Your Cocktails Will Never Be the Same: How to Dehydrate Fruit for Garnishes and More

Dehydrated fruit seems to be everywhere lately (or maybe we just spend a lot of time in cocktail bars). Sitting on the edges of glasses, the thin, almost translucent pieces of fruit add a je ne sais quois to almost any drink they are adorning. Heck, add a dehydrated lemon or lime slice to the lemonade you’re drinking and while it won’t necessarily be fancier, it’ll certainly feel fancier.

All of that is to say: We’re big fans of dehydrated fruit and wanted to learn how to make it on our own so that when our certain someone comes over we can cook them a really nice meal, make them a great cocktail, and then seal the deal when she sees that we spent the extra time making a killer garnish.

What we learned is that dehydrating fruit (just like making your own jerky) takes time. Like, a lot of time. Half a day time. That just doesn’t work for a lot of people (you know, what with needing to use your oven to cook major meals and all).

Power AirFryer360

That’s why when we came across this recipe from Emeril Lagasse using his new Power AirFryer 360, we knew we needed to try it. No stranger to having his name on things, the Power AirFryer 360 is the celebrity chef’s latest endeavor in the field of branded goods. It features nine different settings, allowing you to do pretty much any kind of cooking you need to (such as dehydrating fruit).

How to Dehydrate Fruit

Below, we’ve included recipes for three fruits: Orange, lemon, and pineapple, though no fruit is really off the table if you’re willing to experiment a little bit (dehydrated mango, anyone?). Don’t forget, too, that dehydrated fruits can be a great snack alternative.

Dehydrated Oranges

Ingredients:

• 2 oranges, sliced .25-in. thick

Method:

1. Slide the Crisper Tray into Shelf Position 2.
2. Slide the Pizza Rack into Shelf Position 5.
3. Place the sliced oranges on the Crisper Tray and Pizza Rack.
4. Rotate the Program Selection Knob to the Dehydrate setting (120 degrees Fahrenheit/49 degrees Celsius).
5. Rotate the Time Control Knob to 12 hrs.
6. Press the Start/Pause Button to begin the cooking cycle. Cook until crisp.

Dehydrated Lemons

Ingredients:

• 3 lemons, sliced 1-in. thick

Method:

1. Slide the Crisper Tray into Shelf Position 2.
2. Slide the Pizza Rack into Shelf Position 5.
3. Place the sliced lemons on the Crisper Tray and Pizza Rack.
4. Rotate the Program Selection Knob to the Dehydrate setting (120 degrees F/49 degrees C).
5. Rotate the Time Control Knob to 12 hrs.
6. Press the Start/Pause Button to begin the cooking cycle. Cook until crisp. 

Dehydrated Pineapples

Ingredients:

• 1 pineapple, sliced .25-in. thick

Method:

1. Slide the Crisper Tray into Shelf Position 2.
2. Slide the Pizza Rack into Shelf Position 5.
3. Place the sliced pineapple on the Crisper Tray and Pizza Rack.
4. Rotate the Program Selection Knob to the Dehydrate setting.
5. Rotate the Temperature Control Knob to 125 degrees F/52 degrees C and the Time Control Knob to 10 hrs.
6. Press the Start/Pause Button to begin the cooking cycle. Cook until crisp.