pears{choose ripe pears suitable for fresh eating}
1/4cuplemon juiceper 6 cups of water
Instructions
Fill a bowl with 6 cups of cold water and 1/4 cup of lemon juice.
Set up a workstation with a peeler, cutting board, sharp knife, and a bowl for the cores.
Rinse pears, and remove the stem and blossom end with a sharp knife. (optional): remove the peel.
Cut the pear in half from the top to the bottom.
Use the knife to make a cut from the stem to the bottom on one side. Repeat on the other side, then jiggle the core out.
Cut pear halves into uniform slices. Place slices into the bowl of lemon water while you work with the other pears.
Drain soaked slices through a fine-mesh strainer.
Arrange the slices on your dehydrator so that there is space around each slice, and the slices are not touching.
Set your dehydrator to the "fruit/vegetables" setting (135 degrees F).
Rotate trays every few hours.
Pear chips are done when they don’t feel wet anymore (4-8 hours). Some pears will finish before the others on the same tray. Remove those that are done and set aside.
Notes
Store in an air-tight container. They will keep for at least a year if not exposed to too much light or heat.Oven-Drying Instructions: Follow the peeling and soaking instructions above and then place pear slices on baking drying racks set n baking sheets.Place in the oven at the lowest temperature possible (usually 140-170 degrees F) and prop open the door with the handle of a wooden spoon. This allows condensation to escape instead of just settle back onto the pears.Bake for 5-8 hours.