How to Rehydrate Freeze Dried Fruit?

Freeze drying is a favoured method of preserving fruit in its natural state, allowing for fruit to keep its natural flavours and nutrients. One major bonus of freeze drying fruits is that when kept in this state, it stays fresh and doesn’t spoil for months. But can dried fruit be rehydrated? The answer to this question is definitely yes. In this article, we share how you rehydrate freeze dried and dehydrated fruit and the best fruits to use for rehydrating.

Can You Rehydrate Freeze Dried Fruit?

Definitely! Freeze dried fruits can be reconstituted – in fact, it’s fairly straightforward, and the process is easily accomplished at home. Freeze dried foods can be rehydrated simply by adding back in the water that was pulled out in the freeze-drying process. Reconstituted freeze dried fruits can be restored to a significant portion of their original texture and flavour; as such, the method can add a fascinating element to a wide array of dishes.

Can You Rehydrate Dehydrated Fruit?

In a similar way, it is possible to rehydrate dehydrated fruits. Dehydration is another kind of non-chemical preservation process that uses heat to remove water from the fruit. While a dehydrated fruit can be a bit harder and plainer in taste than that of a freeze-dried fruit, it can still be bring back to its original texture and taste by a process called rehydration.

How to Rehydrate Dried Fruit

Here’s how to bring back the juicy goodness of both types of dried fruit:

Fill a large bowl with lukewarm water.
Place the dried fruit into the bowl.
Lift the bowl and swirl it in a circular motion so that the fruit claps onto itself. This redistributes the water and helps to dissolve trapped air.
Let the fruit sit for 10-20 minutes, or until fully hydrated. 5. Drain the water and serve.

Pick your fruit:

Pretty much any dried or freeze dried fruit can be rehydrated but among the best are apples, strawberries, peaches and bananas.

Put in a bowl:

Put your dehydrated fruit in a bowl large enough to hold the fruit and the water you will add.

Add water:

Pour enough water over the fruit in the bowl to cover it thoroughly. Adding warm water will accelerate the rehydration, but not boiling water, or else the fruit will turn to mush.

Soak. The fruit – whole berries, pitted halves, or sliced – goes in the water. The amount of time that the fruit should be soaked depends on the kind of fruit. Small berries or slices of fruit should be soaked anywhere from 15-20 minutes, while pitted halves or larger pieces of fruit should sit in the water for up to an hour.

Feel the texture:

Let the fruit soak for a while. Feel the texture with your fingers. If it is too hard, let it soak again. When it is soft enough for you, it is ready.

Get rid of excess water:

After the fruit has absorbed water, you’ll want to drain off excess water. Be sure to do this after you’ve dried the fruit and before you add it to anything so you’re not adding any extra liquid to what your recipe otherwise calls for.

You’re all set!

Now you can eat your dried fruit again! This makes for a great base for oatmeal, yogurt, baking, or simply straight up as a snack.

Rehydrating dried and freeze dried or dehydrated fruit can help return it to its pre-dried state providing you with more ways to utilise these preserved fruits. Whatever the occasion, we hope that this guide has provided you a good start to rehydrating your favourite dried fruit and using it in dishes and snacks whenever you wish. So, if you have some dried fruit available, the next time consider giving rehydration a try.

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