It is late spring and that means southern California is inundated with millions of glorious little red gems – the strawberry! I mean this in the literal sense as you can pick up pound of these ruby beauties for about 75¢ a pound.

That being said, my house always has strawberries. Whether it’s fresh, dried, canned or frozen, they are within reach.

Besides being eye catching, the strawberry is also considered a superfruit. They are jam-packed with vitamin C, potassium, fiber and antioxidants which means they’re good for your heart and overall health.

They apparently help with cancer prevention as well! So strawberries being labeled as a superfruit no longer surprised me. 🙂

When the fruit is dehydrated, or dried, you still retain many of these nutrients which makes them terrific snacks for backpacking, camping or just daily running around.

Attention: My post may contain Amazon affiliate links! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

So when a good friend asked how to dehydrate strawberries, I jumped at the chance to explain how easy it was and what delicious results drying would yield.

Her question was also perfectly timed as we were preparing to head out for a 2 day backpacking trip to Cottonwood Lakes in the south eastern Sierra mountains.

What better way to enjoy spring than with sunshine, majestic mountains and sweetly tart, dried strawberry chips!

So let me show you how easy it is to create… 

Dehydrated Strawberry Chips

Ingredients/Tools:

• 5 Lbs Fresh, Firm Strawberries
• Large Plastic Cutting Board (not wood like me!)
• Sharp Paring Knife
• Dehydrator – I use this Excalibur
• Dehydrator Mesh Sheets
• Bowl (For Discarded Strawberry Tops)

Instructions:

You will want to look for strawberries that are fresh but not overly ripened since you’ll need them to be firm. Firmer strawberries will be easier to cut but you can still get away with this using ripened strawberries.

Related: Easy Dehydrated Pineapple

Fully wash the strawberries and let them sit for an hour to dry. If you are crunched for time, pat them down with a paper towel.

Once the strawberries are dry you can begin cutting them into ¼ or ⅛ thick slices. There’s two different cuts you can make, neither are wrong.

Horizontally will give you round chips, vertically will give you pretty strawberry shaped ones. I thought vertical cuts were faster but it’s up to personal preference.

Once finished, spread the strawberry slices out on your mesh sheets and place into dehydrator.

Pro-tip: Wash out your dehydrator if a cat has previously used it as a napping spot.

Set your temperature at 135°F/57°C, dry for approximately 10-18 hours depending on you humidity level. Higher humidity requires longer drying time.

Store in airtight container, keeps for 1-2 months.

The final product should be these beautiful strawberry chips which you can use in granola, oatmeal or by themselves. Yum!

Related: Easy Dehydrated Pineapple

Bonus Tips!

• Don’t use a wooden cutting board if you can help it. I’m still trying to get strawberry juice stains out of the wood. Plastic is better.
• If you find that some of your strawberries have mushy spots, either cut around them or reserve those for jam or smoothies.
• Add a splash of lemon juice for extra zing!

What do you like to add dried strawberry slices into? Leave your thoughts or ideas down below in the comments. 🙂

If you’ve never eaten dried pineapple then you are in for a real treat!

I love dehydrated pineapple in homemade granola mixes, oatmeal and trail mixes. It goes very well with tropical nuts like macadamia or cashews, as well as dried cherries and toasted coconut.

Why You Should Eat Pineapple

I feel that pineapple is a underappreciated tropical fruit for backpackers. When it’s dried it is high in calories and sugar which is perfect for getting a boost of energy on the trails. Though it loses some of it’s nutritional value in the drying process, dehydrated pineapple is still contains vitamin C and manganese. It’s also a good source of dietary fiber.

Related: Spot On Beef Jerky

Attention: My post may contain Amazon affiliate links! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Why Dehydrate Pineapple

Pineapple, when dehydrated, is lighter to carry and lasts a lot longer in the backcountry. It can take on a chewy texture which is very satisfying and can help wake up your taste buds with it’s sweet-tart flavor. I almost feel guilty for eating it as it really tastes like candy.

While dehydrating pineapple sounds pretty easy, you still have to prep it for the dehydrator. Meaning, you have to know how to cut up a pineapple. Sounds silly but some people aren’t sure of exactly how to do it.

While there are a tools you can use to carve up these tropical beauties, I honestly find a sharp knife is all you need. You may also wish to wear gloves if you’re cutting multiple pineapples as the acidity might irritate your skin.

How to Choose a Ripe Pineapple

First things first, you will want to purchase a pineapple that is ripe. You can figure this out with two of your senses:

Sight – the pineapple bottom should be yellow, the top can still be a little green. If there’s mold under the pineapple, where it was removed from the stalk, or if you see brown spots, it’s over ripened. I recommend staying away from pineapples that are too ripe as they won’t dehydrate well.

Smell – a ripe pineapple will have a lighter smell to it. No smell means it’s not ready and a heavy smell could mean it’s rotting inside.

Sometimes your grocery store will sell this delicious fruit for dirt cheap (mine was 89¢ each at my local Aldi) – during those times it’s best to stock up. One pineapple will typically yield 18 pieces.

Tools You Will Need

• Sharp Chef Knife
• Sharp Paring Knife
• Plastic Cutting Board
• Food Gloves – optional
• Dehydrator
• Airtight Container

How to Cut a Pineapple

Slice off the top of the pineapple, about 1” from the base of the crown and about 1″ off the bottom.

Slice away the tough outer skin making sure to get all the eyes. If you can’t get them all in one cut, no worries, go back and take cut them with a paring knife.

