Strawberries, Oven Dried

These are concentrated strawberries, dried in your oven, the flavours intensified, becoming rich and concentrated to add to your baking.

These are not dehydrated, (although with longer baking time, they could be), so keep any of these unused oven dried strawberries refrigerated, and use them within a week.

This is to remove some moisture, therefore having more concentrated flavour.  The fruit will still be soft, but using them in baking will produce a less soggy finished baked product.

I love fresh strawberries in baking.  All of their sweet, juiciness.

If something is going to be baked for a longer amount of time, like a loaf, or Strawberry Rhubarb pie, the juices are concentrated and thickened.

I found in some things though, the juices continue to escape the fruit making them a bit wet and spoil sooner than they should.

Especially good for using in scones and muffins.  Things that don’t get a lot of baking time.

Adding dried strawberries to a muffin batter

Given the amount of time spent in the oven, and if you appreciate this concentrating step, I would suggest doing more at one time, then keeping them in the freezer.

How to Make Oven Dried Strawberries

1. Wash the strawberries, and pat dry.

2. Hull them and cut them in half.  Quarters if they are very large.

Cut smaller with kitchen shears after baking if desired.

3. Gently stir in the sugar and about a teaspoon of lemon juice.

4. Lay them out, on a silicone mat, if you have.  Baking parchment will be ok, but the mat is better.

5. Place them cut side up. This is important to keep the juices in and I don’t flip these.

6. Bake at 200°F (93°C) for about 3 hours.  

Let them cool completely so they aren’t too juicy when you fold them into your baking.

You may even set them in a sieve or colander.

Store any unused dried strawberries in the fridge for up to a week or freeze for longer.