Author Topic: First time drying mango  (Read 15579 times)

mangomandan

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First time drying mango
« on: July 12, 2012, 11:48:26 AM »
Yesterday I tried my dehydrator for the first time, with some very ripe mangos.

The accompanying booklet scared me a bit, saying things like: soak in citric acid or lemon juice (didn't have), use only the best fruit (I had already eaten the best fruit), and be careful to avoid scorching (WTF?!).

I need not have worried. When I turned off dehydrator at bedtime, some of the fruit was completely dried and some thicker pieces were a bit juicy in the middle. All was delicious, though.  :)     I'm guessing the slightly juicy fruit would spoil quickly, but it's not going to be around that long.

Question for the pros:  do you store your dehydrated fruit in fridge or freezer or neither?    I don't have a "cool, dry place", and the freezer is jammed.   Just curious.


bsbullie

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Re: First time drying mango
« Reply #1 on: July 12, 2012, 02:06:19 PM »
Here are some tips, whether you already follow or not, for drying mangoes:

Cut all pieces the same thickness, approx. 1/4 inch
No need to soak/spray/treat in any solution
IF your dehydrator has a temp setting, dry at 120 degrees*
Drying time should take about 20-24 hours*
I just put in a ziploc bag (as it doesn't stay around that long) or you could use a food sealer if storing any length of time

* - I have found this to be optimal

I also dehydrate fresh bananas and sapodillas (thanks Harry & Murahilin)...they seem to take a little less time to dehydrate.  While mango and bananas are yummy dehydrated, sapodilla is the best of the fruits I have dehydrated.  tastes like brown sugar candy :)
« Last Edit: July 12, 2012, 02:16:33 PM by bsbullie »
- Rob

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Re: First time drying mango
« Reply #2 on: July 12, 2012, 02:45:53 PM »
Generally agree with Rob's directions.  I use varying temps depending on how much time I want the drying to take.  I don't go over 145F.  I prefer to cut my mangoes thicker than what Rob describes. I cut them at least 1/2 inch thick and sometimes as much as 3/4 inch thick. I like a dried mango that has some substance to it.  Uniforimty in shape and size is important if you want everything to be readfy at the same time.  If you are willing to peek and pick out the pieces that dry faster, the size and shape are less important.  I do not apply any anti-oxidizing liquids with mango. They dehydrate  without problem.  I do like to apply a light spray or rub of the treays with vegetable oil to limit sticking to the trays.

Harry
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bsbullie

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Re: First time drying mango
« Reply #3 on: July 12, 2012, 02:49:56 PM »
Generally agree with Rob's directions.  I use varying temps depending on how much time I want the drying to take.  I don't go over 145F.  I prefer to cut my mangoes thicker than what Rob describes. I cut them at least 1/2 inch thick and sometimes as much as 3/4 inch thick. I like a dried mango that has some substance to it.  Uniforimty in shape and size is important if you want everything to be readfy at the same time.  If you are willing to peek and pick out the pieces that dry faster, the size and shape are less important.  I do not apply any anti-oxidizing liquids with mango. They dehydrate  without problem.  I do like to apply a light spray or rub of the treays with vegetable oil to limit sticking to the trays.

Harry
hmmm...you cut them that thick.  I will have to try that...wonder if it affects the flavor.

How thick do you cut the sapodilla ?
- Rob

fruitlovers

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Re: First time drying mango
« Reply #4 on: July 13, 2012, 12:27:07 AM »
Yesterday I tried my dehydrator for the first time, with some very ripe mangos.

The accompanying booklet scared me a bit, saying things like: soak in citric acid or lemon juice (didn't have), use only the best fruit (I had already eaten the best fruit), and be careful to avoid scorching (WTF?!).

I need not have worried. When I turned off dehydrator at bedtime, some of the fruit was completely dried and some thicker pieces were a bit juicy in the middle. All was delicious, though.  :)     I'm guessing the slightly juicy fruit would spoil quickly, but it's not going to be around that long.