Cut the pineapple into two halves, lengthwise.

Create ¼ inch thick slices, keeping them all the same thickness so they dry evenly.

Use a paring knife to cut a V into the middle, remove the core.

– OR – 

Before slicing, use the Chef knife to gently cut a shallow V into the meat of the pineapple, remove the core.

Then create ¼ inch thick slices, keeping them all the same thickness so they dry evenly.

Then…

Place onto dehydrator tray.

Set temperature to 135f or 57c.

Drying time is determined by your local humidity but should be somewhere between 10-18 hours.

Related: Spot On Beef Jerky

Check for doneness – pineapple should be chewy.

Will keep in airtight container for 1-2 months.

I love dry fruit. I love chewy fruit leathers. I love beef jerky. All of these are a must-have when I’m out on the trail. So I had the bright idea that, instead of spending money on just small amounts of these delicious snacks, I could make my own versions for much cheaper!

Attention: My post may contain Amazon affiliate links! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

After spending hours online reading reviews, looking through forums to find the perfect dehydrator, lo’ & behold I found the Excalibur 9-tray  dehydrator. It had everything! 15 square foot drying capacity, a 48 hour self-operating timer, a clear door for your viewing pleasure, everything a novice dehydrating pioneer could want!

“But Andy,” you may ask, “why do you need large, 9-tray dehydrator with all the bells and whistles? Isn’t that a bit of an overkill?” Yeah, that’s what my husband asked too.

But this thing is the king of all dehydrators!

I justified the purchase by pointing out all the not-so-good-for-you stuff in our backpacking food, including unnecessary salts, sugars and, the most evil ingredient of all, gluten. I’m gluten-intolerant.

I’ve been gluten free since 2015 but going GF was born out of necessity, not choice. I absolutely ADORED wheat in all forms: pasta, bread, muffins, cakes, you name it.

Why did I got GF? I have a gastrointestinal issue called Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) that can be caused by a build-up of bad bacteria in your intestines or by your brain and gut not communicating. Unfortunately for me that means I need to stay away from gluten. Some people aren’t affected by gluten (lucky them) but when I get gluten-bombed I basically end up on the bathroom floor in the fetal positions…for hours. Yeah, not fun.

Hence, my new Excalibur!

With a dehydrator you can create your own recipes for backpacking meals and snacks without all the not-so-good-for-you junk. It’s also perfect for people who want to get creative with their meals or have allergies like, milk, gluten or nut.

I was thrilled to try dehydrating all my favorite food but I definitely wanted to start with a must-have trail item: Jerky.

There are tons of different jerkies out there like beef, turkey, salmon, to delicious flavors like sweet teriyaki or hot chipotle. Since I had never made jerky before I decided to check Pinterest to see what was popular. Pinterest didn’t disappoint – there were thousands of recipes. Yikes!

I skimmed a few, got the general idea, and just started gathering items from the fridge, basically using ingredients I already had at home. FYI, this is a great way to use up the condiments just sitting around in your fridge.

Another great thing about jerky? You put everything into a gallon size freezer bag which makes for a ridiculously easy clean up!

So, here is my gluten free jerky recipe which, according to my husband, was honestly Spot On!

Related: Easy Dehydrated Pineapple

SPOT-ON BEEF JERKY

Tools:

• Dehydrator
• Non-Stick Dehydrator Sheets
• 1 Gallon Freezer Bag
• Sharp Knife
• Cutting Board

Ingredients:

• 1.5 Pounds Lean London Broil or Flank Steak (as lean as you can find)
• 1 cup Gluten-free Soy Sauce (you can use regular if you want)
• 1/2 cup Worcestershire Sauce
• 3 Tablespoons Sriracha Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar (packed)
• Black pepper, to taste

Counter-clockwise: Flank Steak, Sriracha, Gluten-free Soy Sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, Pepper and Brown Sugar

Instructions:

Cut as much fat off the beef as you can or purchase a very lean cut.

Place the beef into the freezer bag and store in the freezer for 1 to 1.5 hours max to harden – trust me, this will make it much easier to cut even slices.

Once the meat is a little stiff, use a very sharp knife to create ¼ inch thick pieces. Don’t worry about how long the strips are, as long as the thickness is uniformed they’ll dry evenly.

Freeze meat for 1 hour prior to cutting, this will help ensure even slices.

Combine all ingredients into a gallon freezer bag, making sure to have the meat completely covered. Go ahead and give it a little massage. 🙂

Put the meat into the freezer bag.

Add the wet and dry ingredients into the freezer bag.

Give the bag a little massage so the marinade gets into the meat.

Chill in the refrigerator a minimum of 3 hours or up to 24 hours.

After the meat is done marinating, take out the freezer bag and gently place each piece on a dehydrator tray covered with an non-stick sheet. Don’t overcrowd the sheets – you want to get even drying. 

Lay out the meat on your dehydrating mats about 1″ apart. Don’t over crowd.

Place in the dehydrator, making sure the door is securely closed so no dry air escapes.

Doesn’t that look delicious!

Set the temperature at 155° F for 5-6 hours (depending on the humidity in your area) or until the meat is completely dry.

It should ‘crack’ when you bend it. If it doesn’t, it needs more time.

Voila! The final product of your hard work!

The final product!

Store in an air-tight container. The jerky should last 1 month.

Related: Easy Dehydrated Pineapple

Have you tried this out? Feel free to leave a comment down below!