Preparing the Food  Item Number: preparing-the-food

Select food that is fresh, free of bruising, and fully ripe.  Maintain proper sanitation when handling and processing the food.  Peel, core, pit, and crack skins as necessary.  Tough skins will hamper the drying process when moisture cannot be released.  To crack skins, put fruit in boiling water for 30-60 seconds.  Then dip in very cold water.  Food being dried simultaneously should be cut in uniform sizes to ensure that all pieces will dry at the same rate.  Treat light colored fruit with an antioxidant to prevent it from turning brown.

• Absorbic Acids-A temporary treatment which prevents light colored fruits from turning brown.
• Sulfuring-A permanent antioxidant treatment which keeps fruit from turning brown and also helps prevent the loss of vitamins A and C.
• Blanching-An alternative treatment method by steam treating food, but is not recommended.