Dehydrated Peaches

Dipping Solution (for color retention)
1 ½ cup water
½ cup sugar
½ cup honey

or
4 cups water
5 grams pure Ascorbic Acid*

Combine water, sugar and honey in a medium sauce pan, then heat until sugar dissolves. If using ascorbic acid, mix with water, then set aside.

Wash peaches, then dip in boiling water for 30-60 seconds, then submerge in cold water. Peel, remove pit, then slice each half in 5-6 slices. Dip slices in solution (see above), then pat dry with paper towels or kitchen hand towells.

Fill dehydrator trays with a single layer of peaches with at least ½” of spacing between fruit. Follow dehydrators directions for drying process. Once dry, store in ziplock bags.

*I use a pure powder mixture of Ascorbic Acid from Now Foods.

*****
We try to dry peaches each day for 6-8 days each August/September with Lemon Elberta Peaches. They are a perfect snack! I have two Nesco dehydrators and it takes 5-8 hours to dry a full batch of peaches. Start to finish (including set up, prep and clean up) it takes about an hour to get two full batches of peaches drying- but worth every minute.

If you start a batch in the evening and they aren’t quite finished when you’re ready for bed- just unplug the dehydrators for the evening, then plug them back in first thing in the morning or use a timer to stop the dehydrators in the middle of the night.