These are my dehydrated and then frozen ‘Desert King’ figs. Temp was about 135F for about 12+ hours. Your flattening is a good idea and would cut down on drying time!
My Nesco dryer shows 135 for fruit and vegetables which is what I use to dry figs. You can dry them to the point you like, chewy or completely dry. Big, thick figs take longer that the small ones. I think 120 is going to take a long time to dry them.
I have dried over 150 figs whole at 130F for 48 hrs. Mine are Italian honey/lattturla which has higher water content. I will post some pictures later today.
I also cut figs in half and dehydrate them at 135 deg in a Nesco dryer. I rotate the trays about halfway through since the trays nearest to the heater dry out faster. Also the figs at the edges of the trays usually dry out faster than those in the middle, so if I leave them all in for the same length of time some get a little too hard for my liking. The total time required depends on the number of trays, but if I’m doing a batch of 6 or 7 trays at a time and rotating them, then usually 36-48 hours will do it. Fewer trays go faster.
I also recommend the silicone mats that can be used with Nesco dryers. If you ever end up inadvertently baking something on your trays, it can be hard to remove without breaking the plastic tray or soaking it off. The silicone mats are flexible and allow you to peel off the dried fruit without risking any breakage. The mats have holes in them to allow airflow.
I did couple of experience at 135F , 130F and 125F but for my liking it suits me at 125F for 12 hours but it depends on your liking and what kind of dehydrator you have. I did quite few batches this year here is pictures of one batch finished. I just cut a fig in half and place in dehydrator and check after 12 hours , sometime they have too much moisture than I will run for hour to four hours depends on moisture level. I like chewy candy like texture so lower temperature suits me. After dehydration I immediately place them in glass jar and these can stay good for 18 months in refrigerator .
I did 5.5 hrs at 120… then 2.5 at 135… and checked them (and ate a few, very good) but they were still a little moist to the touch… not bad… but was afraid they might stick together if I lumped them all in a jar.
I have them running for another 2.5 hours on 135 now. I will check them again in the morning.
I did a smaller batch yesterday… on 125 deg for 12 hours.
They looked good to me… not completely dried out… but not really sticky either. Nice and chewy great taste. I put them in a jar in the fridge… and i am sure they will be eaten long before chance of spoiling.
