Busy mornings are a breeze when you have jars of make-ahead oatmeal with dehydrated strawberries all ready to go.
This post is sponsored by Florida Strawberry in conjunction with a social media compaign through Sunday Supper LLC. All opinions are my own.
There are some fruits and vegetables that I will not even consider buying unless they are in season locally. Strawberries fell into that category until I discovered Florida Strawberries.
Florida Strawberries, unlike the typical strawberries that are in the supermarket, are so sweet and delicious, it's like taking a bite out of summer in the middle of winter. They are fragrant and red inside and out, just as a fresh strawberry should be. I know all about fresh strawberries because my father had a huge strawberry patch in his garden when I was a kid. When I first tasted a Florida Strawberry. I felt like I was back in my dad's garden again.
Florida Strawberries are seasonal, and they are in season right now. Their growing season is December through April which means that if you don't get out to pick some up soon, you will have to wait until December 😥 .
I've been stocking up on Florida Strawberries so that I can preserve their sweet and delicious taste for as long as I can. My favorite way to preserve Florida Strawberries is to dehydrate them. It's an easy and hands-off way to preserve the sweetness of the strawberries, and dehydrated strawberries have so many uses. You can add them to salads, yogurt, homemade granola, dip them in melted chocolate, crumble them up for a sweet tasting garnish or just eat them as they are.
It's easy to dehydrate strawberries at home using an oven or a dehydrator. However, I highly recommend using a dehydrator, they are relatively inexpensive and they take less time do their magic.
Here's how to dehydrate strawberries at home using a dehydrator:
- Wash, dry and hull the strawberries.
- Slice the strawberries vertically into ¼ inch thick slices.
- Place the strawberry slices on the dehydrator trays.
- Cover the dehydrator and turn it on.
- Allow them to dehydrate for 5 to 7 hours. Strawberries are done when they are deep red in color and feel dry to the touch.
- Allow to cool for 30 minutes and remove from trays.
- Condition the berries by placing them loosely in a clean glass jar for 4 to 5 days and shake the jar once a day to separate the pieces. Check for condensation to appear. If no condensation is present, your berries will be ready to store.
- Store them in a clean glass jar away from light, for up to six months
Once the berries have completed the dehydration process, you can use them to make up a few jars of make-ahead oatmeal with dehydrated strawberries.
Click on serving size to scale this recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 4 tablespoons chia seeds
- 2 ½ cups dehydrated Florida Strawberries
- 8 cups filtered water
Optional Additions:
- Milk or Nut Milk
- Almond or your favorite nut butter
- Your favorite nuts
- Shredded coconut
- Cacao Nibs
- A Dash of Maple Syrup
Instructions
- Add ½ cup of oatmeal into each of 4 storage bowls or jars
- Top with1 tablespoon of chia seeds
- Add the strawberries
- Cover and Store
INSTANT OAT METHOD:
- When Ready to use, shake the jar to mix up the ingredients
- Add 1 cup filtered water to the oats and microwave on high for up to a minute checking periodically so that they don't overflow.
- Add milk, nut butter, and your favorite topping
OVERNIGHT OAT METHOD:
- Shake up the jar to mix the ingredients, add the water and place in the refrigerator overnight
- Add milk, nut butter, and your favorite topping
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and can vary based on cooking methods and ingredients used
Cindy Kerschner says
I love the make ahead idea for breakfast. I think I would make it for now AND later!
annelawton says
That's exactly what I do Cindy!
carolinescookingblog says
I love the idea of having these all set up ready to go.
annelawton says
It's so convenient Caroline!
nikki@soulfullymade.com says
I need to get a dehydrator! My sister in law bought one and they love it! I love to use dehydrated berries and this looks delicious!
A Kitchen Hoor says
This looks like a perfect meal prep recipe! Those strawberries look absolutely delicious.
Denise says
Make ahead oatmeal is such a time savor and I love how you dehydrated the strawberries! They are hard to find otherwise and I do have. dehydrator so I'm going to try this!
forkingup says
This makes me really want a dehydrator! Dried berries are so expensive... love the convenience of the make-ahead oats!
anne says
And they taste so much better when you make them yourself!
lauren says
Yum city! I love dehydrated strawberries in my cereal, they must be delicious in overnight oats! A dehydrator is definitely the next kitchen gadget on my list!
Kiki Johnson says
I started drying my own fruit in the oven but I think strawberries are a bit too
fragile for my ovens lowest temperature setting. I did see freeze dried berry mix on offer at my local grocery store the other day though and I think that would work very well in this recipe as well! I love prepping my breakfast ahead of time so I will definitely give this a shot!
cheddarben says
Huh.. I guess I never tried strawberries. I certainly wouldn't dry them out so that I could rehydrate them! 😉 I do like the idea, however, of preserving them and then an overnight breakfast with the natural sugars and flavors from the strawberries! This looks like a really good breakfast.
Barrie Mooney says
I am loving overnight oats, so I love that you have this method!
anne says
Thanks!
Natalie says
I love this homemade dried strawberries. I bet they taste amazing. Much better than store-bought. I always wanted to get myself dehydrator. Now I simply must buy one. This breakfast sounds delicious!
annelawton says
they are really good dehydrated Natalie!
Veena Azmanov says
I freeze strawberries but have never dehydrated them ever. Looks good. My mother in law used them often but she'd buy them from the local market. Love this..
Kat@Home. Made. Interest. says
This is such a great recipe and a total time-saver in the morning (sometimes I even have it for lunch!). I haven't started dehydrating my own fruit yet but I'd love to give it a try.
annelawton says
dehydrating is really easy Kat!
Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen says
This makes me wish I had room for a dehydrator! I love dried strawberries. I tried doing them in the oven once and it did *not* work out well. This oatmeal looks like such a great way to use them!
Anne Murphy says
What a great way to use dehydrated fruit! (I bet freeze dried would work too, for those without a dehydrator, though the texture is different.)
alifeofhappenstance says
I live in Florida and my family and I have been out strawberry picking twice so far! They're just so yummy! Make ahead oatmeal is my husbands favorite breakfast during the week, I'm going to have make this recipe for him.
Claire | The Simple, Sweet Life says
This sounds like a great, simple breakfast! I love that it's sweet but all-natural and nutritious. Sounds like a the perfect on-the-go breakfast.