Preschool Science Experiment - How to Dry Fruits

Does your preschooler know that raisins are actually dried grapes? How about that prunes are actually dried plums? Have they tried banana or apple crisps? With this fun and easy preschool science experiment, you can learn how to dry fruit in the oven.    This preschool science experiment ties in great with Week 8 of the Healthy Eating Challenge.

 

How to dry fruits and vegetables

Drying fruits entails removing the water from the fruit. The steam your preschooler will see is the evaporated water being removed from the fruit by the heat. 

 

Fruits for drying such as apricots, apples, peaches, apricots and grapes

A knife for cutting the fruit

Lemon juice

Water

An oven

Cooking sheet

 

Step one: De-skin and/or de-seed your fruit. Cut up your fruit so all the pieces are about the same size. Keep the pieces small so they dry easier. 

 

Step two: Preserve the color in your fruit by putting it in lemon juice and letting it sit for about 5 minutes.

 

Step three: Turn your oven onto a low setting of about 100-150 degrees. Any more than 150 degrees and you’ll probably cook your fruit.

 

Step four: Place the fruit on one layer on your cookie sheet.

 

Step five: Add the cookie sheet to your oven and crack your oven every couple of minutes to let the steam escape. Do not let your preschooler stand next to the oven or in the line of the steam to prevent burns. You will have your fruit in the oven for 6-12 hours, perhaps more. You will know if the fruit is dry if it seems leathery and no beads of moisture form if you tear the fruit in half. 

 

Step six: Please remember your fruit does not contain a preservative, so you should finish the fruit after a few days. Keep it in an airtight container in a cool (but not cold) place. Throw it away if it grows mold or looks or smells odd.