How to Dehydrate Plums:
Easy Steps to Make Prunes at Home

You’re about to learn how to dehydrate plums and unlock their full flavor and shelf life! From chewy homemade prunes to crisp plum rings, this guide covers every step—plus smart tips from fellow food dehydrators.

Whether you're preserving a backyard harvest or snagging a deal at the farmers’ market, you’ll love having dried plums ready for baking, snacking, or digestive health boosts.

Plums = Prunes, plus make Jams, and Pies!

Turn Fresh Plums into Delicious Homemade Prunes

Plums are a great source of carbohydrates, and a decent amount of dietary fiber too and when dried as prunes, they are famous for their aid in our digestive systems!

Just eat a couple a day and your digestive system will be fine!

According to Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, from About.com Home Cooking, prunes have a bad reputation with younger folk, and the prune industry got together and re-named prunes. Hence the name change from prunes to 'dried plums'!

Did you know that dehydrated plums are great for snacks, muffins, cookies, breads, and granola?

Plums Nutrition Info.

VITAMINS: Vitamin A, followed by Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folate, and Choline.

MINERALS: High in Potassium, followed by Phosphorus, Magnesium, Calcium, Fluoride, and a trace amount of Iron.

They also contain Omega-6 fatty acids too.

When they're made into prunes, they are a good source of dietary fiber. They're also low in calories and fat.

Bowl of dried plums - prunes

Step-by-Step: How to Dehydrate Plums for Snacks or Prunes

Let's get busy learning how to dehydrate plums!

  1. Wash the fresh plums, slice them in half, remove the pit, and pop the back* to expose more of its surface to the air. Slice into quarters if desired.
  2. Place them on your food dehydrator trays with the cut side up to prevent drips on the lower trays!
  3. Turn on your dehydrator and set the temperature between 125°F and 135°F (or per your food dehydrator's instructions).

💡 Tip: Outside the U.S.? Most dehydrating temps here are listed in Fahrenheit — use our quick converter to see the Celsius equivalent for your machine.

*NOTE:
"Pop the back" simply means to turn the fruit inside out after slicing it in half, best done by using your thumb to push the skin side inwards.

How to Tell When Your Dehydrated Plums Are Done

  • Drying time: between 12-30 hours and the plums will be leathery in consistency when dried. See my important notes from Beverly and Don, below.
  • Remember to rotate your food dehydrator trays, for even drying.

Best Plum Tree Varieties for Drying into Prunes

Plum tree

If you have a plum tree and are concerned about how to dehydrate plums - assuming your plum tree is suitable for making prunes - please note there are many different types of plum trees that can be used for prunes.

However, some varieties are better than others. For example, the Satsuma plum tree is a popular choice for prunes. This variety produces large, sweet fruits that are perfect for drying.

Other good options include the European plum, the Japanese plum, and the Damson plum. Experiment and see what type of plum you like best!

Drying Time Tips from a Reader in Humid Conditions

Beverly, from Washington State, wanted to add this when she was dehydrating plums: They dried way faster than stated above, which was 22-30 hours: in 16 hours at 72% humidity and 135°F degrees, my prunes/plums were almost to the point of "brittle!" My plums were small ~ this is perhaps a factor as well. I will shorten the drying time to 12 hours for the next batch.

💡 Tip: Outside the U.S.? Most dehydrating temps here are listed in Fahrenheit — use our quick converter to see the Celsius equivalent for your machine.

What’s Special About the Stanley Prune Tree?

NOTE: Don Hendricks posted this great information: My "plum" tree is a Stanley Prune tree – although it is a variety of plum, it is an Italian PRUNE - it's where prune juice comes from – not all varieties will dry into a prune!

Why the Stanley Prune Tree Is a Prune-Making Favorite

Regarding Don's comment above: a Stanley prune tree is a type of plum tree that produces large, sweet fruits. The fruits of this tree are often used for drying and can be made into prunes.

The Stanley prune tree is native to the western United States. It's a popular choice for gardens and orchards because it's easy to care for and produces a large crop of fruit.

If you're looking for a tree that will produce a lot of prunes, the Stanley prune tree is a good choice!

Plum Chips? Try This Crisp Snack Variation

Margaret posted this great idea (on our Facebook page): I sliced my plums into thin rings and dehydrated until crisp. Resulted in a great snack to eat on the go!

Dehydrated Plum FAQs: Prunes, Salted Plums, and More

What are pitted dry plums?

These are plums with the pits removed before drying. They're often called prunes and are perfect for snacking, baking, or keeping your digestive system on track.

What are dry salted plums?

Dry salted plums are preserved by salting and drying—either sun-dried or dehydrated. The salt forms a crust as they dry, creating a super-tart, chewy snack with a long shelf life. You can rehydrate them to mellow out the intense saltiness. (More common in traditional Asian cooking and specialty stores.)

Here are some key details:

Nearly ripe plums are pitted, halved, or kept whole with skin intact. Sweet varieties like Amber or Mirabelle plums are often used.

The plums are dried slowly either out in the hot sun or using low-heat ovens or dehydrators. The sun-drying process can take weeks until nearly all moisture has evaporated from the fruit.

Once the dried plums have shrunk considerably, coarse salt is then packed onto the surface of the fruit. The salted dried plums can sit for a couple more weeks allowing flavors to mingle and preserving compounds to take effect. The finished dry salted plums are very wrinkly, stiff, and leathery in texture with the salt crust encasing them.

They have an intensely salty, sweet-tart, and concentrated plum flavor. Rehydrating the plums mellows out the salt levels before eating them.

Properly dried and salted, they can be stored for upwards of one year and be shelf-stable.

Honestly? I think reading all that gives you a new appreciation for those who take the time to do it that way! I'll stick to using an electric dehydrator...

Should I peel plums before dehydrating them?

Nope, peeling isn’t necessary—most folks leave the skin on. The skin actually helps the plum pieces hold their shape while drying and adds extra fiber. Just wash them well first. If you’re after a super-smooth prune texture, you could peel them, but it’s not required.

Can you dehydrate plums without cutting them?

You can, but it’s not ideal. Whole plums take much longer to dry and might trap moisture inside, which could lead to spoilage. Cutting them in half (or quarters for larger plums) and removing the pit is the safest, most effective method. Bonus: it speeds up drying time!

How do I store dehydrated plums for long-term use?

Once fully dried and cooled, store your plums in an airtight container—Mason jars, Mylar bags, or vacuum-sealed bags all work well. Keep them in a cool, dark place. For max shelf life (up to 12 months), toss in an oxygen absorber and a desiccant pack - and keep the container away from heat and humidity.

Thanks for visiting this guide on how to dehydrate plums! Be sure to check out all our fruits on this page.

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