Question for the pros:  do you store your dehydrated fruit in fridge or freezer or neither?    I don't have a "cool, dry place", and the freezer is jammed.   Just curious.

If you like to leave the dried mango a little juicy it's best to refrigerate them as they can get moldy. If totally dried out no need for refrigeration. I like to cut them thick like Harry does. And like them a bit on the softer side, not overdried to a crisp. If you cut them thin you can easily over do the drying and they turn into jawbreakers or mango jerky.  ;) If you do that by accident you can soften them up again by soaking in a bit of apple juice or mango juice.  It's also good to rotate the trays in the drier so they all get equally dried out. But this will depend on type of dehydrator you're using. The main difficulty in drying mangos is to resist the temptation of eating that whole huge bag all at once that took you hours of work to make!  ;)
Oscar

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Re: First time drying mango
« Reply #5 on: July 13, 2012, 07:26:50 AM »
How thick do you cut the sapodilla ?

Sapodilla dries much more quickly it seems.  I do not go above 1/2 inch thick. It also has less tendency to turn into dried chips as mangoes can become. I'm with Oscar on the less dry is better than too dry, in mangores, at least.  I also refrigerate and have frozen for longer term storage.  But as Oscar says, there is waay too much temptation to eat it all too quickly. Only in those years that I have huge crops and lots of time to cut and dehydrate do we really have a ton of extra mango for long term storage.  Believe it or not, I very oftern have purchased organic dried mango for my wife during the off season as our supply disappears very quickly.

Harry
Harry
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bsbullie

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Re: First time drying mango
« Reply #6 on: July 13, 2012, 10:13:26 AM »
How thick do you cut the sapodilla ?

Sapodilla dries much more quickly it seems.  I do not go above 1/2 inch thick. It also has less tendency to turn into dried chips as mangoes can become. I'm with Oscar on the less dry is better than too dry, in mangores, at least.  I also refrigerate and have frozen for longer term storage.  But as Oscar says, there is waay too much temptation to eat it all too quickly. Only in those years that I have huge crops and lots of time to cut and dehydrate do we really have a ton of extra mango for long term storage.  Believe it or not, I very oftern have purchased organic dried mango for my wife during the off season as our supply disappears very quickly.

Harry
I hear you...as much mango and banana that I dehydrate, the supply never seems to increase...and sapodilla is worse.  I am just mad that I just NOW started dehydrating the saps.  All those months that I just stopped eating them fresh cause I was sick of them.  Dehydrated is a whole different story...

Anybosy ever dehydrate mamey sapote (I know it would be difficult to slice but I think I could get it to work somehow...and I happen to have a bunch that are ripe (making shakes, cheesecake...and gonna try flans and pie))?  I know I can freeze it so I may wind up doing that.
- Rob

mangomandan

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Re: First time drying mango
« Reply #7 on: July 13, 2012, 10:33:43 AM »
  Believe it or not, I very oftern have purchased organic dried mango for my wife during the off season as our supply disappears very quickly.

Harry

Harry, you are clearly a very good husband.

I haven't bought dried mango. Can you get it without added sugar?

mangomandan

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Re: First time drying mango
« Reply #8 on: July 13, 2012, 10:36:48 AM »
Thanks for the tips, gentlemen.     I do wish I had coated the trays with oil.

Now that I have seen for myself how easy it is to consume 4 mangos worth of dried fruit in a few minutes,  I'm not worried about the long-term storage.....

bsbullie

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Re: First time drying mango
« Reply #9 on: July 13, 2012, 10:39:45 AM »
Thanks for the tips, gentlemen.     I do wish I had coated the trays with oil.

