How to make dehydrated mandarin oranges. I am using canned mandarin orange pieces but you use the same recipe to dried fresh mandarin oranges. This is a great Food Dehydrator recipe for a sweet dried fruit snack. And the best thing is that you can dry fresh mandarin orange segments or canned mandarin oranges using the same steps.
Dehydrated Citrus Uses
Citrus is one of my favorite foods I love to dehydrate. I like to dehydrate oranges slices to use in fall craft projects or to add to drinks. I use my dehydrated lime slices or lemon slices the same way. As much fun as dried citrus slices are you really don't eat them.
Now with dehydrated mandarin oranges you can make a sweet chewy citrus snack that tastes just as good if not better than dehydrated mango, dried pineapple, watermelon or dehydrated banana chips. The drying process concentrates the natural sugars.
Dehydrating Quick Guide
New to dehydrating and need more help? Grab my free Dehydrating Quick Guide.
How long to dehydrate mandarin oranges?
The amount of time it takes to dehydrate orange sections will vary. This is the case with all dehydrated foods. There are many factors that can effect how long it takes to get them properly dried for long term storage.
Here are the main factors:
- The type of food: The features of mandarin oranges as a fruit have an influence on how long they take to dry. These citrus fruits contain a lot of water and have fragile cell structures, which leads to quick moisture loss during drying. Yet, their sugar content can make the surface sticky, which slows down water evaporation in the later stages.
- The cut of the food: How mandarin oranges are cut affects their drying time. Thin slices or small segment pieces dry faster because they have more surface area compared to their size letting moisture escape. On the other hand, bigger or thicker pieces hold onto moisture longer and need more time to dry .
- The drying method: The way you dry mandarin oranges changes how fast they dry and how good they turn out: Air Drying: This method is slower and depends on the surroundings, so it takes longer. Oven Drying: This is quicker because you can control the heat, but you need to keep an eye on it to avoid burning. Dehydrator Drying: This gives a steady drying environment, which often leads to even and efficient drying. It is my preferred method of drying all foods.
- The temperature and humidity: Higher temperatures generally speed up the drying process by increasing the rate of moisture evaporation. However, excessively high temperatures can cook the oranges instead of merely drying them, affecting their flavor and texture. Low humidity levels facilitate faster drying as the air can absorb more moisture from the oranges. High humidity slows down the drying process because the air is already saturated with moisture, reducing its capacity to absorb more.
These factors determine how quickly and how well mandarin oranges can be dried, impacting both the duration of the process and the quality of the final product.
Dried Mandarin Oranges Ingredients
Below is a quick look at the ingredients and directions. You can find the entire ingredient amounts and step by step directions in the recipe card below. P. S. You can also save your favorite recipes to your personal recipe box! ⬇️
- 4-29 oz cans of Mandarin Orange segments in juice or fresh oranges that have been peeled and the thin membrane skin removed.
👇See the step by step directions below!
Recipe Prep
- Drain the canned mandarin orange sections in a colander. Allow to drain for about 30 minutes to remove as much liquid as possible. You can also gently pat the pieces with paper towels to remove any extra moisture.
- If using canned fruit in light syrup gently rinse them under cold water, drain well, then pat dry.
Dehydrating Directions
- Step 1: Arrange the orange segments on a dehydrator tray that has been lined with a mesh tray liner in a single layer not touching.
- Step 2: Set the temperature to 135 F. Place the cover on and set the timer for 10 hours. Occasionally check them. Drying times will vary depending on the humidity in your home and the temperature and model of dehydrator you are using. It can take 8 to 14 hours to completely dehydrate.
How to know when they are dry?
- Step 3: Remove some of the oranges from the dehydrator and allow them to come to room temperature before checking for doneness.
Dried and cooled mandarin pieces should feel dry and a little tacky. The centers should not feel mushy. So press down on the center of some of the thickest pieces. The best way to check all dehydrated foods is to condition them.
Conditioning dried fruit
"Conditioning" dehydrated foods is one step anyone who likes making dried fruit snacks should get into the habit of doing. It is a big disappointment when you open up a container of dried fruit that has turned moldy. It is also a waste of ingredients and money.
This very easy process of evenly distributing any remaining moisture still in the dried fruit takes a few days to complete but is worth it.
- Step 4: All you need to do is store the dehydrated food in a loosely sealed glass container for several days, shaking or stirring it once a day to make sure that any remaining moisture is evenly distributed through out all the pieces of fruit, which will help prevent the food from turning moldy.
