# sticking fruits in dehydrator



## Yldrosie (Jan 28, 2006)

This is my first time trying the drying out preservation methods. The worst problem I have is foods sticking to the racks after drying. How do I prevent this? what do you do?


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## Ardie/WI (May 10, 2002)

I sprayed my racks with a cooking spray, lightly and over a rag.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

If you dry to the soft and flexible stage, it is harder to pull off. My dehydrator has flexible racks so I can bend the rack to pull off.
But I tend to dry to the brittle stage with everything as I save long term and it becomes much easier to pull off at that point.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

I've got banana slices stuck to my racks right now. They don't come off when hard and brittle. I had to warm them back up to get them flexible in hopes of getting them off. I'll be using a screen of some sort next time, something flexible so it can be removed and twisted to pop the pieces off.


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## praieri winds (Apr 16, 2010)

I use the leather trays and put a light coating of olive oil on them with a paper towel the fruit and other sticky stuff comes off easy or you might could line the trays with plastic wrap or foil with a coating of oil too much oil will go rancid in time and shorten the storage life of the fruit, it will take a little longer to dry this way tho so check regularly for dryness


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## Chixarecute (Nov 19, 2004)

Fruits tend to stick more. I use the food screens with fruit, and also with herbs. Come to think of it, everything but jerky. (pain to clean)


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## GrannyG (Mar 26, 2005)

I dry things like fruit leather on parchment paper....I have bought some of Pampered Chef cutting trays and use them in my dehydrator as well with great luck...no sticking....folds in half to quickly pour dried okra into bottles.....


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## sustainabilly (Jun 20, 2012)

I use parchment paper too. It works well. On my homeade dryer I have metal screens. I clean them with vinegar, then air dry, periodically. Then just cover the food with muslin. That big one is mostly for herbs though.


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