Are you one of those people who think plantains can only be deep fried? Re-think and try these Dehydrated Plantains, they taste better and are healthier for you!
Fully ripe plantains are one of the most delicious fruits I know. They have a very unique texture and a perfect amount of sweetness. Unfortunately, they have a reputation for being difficult to eat and some people never even try them.
The funny thing is some of these are people who work at grocery stores, and even health food stores!
Whenever I buy plantains, cashiers at the stores always ask “What are you going to do with them?” Once I was sincerely asked, “What are these?”
I enjoy sharing how I prepare them. I’m very happy to know that some of them take my advice and do the same!
There are a few ways to eat plantains, but sadly, most people I know think deep fried is the only way to eat them.
We can steam, boil, bake, dehydrate them and more. However, my favorite way to prepare them is by baking and dehydrating them. Dehydrated plantains are great to have in your snack pantry. They can give a quick snack satisfaction for sweet cravings too. When ripe enough, they taste like a dessert!
Don’t worry if you don’t have a dehydrator, as you can simply bake them instead. I made a video about this method before–check it out.
If you have a dehydrator, you are all set.
Ingredients:
- A few ripe plantains, depending on how much you want to dehydrate at a time. Note: If the plantains are not fully ripe, leave them to ripen for a day or two before dehydrating them.
- A dehydrator.
Instructions:
- Clean the plantains first so you don’t get your hands dirty from the plantain peels. I use a washcloth, but you can rinse them and dry them with a kitchen towel if you prefer.
- Discard the peels, and slice the plantains into ⅛ inch or a slightly thicker pieces if you can’t slice them this size. However, make sure to cut them all the same thickness as otherwise, they might not finish drying at the same time. I use a small serrated paring knife and it works great.
- Lay them on the dehydrator trays. I line the trays with parchment paper so they don’t stick. (and I reuse the paper over and over until it becomes torn)
- Dehydrate them for about 8-12 hours. It depends on how many trays you make. Overnight is the way I usually do it.
- When they are completely dried, store them in a glass jar. They last for a long time if you don’t eat them as fast as I do.
Have you dehydrated plantains before? Share with me how you like them!
I tried this as well and was able to slice pretty thin but it took closer to four days for them to get crisp at 125 degrees. I’m not sure what I should do differently!
Hmm… I’m wondering if it would be faster if you put them on a cooling rack so the air can ventilate.
Hi. I’ve never used plantain before but bought a few to dehydrate. I’ve had them a few weeks, but they were still greenish yellow with black spots. They didn’t peel easily. I had to cut the peels off. The flesh was firm with a slight orange color. I sliced them and put some spices on them and put them in the dehydrator, but I’m ot sure if they’ll be ok to eat.
Green plantains take time to ripen. I normally buy them ahead of time and let them sit to ripe before I use them for my recipe. They don’t have a lot of flavor if they are not ripe. If they are not easy to peel, they are not ready to be eaten yet. I was afraid of black spots before, but learned that as long as the flesh doesn’t have them, they are fine to eat.