Dehydrating and Drying Produce in New Zealand

New Zealand's humidity is the main reason air drying fails. A dehydrator or an oven at 60°C gets fruit and vegetables safely dry; herbs need far less heat.

What to dry, and how hot

• Apples, pears, plums, apricots and feijoa slices: dip for 10 minutes in an ascorbic acid, citric acid or lemon juice solution, then dry at 60°C until leathery with no moist centre.
• Herbs: 35 to 46°C in a dehydrator, up to about 52°C on a humid day, until they crumble. Rosemary, sage, thyme and parsley also air dry in small hanging bunches indoors.
• Tomatoes, courgettes, mushrooms and other vegetables: 60°C until brittle. Most vegetables keep better if blanched first.
• Chillies: thread and hang somewhere warm and dry, or use the dehydrator.

The oven method

Only use an oven that holds 60°C. Prop the door open 5 to 15 cm so moisture escapes, and expect it to take about twice as long as a dehydrator. Hotter than that and the food cooks on the outside and stays moist inside, which invites mould.

Why sun drying rarely works here

Outdoor drying needs about 30°C or more and humidity below 60% for several days in a row. Central Otago and Hawke's Bay in a settled late summer spell come closest; most of the country is too humid.

Conditioning and storage

Before you store dried fruit, pack it loosely into jars for 4 to 10 days and shake them daily. If moisture forms on the glass, dry it longer. Then seal it airtight and keep it cool and dark: dried fruit lasts 6 to 12 months, dried vegetables about a year in a cool cupboard.

Sources we checked (October 2026): Colorado State University Extension, Drying Fruits; Montana State University Extension, Drying Vegetables; National Center for Home Food Preservation: Food Dehydrators, Herbs, Sun Drying; CSIRO, Preservation of vegetables and herbs in oil.