Now that I have seen for myself how easy it is to consume 4 mangos worth of dried fruit in a few minutes,  I'm not worried about the long-term storage.....
I recently replaced my round Nesco dehydrator with a Sedona.  The trays have dehydrating "liners" that makes it easy to remove the fruit without oiling.  I also really like the spilt fan system.
- Rob

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Re: First time drying mango
« Reply #10 on: July 13, 2012, 11:29:24 AM »
I haven't bought dried mango. Can you get it without added sugar?

There are unsugared dried mango, but it isn't cheap.  Whole Foods has it and I have spent a small fotune buying it in some years.  I've been trying to and have succeeded to ween her off the store bought dried mango and onto other stuff that is more readily available.  Figs, dates, grapes/raisins, carambola, sapodilla, watermelon, and bananas have cut sustantially into the need to buy dried mango.

Harry
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fruitlovers

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Re: First time drying mango
« Reply #11 on: July 13, 2012, 04:10:53 PM »
How thick do you cut the sapodilla ?

Sapodilla dries much more quickly it seems.  I do not go above 1/2 inch thick. It also has less tendency to turn into dried chips as mangoes can become. I'm with Oscar on the less dry is better than too dry, in mangores, at least.  I also refrigerate and have frozen for longer term storage.  But as Oscar says, there is waay too much temptation to eat it all too quickly. Only in those years that I have huge crops and lots of time to cut and dehydrate do we really have a ton of extra mango for long term storage.  Believe it or not, I very oftern have purchased organic dried mango for my wife during the off season as our supply disappears very quickly.

Harry
I hear you...as much mango and banana that I dehydrate, the supply never seems to increase...and sapodilla is worse.  I am just mad that I just NOW started dehydrating the saps.  All those months that I just stopped eating them fresh cause I was sick of them.  Dehydrated is a whole different story...

Anybosy ever dehydrate mamey sapote (I know it would be difficult to slice but I think I could get it to work somehow...and I happen to have a bunch that are ripe (making shakes, cheesecake...and gonna try flans and pie))?  I know I can freeze it so I may wind up doing that.

Never dried any of the pouterias, except for eggfruit (canistel), and that was really good. Will have to try sapodilla and mamey. I think if mamey was very ripe you could slice it easily. Might have to use a spatula to move pieces so they don't break.
Oscar

bsbullie

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Re: First time drying mango
« Reply #12 on: July 13, 2012, 04:48:20 PM »
How thick do you cut the sapodilla ?

Sapodilla dries much more quickly it seems.  I do not go above 1/2 inch thick. It also has less tendency to turn into dried chips as mangoes can become. I'm with Oscar on the less dry is better than too dry, in mangores, at least.  I also refrigerate and have frozen for longer term storage.  But as Oscar says, there is waay too much temptation to eat it all too quickly. Only in those years that I have huge crops and lots of time to cut and dehydrate do we really have a ton of extra mango for long term storage.  Believe it or not, I very oftern have purchased organic dried mango for my wife during the off season as our supply disappears very quickly.

Harry
I hear you...as much mango and banana that I dehydrate, the supply never seems to increase...and sapodilla is worse.  I am just mad that I just NOW started dehydrating the saps.  All those months that I just stopped eating them fresh cause I was sick of them.  Dehydrated is a whole different story...

Anybosy ever dehydrate mamey sapote (I know it would be difficult to slice but I think I could get it to work somehow...and I happen to have a bunch that are ripe (making shakes, cheesecake...and gonna try flans and pie))?  I know I can freeze it so I may wind up doing that.

Never dried any of the pouterias, except for eggfruit (canistel), and that was really good. Will have to try sapodilla and mamey. I think if mamey was very ripe you could slice it easily. Might have to use a spatula to move pieces so they don't break.
\
I have heard that canistel is really good dried.  Do you let it get good and ripe before dehydrating ?
- Rob

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Re: First time drying mango
« Reply #13 on: July 13, 2012, 05:27:36 PM »
Yes let the canistel let good and ripe before drying. I did it once when i collected a 50 pound box of fruits. Too many to eat, but dried it was real easy.
Oscar