Skip to main content

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

Amy Neunsinger/Getty Images

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.

Recommended Videos

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).

Buy at Amazon
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Buy at Amazon Buy at Walmart

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

Winslow Productions/Getty Images

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.
Sam Slaughter
Sam Slaughter was the Food and Drink Editor for The Manual. Born and raised in New Jersey, he’s called the South home for…
Why the (endlessly variable) Negroni should be your go-to cocktail
Ways to hack your Negroni, and bit of drink history
Negroni cocktail

The Negroni is one of the best cocktails of all time, with a simple formula of three equal parts that combine into the perfect bitter drink. With endless variations on the Negroni out there and plenty of tips on making the perfect Negroni, there's no better cocktail to make at home.
Negroni cocktail recipe

Ingredients:

Read more
The Finnish Long Drink is the best gin cocktail you’ve probably never heard of
Here's how this Scandinavian gem came to be and how to make it
Finland, traditional drink Grape Long Drink. Also called in Finnish "Lonkero". Mix of premium gin and grapefruit soda

You’ve heard of gin and tonics—maybe even Ranch Water. But there’s another refreshing, low-alcohol cocktail quietly winning over drinkers worldwide. It’s called the Finnish Long Drink (or Lonkero), and if you haven’t tried it yet, you’re missing out.

This simple drink is one of the best summer cocktails and has a history dating back 70 years. It's popular not only in its homeland of Finland but beyond, bringing together gin with refreshing citrus.

Read more
Up your cocktail game: How to make the perfect gin gimlet
This gin gimlet recipe is sensational — and easy
Gimlet cocktails in coupe glasses

Of all the cocktails that gin lovers hold in regard, one that stands out is the gin gimlet. Perhaps second only to the gin martini in the annals of the greatest gin cocktails, this drink shows off the flavors of gin with its rich botanticals to the best possible advantage. While some drinks are complex affairs that feature layers of flavors coming from many ingredients, the gin gimlet is quite the opposite: It has just two or three ingredients, and its beauty is in its simplicity.

The gimlet combines gin with sweetened lime juice to bring out the juniper and herbal, piney, or citrusy flavors that gins can offer. It's pleasing to anyone from those new to cocktails to gin connoisseurs, as it is both easy to sip and a great way to experience the complexities of a new gin.

Read more