Dehydration, or drying, is one of the oldest methods of food preservation. It takes much less work to dehydrate foods than to can or freeze them. Dehydration preserves more of the vitamins in the food and concentrates the flavor, and dehydrated foods require less storage space. Hikers, campers, and backpackers treasure dehydrated foods as a lightweight, easily portable, nutritious staple. With dehydration, you can take advantage of seasonal sales on produce, or dehydrate leftover foods at home that might otherwise be wasted.
Instructions
1. Choose a dehydrator. The best dehydrators will have a fan to circulate the heat evenly and an adjustable temperature setting. Look for one that has the heater and fan mounted on the side or top to avoid food falling into this equipment, making it difficult to clean. A timer is a nice feature, but not necessary. If you plan to dehydrate very much food, buy the largest dehydrator you can afford; you can also buy extra trays for most models.
2. Wash and dry fresh, unblemished fruit to dehydrate. Remove pits or cores and slice. The thinner the slice, the less time it will take to dehydrate. Leave small berries such as blueberries and raspberries whole. Dip apples, pears, bananas, apricots and peaches in solution of lemon juice or ascorbic acid to prevent browning. Spread fruit in a single layer and dehydrate at 135 degrees. See the chart in the resources section below for specific fruit drying times.
3. Select whole, unblemished vegetables for drying. Wash, dry and slice. Blanch all vegetables except mushrooms, onions and peppers. To blanch prepared vegetables, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Immerse produce for approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Remove immediately and rinse in cold water. Place vegetables in a single layer and dehydrate for the amount of time specified in the resource section below at 130 degrees.
4. Slice slightly frozen meat, poultry or fish into ¼-inch thick slices, cutting across the grain, to dehydrate and make jerky. Soak overnight in a marinade of salt and spices, if desired. See the resource section below for a variety of marinade recipes. Drain marinade and place slices in a single layer. Dehydrate at 150 degrees, consulting the chart below for drying times.
5. Test foods at the end of dehydrating times to be sure they are completely dry. Fruit should appear tough and leathery; you should not be able to squeeze any moisture from a torn piece. Vegetables should be crisp and brittle---they should actually rattle if shaken in the trays. Dehydrated meat, fish and poultry should crack, but not be brittle enough to break, when cooled and bent.
6. Store dried foods in sterilized glass jars or plastic bags. Do not allow dried foods to come into contact with metal. Place jars or bags in a cool, dark place, with a temperature below 60 degrees, or store in a refrigerator during hot weather.
Tags: section below, single layer, below degrees, dehydrated foods, dried foods, drying times
