Want sweet strawberries out of season? Simple! Just make some delish dried strawberries with your oven!
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Summer is peak strawberry picking season, but that doesn’t mean you have to wait till June to grab a batch of these delicious berries. OK, I’ll admit there’s only so much time to savor juicy fresh strawberries, but there are ways to preserve this summer snack even as cooler temps arrive.
Of course, you could put these strawberries in a Ziploc bag and pop them in the freezer for future Strawberry Smoothies, but there’s another equally easy way to “freeze” these flavors. Instead of putting your strawberries in the freezer, why not crank up your oven?
No, we’re not baking a strawberry pie (although that’s a yummy idea!). Instead, we’re going to dry out these strawberries to make a shelf-stable snack good for the rest of the year. So, if you want to capture the magic of strawberry season in a crisp and nutritious snack, break out some parchment paper for these oven-dried strawberries.
Are Oven-Dried Strawberries Healthy?
Don’t worry, drying doesn’t mean ruining your strawberries’ health benefits! You’ll still get all of those amazing vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants found in fresh strawberries with this oven-dried version. Plus, if you don’t add extra sugar to your recipe, you won’t have to fret about adding empty calories to your diet.
The simplest way to give your oven-dried strawberries a health boost is to pair them with something super nutritious. I know, it’s super tempting to top sugar-drenched desserts with these strawberries, but that’s not the best call if you’re looking for the best nutritional profile. Thankfully, there are tons of ways to add oven-dried strawberries to healthy recipes, including Frozen Yogurt, Homemade Granola, and Healthy Chewy Granola Bars With Chocolate Chips.
How do you know oven-dried strawberries are done?
Strawberries usually take at least three hours on a lowish oven setting (around 200° F) to reach the perfect state of “dryness.” However, you can’t judge these berries by the average baking time. Everyone’s oven works a little differently, and you might find your strawberries need extra time.
The best way to test whether your oven-dried strawberries are done is to pick up a few and give them a “bend test.” As you might’ve guessed, all you have to do is bend these berries with your fingertips and see if they snap. Once your berries break, they’re done. However, if your strawberries still feel a bit rubbery, put them back in the oven for about 10 – 15 minutes and try again.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced thinly
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat
Prepare oven and baking sheet.
Slice
Wash and cut strawberries evenly.
Dry
Bake, flip, and cool dried strawberries.
Devour!
FAQs & Tips
Once you’ve removed your dried strawberries from the oven, it’s important to let them cool on the counter before putting away to store. If you skip this step, you increase the risk of spoilage. Once cooled, put them into your airtight container and leave them in a reliably cool and dry area. You should also grab one of those nifty moisture absorber packets and place it inside your container. In these ideal conditions, your oven-dried strawberries will likely last at least 6 months at room temp.
Rather than cranking up your oven on a hot day, you can preserve your fresh batch of strawberries by drying them in an air fryer. If you have an air fryer and want to use it instead of the oven, arrange your washed and dried strawberries in one layer and set the temp between 150° – 180° F. It’s best to check and flip these berries every 20 minutes, and they should be done around 1 – 2 hours.
Strawberries are naturally sweet, but who said you can’t enhance those flavors with extra sugar? If you want, it’s perfectly OK to add ingredients like sugar or sugar alternatives like stevia to this recipe.
Serving Suggestions
Oven-dried strawberries are an awesome snack in their own right, but these dried delights really shine as an enhancement for other sweet recipes. If there are already berries in a recipe like Strawberry Pancakes, Strawberry Crepes, or Strawberry Overnight Oats, then sprinkling some dried strawberries is a no-brainer.
But it’s not just sweet treats where dried strawberries taste sublime. There are plenty of lunches where some strawberries add eye-catching color and delightful flavors. For example, keep these slices of strawberry close by when making a Spiralized Cucumber Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette or a Strawberry Chicken Salad. With a jar of dried strawberries on hand, you have the perfect summertime garnish all year round!
Oven-Dried Strawberries
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh strawberries hulled and sliced thinly
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 200°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
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Wash the strawberries, remove the stems, and slice them uniformly to ensure even drying.
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Arrange the strawberry slices on the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between them to allow air circulation.
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Bake for 2 hours, then flip the strawberries over for even drying.
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Continue baking for another 1 hour, or until the strawberries are fully dehydrated and crisp.
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Let the strawberries cool completely before storing in an airtight container to maintain crispness.
Nutrition
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