SOFTENING DRIED FRUIT – San Juan Island Food Co-op (2024)

FAQs

How do you rehydrate dried fruit in the microwave? ›

Cover fruit with water or fruit juice and place in the microwave. Cook until the liquid boils and then let stand 5-10 minutes to plump. Once moisture has been returned to dried fruits, they are quite perishable and should be used soon or refrigerated.

The Easiest Way to Soften Any Dried Fruit

Let it steep for 10 to 15 minutes, and then strain the fruit and discard the water. The fruit will be plumper, juicier, and softer. To give your fruit some extra flavor, swap the water for fruit juice or a liquor, like rum, bourbon, or brandy.

To soften fruit quickly, use steam. Rinse pieces with water and place no more than 2 layers on a steaming rack over about 1 inch of boiling water. Cover pan and steam fruit until soft.

Preheat your oven to 120°C. Slice the fruit into uniform pieces, this will help ensure even drying. Place the slices on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 2-3 hours, turning the fruit every 30 minutes to prevent sticking and promote even drying.

Have a batch of raisins (or dried cherries, currants, figs, dates) that are particularly dry? Rehydrate them to plump them up before eating. Place the raisins in a bowl and pour boiling water to cover. They'll soften in minutes.

Add each fruit to a separate bowl and add enough water to cover them. Leave them to soak for as much time as it takes for them to soften and rehydrate. The time will depend on each fruit (about 1 hour for the small fruits and 2 hours for the larger fruits), so don't forget to keep an eye on every bowl!

Rehydrate the fruits: Dried fruits can be quite hard and dry, so it's often a good idea to rehydrate them before adding them to your baked goods. To do this, simply soak the dried fruits in warm water or fruit juice for 15-20 minutes until they are plump and tender.

Soaking can reduce anti-nutrients such as phytic acid, tannins, and enzyme inhibitors present in nuts and dry fruits. This enhances the bioavailability of nutrients, which leads to better absorption. Soaking nuts and dry fruits provides hydration and may help counterbalance the dryness associated with Vata dosha.

And you can use other alternatives such as sweet sherry, Grand Marnier or Amaretto. It is possible to use orange juice instead of alcohol to soak the fruits but we would not use it to feed the cake with after baking as fruit juice spoils more easily than alcohol.

4)You can use Dark Rum, Brandy, Red Wine or any wine to soak the fruits. 5)Store this in a dry dark place. 6)Shake the fruits every other day for even distribution. 7)If you dont want to use alcohol, use orange juice to soak the fruits, in which case store the dried fruits in fridge and use in a couple of days.

Why soak dried fruit in tea? ›

Instead the dried fruits are soaked in hot tea, which not only adds flavor, but also makes them wonderfully plump and moist.

You can rehydrate dried cranberries by covering with water, or another liquid, in a microwavable bowl. Cover and microwave on High for 30 to 60 seconds; let stand 5 minutes. Or, pour very hot liquid over dried cranberries and let stand 20 minutes.