How to dry mango in a food dehydrator

THE RESULT IS ALMOST CANDY-LIKE!

Dried mango slices are a favourite of many. Even the fussiest of eaters enjoy snacking on a slice of sweet, chewy dried mango. Dehydration intensifies the flavour and the sweetness, so dried mango becomes almost candy-like!  

Most commercially produced dried mangoes are dipped in sulphites to prevent browning and extend shelf life - sometimes dried mango is even coated in sugar. To buy organic dried mango is very pricy indeed. Drying your own is definitely the healthiest and cheapest option. Mangos are seasonal, so if you love to treat yourself to mango throughout the year, dehydration in the Luvele 'Breeze' is the best way to preserve it.

As it turns out, mangoes are one of the easiest fruits to dehydrate. The colour is magnificent even without pretreatment and they taste possibly better than anything you’ll ever buy! It’s really a case of peel, slice and arrange on trays. If you love mangoes as much as I do, the hardest part is refraining from eating the slices before they even get to the trays!

The key to dehydrating any fruit is the thickness of the slices. Ripe mango is very juicy so removing that moisture is going to take a long time if the slices are too thick. Alternatively, if the slices are too thin the pieces will turn out brittle like a chip. Mangoes are very slippery when peeled and have hair-like fibres around the seed, so cutting them to uniform pieces is borderline impossible. For the most satisfying texture and taste, do your best to slice the mango around 5mm thick. 

As moisture leaves the mango the slices will shrivel and stick to the stainless-steal trays making them hard to lift off without tearing. The best way to remove stuck dried fruit is to poke it from behind. Simply, lift the stainless-steel tray out of the stacking rack, turn it over and carefully push off each piece with your fingertips. To avoid sticking completely, line the trays with silicone mesh sheets. (sold separately)

WATCH HOW TO DEHYDRATE MANGO HERE 

INGREDIENTS

Mangoes - Start with the freshest, ripest mangoes you can find.

METHOD 

1.   Remove the skin using a peeler or sharp paring knife
2.   Cut the mangos into uniform slices.
3.   Arrange the slices on the Breeze dehydrator racks (or silicon mesh sheets) with plenty of space between to allow even airflow.
4.   Set the temperature to 50°C and the time to 8 hours. They may not be completely dry at this point, but it is a good idea to check how well dried they are regularly towards the end to ensure they don’t get too brittle. It will take on average anywhere between 8 – 12 hours to dehydrate mango.

5.   When done, the dried mango should be pliable. If you tear it, it should have no sign of moisture. The edges of some pieces may be a little crisp. It is better to have a few brittle pieces than mango that is insufficiently dried.   
6.   Once you have finished dehydrating the mango, let it thoroughly cool.
7.   Store dried mango in airtight containers in a cool, dark place.
8.   Dried and stored correctly, it should last several months.
9.   Dried mango can be vacuum sealed for long term storage.

You might also like to try these dehydrated cinnamon apple chips.

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