Sun or drying is still used in hot climates for the production of dried fruits or nuts. This may be done in direct sunlight or in shaded areas where the drying is accomplished by the hot dry air.
It should be apparent that sun dried, fruit is produced only in areas where the climate provides periods of relatively high temperatures, relatively low humidities, and little or no rain fall.Prunes, grape, apricot, peaches and pears are dried in this manner. Some of these fruit are also dried in tunnel or cabinet dehydrators.
In sun drying, small fruits are prepared and spread on trays to dry in the sun for several days, then stacked to complete the drying cycle in shaded areas.
Larger fruits such as apricots, peaches and pears are halved and pitted and apples are peeled, cored and sliced prior to drying. Such fruit are sulfured to prevent enzymatic browning.
Sun drying times vary between 4 and 25 days, depending on the size of the product, the type of pretreatment, and so on. During sun drying, precautions must be taken to prevent contamination from wind blown dust and dirt.
Moisture contents in the sun dried products vary between 10% and 35% depending on the tendency on the dried product to absorb moisture. After drying, some fruit may require moisture-vapor-proof container.
Sun Drying Method
