How to Dehydrate Bananas:

Bananas are a favorite in the dehydrating world, and even perhaps stand next to apples as the spokespersons for food dehydration. Most people have tried store-bought banana chips before; either freeze dried or dehydrated. The great thing about making them yourself is there are no added chemicals, and it’s cheaper!

Instructions:

  • Horizontally slice into 1/8 thick chips, or cut in half then cut vertically.
  • Evenly spread on your dehydrator tray, and coat both sides with lemon juice (simply use a lemon juice spray bottle over the sink while on the mesh dehydrator tray).
  • Dehydrate at 125 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 hours.
  • Store in a vacuum and Mylar bag for later use in recipes, or eat as is!

Dryness Check:

A properly dehydrated banana chip will “click” when dropped on the table, and can be easily snapped in half but not crushed. If yours do not feel this way, just put them back in the dehydrator for a few more hours! A freeze dried dehydrated banana chip, for comparison, will crush to powder under pressure.

Other Tips

  • Always use a stainless steel knife when cutting bananas. A regular knife may make the finished product brown.
  • Handle your fruit as little as possible.
  • Using a slightly green banana will produce a crisper banana chip. If you use over ripened bananas the final product may be chewier after dehydrating.
  • If the banana is very green, the final product may be slightly pink, but it is still good to eat.

Photos

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