
Ingredients
1 cup dried apple pieces (5-10mm size)
1 cup dried grapes (raisins)
1 cup apple juice
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp gound cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup chopped nuts (such as walnuts, pecans or peanuts)
Method
Place the dried apple pieces, raisins, apple juice & baking soda in a bowl and stir to combine. Let sit for at least 15 minutes to allow dried fruit to rehydrate.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, cream the butter with the brown & granulated sugars until smooth. In a small bowl, beat together the eggs, then add them to the butter mixture, stirring well.
In another bowl, combine the flour, spices & salt. Add the rehydrated fruit mixture, including the liquid, and stir to coat all of the fruit pieces thoroughly. Stir in the rolled oats. Add the fruit-oat mixture to the butter-egg mixture & combine the dough thoroughly. Stir in the chopped nuts. Let the dough stand, loosely covered at room temperature for 15 minutes.
While the dough rests, preheat the oven to 180 deg C, and grease a baking tray. Use about a tablespoon of mixture for each biscuit, leaving 5cms between each to allow the biscuits to expand. Bake in oven for 12-15 minutes, or until they are firm to the touch & just starting to brown. Leave to cool on a rack & enjoy!
Recipe courtesy of Mary Bell's Complete Dehydrator Cookbook.
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FRUITY HONEY BARS WITH CINNAMON GLAZE
Ingredients
Fruity Honey Bars
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp baking soda
125gm dried dates, chopped
1/3 cup dried grapes (raisins)
1 cup chopped nuts, toasted if desired
Cinnamon Glaze
1 1/4 cups icing sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup hot milk
Method
Heat oven to 180 deg C.
With a mixer, beat butter, sugar, honey & egg until light & fluffy. In a separate bowl, mix flour with salt, cinnamon & soda. Beat flour mixture into butter mixture. Stir in dates, sultanas & 3/4 cup of the nuts and pour into a greased & floured 28cm x 23cm (9 in x 9 in) cake tin.
Bake for 45 minutes. While cooking, prepare your cinnamon glaze by mixing all ingredients together until smooth.
While warm, drizzle with cinnamon glaze & sprinkle with remaining nuts and enjoy!
Recipe courtesy of The Dehydrator Cookbook, by Joanna White.
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MINCE, APPLE & RAISIN ROLLUP
Ingredients
Mince Mixture
650g very lean minced steak
1/2 cup dehydrated grated carrots
1 Tbsp ground dehydrated onion
1/4 tsp ground dehydrated garlic
2 tsp dried parsley
2 Tbsp ground dehydrated celery
1 tsp ground dehydrated celery leaves
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp tomato sauce
2 Tbsp dried breadcrumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
Apple & Raisin Mixture
6 dried apple slices
1/2 cup raisins/sultanas
1/2 Tbsp ground dehydrated celery
1/2 Tbsp ground dehydrated onion
1 cup dried breadcrumbs
1/4 tsp garam masala
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
Method
Combine all mince mixture ingredients & leave for a few hours to blend the flavours.
Meanwhile, prepare the Apple & Raisin Mixture. Barely cover dried apple slices with boiling water & leave, covered, for 1 hour. Drain, chop finely & combine with the remaining ingredients.
Place a sheet of waxed paper on a table or bench & brush lightly with flour.
Place meat on the waxed paper, cover with a sheet of plastic wrap & roll out to approximately 1cm (1/2 in) thick.
Remove the plastic wrap, spread the raisin & apple mixture over meat & roll up using paper. (Don't roll the paper inside the meat!)
Place roll in a lightly greased shallow baking dish & bake in a moderate oven at 180 deg C for 1 hour.
Serve up in slices & enjoy!
Recipe courtesy of Drying Food, by Ricky M Gribling.
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