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How to Dehydrate Bananas and MOO Banana Chips - December 2017
When we are blessed with lots of bananas, or they are very, very cheap I like to buy as many as I can and preserve them.
The easiest way to preserve them is to simply put them in the freezer, in their skins. The skin wil go black, but the fruit inside will stay creamy and perfect for banana muffins, banana bread, smoothies and even banana ice-cream.
Another way to preserve bananas is to slice then soak them in a citric acid bath and then put them in the dehydrator to make banana chips.
Drying, or dehydrating is the technical term, is a great way to preserve excess produce for long-term food storage. And it's easy to do too. It can be done in most kitchens, you don't even need any special equipment, although a dehydrator does leave your oven free for other things.
The hard part is waiting till their ready to try them.
Make a solution of 1 teaspoon of citric acid dissolved in 3 litres of cold water. This will stop the banana from going brown.
Cut your bananas into chips. Aim for even slices, not too thick, not too thin - I like them about 6mm (1/4 inch) thick. You can also slice them lengthwise too if you want longer "chips".
I've been told that if you chill the bananas for 30 minutes before you slice them they're easier to slice. I haven't tried chilling them, I just slice each one and put it straight into the citric acid bath.
Once you've sliced all your bananas, put them in the citric acid bath. Let them soak for at least 10 minutes. Drain. Then dehydrate them.
There are two simple methods: a dehydrator or the oven method. I explain both below.
Dehydrator method:
Lay the banana chips on the trays of your dehydrator, making sure they're not touching.
Turn your dehydrator to 55 degrees Celsius.
Dry the bananas for 6 - 12 hours, rotating trays every two hours to ensure even drying.
Oven method:
Turn the oven to 60 degrees Celsius.
Lay the banana slices on a baking sheet, leaving space between them for the air to circulate.
Place the trays in the oven. Prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon.
Bake for 6 - 12 hours, rotating trays every two hours.
Once your banana chips are dry, turn the heat off. Let them cool completely before packing in jars to store.
The easiest way to preserve them is to simply put them in the freezer, in their skins. The skin wil go black, but the fruit inside will stay creamy and perfect for banana muffins, banana bread, smoothies and even banana ice-cream.
Another way to preserve bananas is to slice then soak them in a citric acid bath and then put them in the dehydrator to make banana chips.
Drying, or dehydrating is the technical term, is a great way to preserve excess produce for long-term food storage. And it's easy to do too. It can be done in most kitchens, you don't even need any special equipment, although a dehydrator does leave your oven free for other things.
The hard part is waiting till their ready to try them.
Make a solution of 1 teaspoon of citric acid dissolved in 3 litres of cold water. This will stop the banana from going brown.
Cut your bananas into chips. Aim for even slices, not too thick, not too thin - I like them about 6mm (1/4 inch) thick. You can also slice them lengthwise too if you want longer "chips".
I've been told that if you chill the bananas for 30 minutes before you slice them they're easier to slice. I haven't tried chilling them, I just slice each one and put it straight into the citric acid bath.
Once you've sliced all your bananas, put them in the citric acid bath. Let them soak for at least 10 minutes. Drain. Then dehydrate them.
There are two simple methods: a dehydrator or the oven method. I explain both below.
Dehydrator method:
Lay the banana chips on the trays of your dehydrator, making sure they're not touching.
Turn your dehydrator to 55 degrees Celsius.
Dry the bananas for 6 - 12 hours, rotating trays every two hours to ensure even drying.
Oven method:
Turn the oven to 60 degrees Celsius.
Lay the banana slices on a baking sheet, leaving space between them for the air to circulate.
Place the trays in the oven. Prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon.
Bake for 6 - 12 hours, rotating trays every two hours.
Once your banana chips are dry, turn the heat off. Let them cool completely before packing in jars to store.