Leave plenty of head space in the jar so the fruit can move when you shake the jar. Condition the dried orange sections in a glass jar for 1 week before storing.
I like to condition my dried fruits in glass mason jars that I will be using for long term storage. Once the fruit is conditioned I add an oxygen absorber to the jar and vacuum seal the lid.
Do I need to use mesh liner trays?
Most dehydrator trays have large openings to allow for good air flow.
While mesh tray liners are optional they are not necessary. But as the fruit is drying it will shrink up to half the original size.
The smaller pieces of drying fruit will fall through the air flow holes. A mesh liner tray will prevent the fruit from falling through the holes into the bottom of your appliance.
Shrinkage will not make a difference when you are drying apple slices or orange slices. But it was very annoying when I was drying smaller pieces like diced apple and frozen mixed vegetables. Or dehydrating herbs.
The small pieces fall through and land on the bottom trays or on the bottom of the dehydrator.
How to enjoy
- Dried Fruit Snack: Enjoy as a dried fruit snack.
- Trail Mix: Combine dried mandarin oranges with nuts, seeds, and other dried fruits for a custom trail mix snack perfect for hikes or workouts.
- Citrus Infused Water: Add a few pieces to your water bottle for a refreshing and naturally citrus flavored water.
- Savory Dishes: Add a handful of dried mandarin oranges to stir-fries or salads to add a unique sweet and tangy element.
- Baking Ingredient: Use them in baking recipes, such as muffins or pancakes, for a delightful twist. Soak them in hot water for a few minutes before stirring into the batter.
- Garnishes: Top cupcakes, cakes or cheese cakes for an amazing dessert garnish.
- Rehydrate them: Dried orange pieces can be rehydrated and added to any recipe that calls for mandarin oranges.
Make Dried Orange Powder
To make orange powder, dehydrating the orange slices until they are completely brittle. Once dried, let them cool completely before grinding them into a fine powder using a spice grinder or blender.
- Desserts: Dried orange powder can be used to sprinkle over desserts for an added citrus kick, or mixed into smoothies.
- Dressing & Marinades: You can stir it into salad dressings or marinades.
- Cakes and cupcakes: Stir some into cake or cupcake batter, to add a touch of citrus flavor.
- Frosting: Color and flavor homemade or store bought frostings
Helpful Dehydrating Equipment
Using the right tools is just as important as using the right ingredients. Make sure your recipes turn out perfect every time.
📌Pro Dehydrating Tips
- Tip: if using a Excalibur it is very easy to line the bottom with parchment paper to catch any drips for easy clean up.
- Monitor Drying Time: Keep a close eye on the drying times.
- Storage: Store it in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.
Dehydrated Mandarin Oranges
By following these simple steps, you now have a batch of delicious, naturally sweet treats that have a long shelf life and taste incredible.
Dehydrated mandarin oranges are a great addition to your pantry, perfect for snacking on-the-go or enhancing a variety of dishes.
More Dried Food Recipes
Check out some of my other dried food recipes.
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How to Dehydrate Mandarin Oranges
Ingredients
- 4 Cans Mandarin Orange Slices in Juice (29 oz cans)
Instructions
- Put the canned mandarin orange sections in a strainer to drain. Let them drain for about 30 minutes to get rid of as much liquid as you can. To remove more moisture, dab the pieces with paper towels. If you're using canned fruit in light syrup, give them a quick rinse under cold water, drain them well, and then dab them dry.
- Spread the orange segments on a dehydrator tray lined with a mesh liner. Make sure they're in single layer and not touching each other.
- Set your dehydrator to 135°F. Put the cover on and set the timer for 10-14 hours. Keep an eye on them. After 4 hours check them to see how dry they are getting. Drying times will vary based on how humid your home is and what kind of dehydrator you have.
- Condition the dried orange sections in a glass jar for 1 week before storing.
Recipe Expert Tips
- Tip: if using a Excalibur it is very easy to line the bottom with parchment paper to catch any drips for easy clean up.
- Monitor Drying Time: Keep a close eye on the drying times.
- Storage: Store it in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.
Vicki
Recipe came out very well but no where near 75 servings as advertised. I got 1 pint jar that may serve 5 for snacking or 1/4 pint for powdering.
Arlene Mobley
Vicki if you used the same size 4 cans of mandarin oranges I'm not sure how you only ended up with one pint jar unless you smashed them all into one jar. A serving is about 1 tablespoon.