Oven Dried Lemon Slices

Make your own dried lemon slices in the oven with just fresh lemons and a few hours of low, slow drying. They’re perfect for cocktails, tea, desserts, garnishes and decorating. And you don’t need a dehydrator!

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I love preserving foods in all kinds of ways, from hot water canning homemade jams like grape jam or peach jam, to traditional pickles or pickled okra.

Dehydrating fruit is another old-school way to preserve food. Sliced fruit is dried at a low temperature over several hours, slowly removing the moisture without actually cooking it.

I’ve been dehydrating lemons and other citrus fruits in my oven for years, and I’m sharing all my tips and tricks with you here.

Laura says :

Why this recipe works

• Simple: All you need are fresh lemons, a knife, and your oven. Slice, bake, and let the oven do the work.
• No fancy equipment: You don’t need a dehydrator or any special equipment. Your oven works just fine!
• Works with Any Citrus: Lemons are my favorite, but this method also works with oranges, limes, grapefruit, and other citrus.
• Another way to preserve citrus: Have more citrus than you know what to do with? Drying is an easy way to preserve it so you can enjoy it long after citrus season.
• Long-lasting: When completely dried and stored properly, dried citrus slices can last for up to 6 months.

Step-by-step directions

1. Prep the lemons. Slice the lemons evenly, about ⅛ to ¼-inch thick. Place the slices on a cooling rack over a baking sheet or a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
2. Bake ’til dry. Bake in the oven to the lowest temperature (for my oven it’s 170ºF/77ºC) until completely dry, approximately 4 to 5 hours. For even drying, rotate the baking sheets every hour or two.
3. Store. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

How to Use Dried Lemon Slices

Middle Eastern cultures have been using dried lemons and limes for centuries. Dried limes look horrible, they are brown, wrinkly and the size of a ping pong, but they offer so much incredible flavor.

The entire dried lime is chopped and added to countless Persian recipes like soups and stews. You can do the same thing with these dried lemons slices, add them to soups like Greek avgolemono or chicken noodle soup for more lemony flavor.

More uses for dried lemons:

For drinks:

• Cocktails
• Mocktails
• Hot tea
• Water

For food

• Soups
• Stews
• Cakes
• Dip in chocolate
• Lemon powder
• Citrus salt

For decorating

• Tablescape
• Pot pourri
• Holiday decorations
• Gift wrapping

Expert tips and recipe FAQs

How long these dried lemons last depends on several factors, from fruit to method of dehydration, moisture content, and even method of storage. Some dehydrated fruit can last up to five years if properly prepared and stored.

If your dried fruit still has moisture in it, it will mold. So you really must make sure your fruit is completely dry. If you oven drying, this can be an issue. Press a paper towel against your fruit to see if any moisture remains. If it does, continue drying in the oven.

Oxidization will deteriorate your fruit’s flavor and nutritional content. Vacuum sealing will reduce the oxidation rate and preserve your dried foods longer.

For my dried lemons, I keep them in a jar stored in a dark cabinet and they last for approximately 6 months. After this point, the dried lemon slices start to discolor and then I throw them out.

And if you are looking for other ways to use up a lot of lemons, there’s honey lemonade, limoncello and olive oil lemon curd. Another way to use up a bumper crop of lemons to make preserved lemons.

Oven Dried Lemon Slices

Laura Bashar | Family Spice

Make beautiful dried lemon slices right in your oven! This simple method requires no dehydrator and gives you perfectly dried citrus slices for cocktails, garnishes, desserts, and decorating.

4.50 from 69 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 hours hrs

Total Time 5 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Course Condiments and Sauces

Cuisine Persian

Calories 2.7 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 4 lemons

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

 

• Slice the lemons evenly, from ⅛ to ¼-inch thick. You can get approximately 8 slices per lemon, depending on the size of the lemon.
• Place the slices on a metal cooling rack over a baking sheet or a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
• Bake in the oven to the lowest temperature (for my oven it’s 170ºF/77ºC) until completely dry, approximately 4 to 5 hours.
• For even drying, rotate the baking sheets every hour or two.
• Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Notes

Fruit type: This method can be used for any citrus fruits. Ideally, you want thin skinned fruits. You do not want too much pith because it adds bitterness to your food.

Drying time: Larger fruits, like oranges and grapefruits, will take longer to dry than lemons and limes. Dehydrate in the oven until completely dry.

Press a paper towel against your fruit to see if any moisture remains. If it does, continue drying in the oven.

Storage tips: How long your slices last after dried depends on the fruit you use, how thin you sliced them, moisture content, and even method of storage. Some dehydrated fruit can last up to five years if properly prepared and stored.

If your dried fruit still has moisture in it, it will mold. So you really must make sure your fruit is completely dry. If you oven drying, this can be an issue. Press a paper towel against your fruit to see if any moisture remains. If it does, continue drying in the oven.

Oxidization will deteriorate your fruit’s flavor and nutritional content. Vacuum sealing will reduce the oxidation rate and preserve your dried foods longer.

For my dried lemons, I keep them in a jar stored in a dark cabinet and they last for approximately 6 months. After this point, the dried lemon slices start to discolor and then I throw them out.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 2.7kcalCarbohydrates: 1.5gProtein: 0.2gSodium: 0.4mgFiber: 0.6g

Keyword dried citrus, dried lemon, dried lemon slices, dried lemons without a dehydrator, lemon dehydrated

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Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.

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