Learn how to dehydrate strawberries at home easily so you can enjoy them as a snack. Dehydrating strawberries is also a great way to preserve the strawberry harvest and enjoy it longer.
We are so so fortunate to be living in the state of berries! Or maybe it’s the state of sweet potatoes? But it’s definitely also the state of berries! All the berries grow oh-so-very-well here in NC, and it’s probably the one thing you’ll hear no one complains about.
We grow all the berries, we pick all the berries, and we preserve them all any way we can because once you have tasted a berry that came right from the field on a warm summer day you become a berry snob and nothing else is going to ever compare to that berry again!
Dehydrating Strawberries in the Dehydrator…
I love making jams, so I make a honey strawberry jam, a low sugar strawberry jam, a chia blueberry jam, and a mixed berry jam. I also bake with strawberries, and freeze them and can them whole and so on… I’ll do anything to preserve the delicious flavor of local berries!
Not too long ago, I decided to purchase a nice dehydrator for myself and dive into the world of dehydrating foods. Like many others, I still can’t get over the fact that drying food is really so so simple and satisfying! So, of course, I had to try to dehydrate strawberries as well because I know that come spring, I’m gonna be swimming in strawberries.
Reasons For Drying Strawberries…
- Preserving the flavor – many strawberries at the grocery store taste like nothing. The way they grow them commercially simply strip a whole lot of flavor. Local berries are delicious, and that flavor can be preserved by drying them.
- Another way to eat them – I know it’s hard to believe, but during the spring and summer, sometimes we are just sick of eating fresh strawberries. It’s a rare occasion but it does happen once in a while, so changing things up a bit and dehydrating strawberries gives us just another fun, yet different way to enjoy them.
- Easy to travel with – dehydrated strawberries are a great hiking/camping/picnicking snack. They are easy to pack in a jar or a zip-lock bag and take with you anywhere you go.
- Preserving for long-term storage – again, we often find ourselves with way too many strawberries in the spring and summer. With all due respect for our beloved chickens, they ain’t getting this golden harvest! So preserving it for later is what we do. Dehydrating is so easy, requires just a few minutes of prep work, and the result is delicious and useful.
Ingredients…
- Strawberries – that’s all you need! Make sure that you are choosing ripe yet not too ripe fruit. I used 4 pounds of strawberries in this tutorial and ended with a quart jar of dried strawberries.
- Seasonings – it’s possible to add some cinnamon or maybe sugar on top of your berries before you dehydrate them. More on this in the FAQ section below. I’ll keep it simple in the tutorial below and will just use strawberries.
Kitchen Tools…
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Large mixing bowl
- Dehydrator – I am using a nice dehydrator that allows me to control the temperature and produces a better end result. If you don’t have one of those, you can still dehydrate strawberries in the oven or in a cheap (no temperature control) dehydrator. More on this in the FAQ section below.
- Air tight storage container (I use jars)
Dehydrating Strawberries Step By Step…
Step one – prep the strawberries. Start by cutting off the tops of the strawberries. Then place them in a large mixing bowl and fill it with cold water. Move the berries around and let them stay in the water for a couple of minutes. All the sand and such will sink to the bottom of the bowl. Scoop the strawberries out and onto a kitchen towel. Tap them dry. Next, slice the strawberries into about 1/4 inch thick slices.
Step two – add to the dehydrator. Place the strawberry slices in one layer on the trays of the dehydrator. Place them close to each other but make sure that they aren’t touching to allow good airflow and proper drying.
Step three – dehydrate. Place the trays in the dehydrator and dehydrate at 130 degrees F for about 10 hours. At about 8 hours you can start checking your strawberries. If they are completely dry and crispy (break easily) you can remove them from the dehydrator. If after 10 hours they aren’t yet completely dry leave them for another hour or so.
How to Store Dehydrated Strawberries…
Once the berries are dry, let them cool for a few minutes and then transfer them to an air-tight container. You can vacuum seal them or use zip-lock bags, however, in my opinion, jars with two-piece lids work best for storage and are beautiful on the shelf!
How to Condition Dehydrated Fruit…
If you are going to store your dehydrated strawberries for the long term, make sure to condition the fruit. This means that after storage, every day for about a week, check to make sure that there is no moisture on the inside of your air-tight container. If you spot moisture, remove the fruit and dehydrate it again for a few more hours. Then transfer to an air-tight container and condition again. If after a week there is no moisture your fruit is ok to be stored for the long term at room temperature.
How to Use Dehydrated Strawberries…
- As a snack – dehydrated strawberries are an easy snack to pack the kids for a school lunch or for any other occasion. They are a great snack for a road trip or a picnic or just to pick up in the middle of the day.
- Breakfast – they are a great addition to yogurt with homemade granola or to add to any bowl of cereal (alongside dehydrated pineapples).
- In baked goods – you can substitute dry strawberries for fresh ones in homemade strawberry bread or any other baked goods.
- Top a salad – they are a great topping! You can crush them into smaller pieces and add them to a kale salad or any other just as you would add nuts.
- Add to shakes and smoothies – throw some dry strawberries with bananas or other fruit, milk, ice, and anything else you like into the blender and blend into a healthy drink.
How to Make and Use Strawberry Powder…
One of the greatest things about dehydrated food is that you can turn it into a powder. To make strawberry powder, place the dry strawberries in a coffee grinder and grind them until you get a powder. Store your powder in jars at room temperature. Here are a few ideas for using strawberry powder…
- Add to frosting – add the powder to a cream cheese frosting to turn it into a strawberry frosting to top any cupcake or cake.
- Add to a protein shake – if you drink protein shakes, add a tablespoon or two of strawberry powder into your shake to make it even healthier.
