Dehydrating Citrus – and Why It’s Important

Vitamin C is a very important nutrient that seems to be lacking in a lot of survival foods. Getting enough vitamin C is vital in an emergency situation. It is necessary for collagen synthesis (collagen is what heals your wounds, and knits the skin back together), without it your new wounds may not heal properly and older cuts may start to fall apart.

Enough vitamin C can cut back on how often you get colds and flus and cut back on how much they affect you. It can also delay the onset of certain neurological disorders such as Alzheimers. It is essential for drug metabolism, helping medications to reach their full potential in your system.

Sources of vitamin C include: broccoli, sweet bell peppers, sprouts, kale, spinach, tomatoes, strawberries and of course citrus fruits. Citrus can be found easily and cheaply by almost everyone and it is so simple to dehydrate.

Pick nice, firm just ripened fruits. Cut into thin wheels (1/4″) and lay on your dehydrator trays. Using a temperature controlled dehydrator, set it to 125 F. It takes about 6-8 hours depending on the humidity in your area, it could also take more. (Here’s my dehydrator: https://amzn.to/39aoRbO )

To use your citrus, you can place it in glasses of water or juice to add flavor or you can powder the inner parts to make juice mix. Make sure to store your fruit in airtight containers in a cool dry environment.

dehydrated oranges

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Posted on August 3, 2012, in Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink. 8 Comments.

  1. As a side note, cayenne pepper is another high source of vit. C

  2. White pine needles are a good source of vitamin c, but not nearly as tasty as dehydrated fruit.

    • Agreed! Pine needles are an excellent wild source of vitamin c that most people can easily recognize in their foraging! Sea buckthorn and rose hips are also great if you have them in your area 🙂 thanks for reading!

  3. Rose hips: Dry them, crush them and make rose hip tea. High in Vitamin C and tasty to boot. Add honey for a sweetener and your all set.

  4. So do you leave the rind on when you dehydrate? Is the remaining pith bitter?

    • Yes I leave the rind on, the pith is minimal after drying and not bitter. I usually punch out the middle flesh pieces to make juice personally. I leave the rind on because it’s easier to slice that way and the essential oils are in the rind, making it have the most flavor. You can also grind the rind with the flesh to make juice as long as you washed the fruit before drying

  1. Pingback: Dehydrating Citrus – and Why It’s Important | Preparedness Blogs

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