It’s time again for the RecipeRedux – a monthly link up of dietitians’ blogs, as we all focus in on a chosen food category!  This time the theme is dehydrated food.  I don’t own a dehydrator, and my oven leaves a lot to be desired, but last year I figured out how to use my slow cooker to make “fruit by the foot” and decided it was time for round 2.

One of the benefits of dehydrating is prolonged shelf life – removing water makes it less likely that many types of bacteria will grow.  These fruit leathers could last weeks in the fridge in an airtight bag!  They’re also much more portable; no bruising or smooshing to worry about.

A crock pot works surprisingly well as a dehydrator for purees.  You can try this with many other fruit combos, just remember these two rules: 1) the lid must stay off for it to work this way and 2) only a thin amount of fruit can cover the bottom – ~1/4-1/2″ is ideal.  My crock pot is a 6qt oval, so it has more floor space than smaller, circular ones.

Spicy Ginger Peach Fruit Chews

Ingredients

• 2 large peaches, pitted (skin on!)
• 1″ fresh ginger, peeled
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, deseeded

Directions
Puree all ingredients in a blender.  Coat crock pot with oil, pour in puree.  Set on low for 10-11 hours, until fruit is fully dried.  Peel out of pot, cut with a pizza wheel on a cutting board.

Click the frog for more amazing dehydrated recipes!