- Add to smoothies or milkshakes – the same way you would use it in protein shakes.
- Add to cake batter – add a few tablespoons of strawberry powder into any cupcake or cake batter whenever strawberry flavors fits well.
- Add it to homemade ice cream – if you like making ice cream at home you can definitely use your powder for added strawberry flavor.
- Add it to whipped cream – making whipped cream to go over a cake or maybe even your morning cupcakes? Add strawberry powder into the cream before you whip it!
Frequently Asked Questions…
Yes. Drying foods in a proper dehydrator where you can control the temperature produces a better result and preserves the nutrition better, however, if you don’t have a dehydrator, you can follow the same prep instructions: line a baking sheet with parchment paper, turn your oven to its lowest temperature, and dehydrate your strawberries this way. Of course, drying time will change so keep checking your strawberries. Also, you might need to turn your baking sheet and/or turn the strawberry slices halfway through.
I usually don’t feel the need to add a thing, however, you can try sprinkling some cinnamon or nutmeg on the strawberries or even sugar before you place them in the dehydrator.
It’s not recommended and will take them a very long time to dry. Slicing them is the best way to go.
The cheaper Presto dehydrator is very popular and you can find it at any Walmart or online. It runs at a temperature of 165 degrees F and there is no way to control the temperature. Yes, you can use this kind of dehydrator to dry strawberries. Again, for best results, we want to process fruit at a temperature of 130 degrees F but a higher temperature will work as well. Drying time will probably be shorter, around 6 hours or so and you might need to purchase drying mats for your dehydrator.
Not really… Strawberries don’t rehydrate very well. Once you have dehydrated them they should be used dry.
Yes, you can! Let them thaw in a colander, set on the trays of the dehydrator (don’t slice), and dehydrate at 130 degrees F until dry.
It’s very easy to learn how to dehydrate strawberries! In fact, if you are new to the world of food dehydration this is a great first project (also check how to dehydrate raspberries). You don’t need a lemon bath and you don’t need to blanch strawberries. You simply wash, slice, and dehydrate. They have a million uses and this is a really easy way to preserve some of the harvest. I hope that you’ll give it a try!
More Dehydrating Tutorials…
- How to Dehydrate Green Onions
- Dehydrated Kale Chips
- How to Dry Apples in the Oven
- Purple Sweet Potato Chips Recipe
- How to Dehydrate Bananas
- Dehydrated Orange Slices
How to Dehydrate Strawberries
Learn how to dehydrate strawberries at home easily so you can enjoy them as a snack. Dehydrating strawberries is also a great way to preserve the strawberry harvest and enjoy it longer.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds of fresh, ripe strawberries
Instructions
- Step one – prep the strawberries. Start by cutting off the tops of the strawberries. Then place them in a large mixing bowl and fill it with cold water. Move the berries around and let them stay in the water for a couple of minutes. All the sand and such will sink to the bottom of the bowl. Scoop the strawberries out and onto a kitchen towel. Tap them dry. Next, slice the strawberries into about 1/4 inch thick slices.
- Step two – add to the dehydrator. Place the strawberry slices in one layer on the trays of the dehydrator. Place them close to each other but make sure that they aren’t touching to allow good airflow and proper drying.
- Step three – dehydrate. Place the trays in the dehydrator and dehydrate at 130 degrees F for about 10 hours. At about 8 hours you can start checking your strawberries. If they are completely dry and crispy (break easily) you can remove them from the dehydrator. If after 10 hours they aren’t yet completely dry leave them for another hour or so.
- Step four - pack for storage. Once the berries are dry, let them cool for a few minutes and then transfer them to an air-tight container. You can vacuum seal them or use zip-lock bags, however, in my opinion, jars with two-piece lids work best for storage and are beautiful on the shelf!
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions...
- Can I dehydrate strawberries in the oven?
Yes. Drying foods in a proper dehydrator where you can control the temperature produces a better result and preserves the nutrition better, however, if you don’t have a dehydrator, you can follow the same prep instructions: line a baking sheet with parchment paper, turn your oven to its lowest temperature, and dehydrate your strawberries this way. Of course, drying time will change so keep checking your strawberries. Also, you might need to turn your baking sheet and/or turn the strawberry slices halfway through. - Can I add seasoning to my strawberries?
I usually don’t feel the need to add a thing, however, you can try sprinkling some cinnamon or nutmeg on the strawberries or even sugar before you place them in the dehydrator. - Can I dehydrate whole strawberries?
It’s not recommended and will take them a very long time to dry. Slicing them is the best way to go. - I can’t control the temperature on my dehydrator, can I still use it?
The cheaper Presto dehydrator is very popular and you can find it at any Walmart or online. It runs at a temperature of 165 degrees F and there is no way to control the temperature. Yes, you can use this kind of dehydrator to dry strawberries. Again, for best results, we want to process fruit at a temperature of 130 degrees F but a higher temperature will work as well. Drying time will probably be shorter, around 6 hours or so and you might need to purchase drying mats for your dehydrator. - Can I rehydrate strawberries?
Not really... Strawberries don't rehydrate very well. Once you have dehydrated them they should be used dry. - Can I dehydrate frozen strawberries?
Yes, you can! Let them thaw in a colander, set on the trays of the dehydrator (don't slice), and dehydrate at 130 degrees F until dry.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1 quartAmount Per Serving: Calories: 145Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 5mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 9gSugar: 22gProtein: 3g
Hi! I’m Lady Lee. I help homesteaders simplify their homesteading journey while still producing a ton of food! I am a single mother of four, I was born in Israel and raised in an agricultural commune called a Kibbutz. Now I homestead in central NC.