Dehydrator style I use

Another dehydrator style

Apples

Pineapple

Strawberries

Peaches

Banana Peppers

Venison Jerky

The Simple World Of Dehydration

Learning how to dehydrate foods is simple and quick! You will never regret the investment in yourself. The fact that you are taking interest in providing yourself with better nutrition will be one of the most positive decisions in your life.

Did you realize that dehydration is the oldest and most natural way of preservation? Unlike most methods, dehydration does not kill or cause deterioration of enzymes, it merely suspends their action until they are re-hydrated again.

The best example of this is the factual, scientific discovery of live fish being hatched from eggs previously dehydrated by the sun.

In Africa, suring severe droughts, which could sometimes last for years, all lakes, streams and ponds would dry up leaving the eggs to dehydrate in the sun. When the rains did finally did fall again the eggs would re-hydrate and live fish would emerge. These fish eggs were actually dehydrated, preserved, and eventually re-hydrated proving the validity of this life saving process.

Dehydrating can help you attain better nutrition, reduce your food costs, and allow you to be more self-sufficient.

Simple Dehydration Information

Dehydration is an ancient art being revived with the help of modern technology which makes it an easy and safe way of storing excess food in peak season for use throughout the year.

Our best source of natural sugar, vitamins, and minerals is our fresh produce when it is used immediately. As soon as a product is harvested, with a few exceptions, it starts to lose its nutritional value. Since most produce is seasonal, perishanle, and has a short nutritional shelf life, it becomes necessary to try to preseve it by canning, freezing, or dehydrating for year around use.

All methods of preservation require proper handling for a high retention of nutrition. Care must be used in harvesting, preserving, and storing produce to retain essential vitamins and minerals. Fresh produce that has been left on the counter for hours will have less nutritional value than produce that has been pretreated, dehydrated and stored properly.

When properly handled, the nutritional retention of dehydrated food is equivalent to or better than the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables that are canned or frozen.

Enzyme Action ~ When sufficient moisture is removed from a food it stops the enzyme action that makes the food unpalatable. When enough moisture is removed yeasts, molds, and bacteria cannot multiply and cause spoilage. It is necessary to pretreat some fruit to prevent oxidation. It is also necessary to pretreat some vegetables to stop the enzyme action that causes deterioration.

Heat ~ Sugguested temperature varies for different products. Meat, fish and fruit should be dried at 135-145 degrees, vegetables 125-135 degrees, yogurt at 115 degrees, and herbs at 95 degrees.

Air ~ when heated air is blown across the food, it causes evaporation to take place. The moisture in the food is absorbed by the air. proper air circulation is very important in the dehydration process. When the air becomes saturated with moisture from the food, the drying process stops until the moist air is replaced by dry air.

Heat/Air Balance ~ To be efficient a dehydrator has to be engineered so that the airflow is correct for the amount of heat being supplied to the cabinet shelves within the dehydrator. Food processed in the sun or in an oven does not enjoy the same efficient heat/air balance as is found in a well designed food dehydrator.

Humidity ~ why does it take longer to dry the same food, cut into the same size pieces, and treated in the same way one time than it does another time? Humidity is the culprit. On humid days it takes longer for food to dry. If the heating element is on, the fan is operating and the filter isn't dirty, then there probably isn't anything wrong but the temperature outside and the humidity.

Quality of Food Needed for Drying ~ Many people believe that inferior produce can be used to dehydrate because it will be all shriveled up when it is dried anyway. This is not always true. produce should be in prime condition. You take from the dehydrator the quality of food you place into it.

Quanity of Food to Purchase ~ It is difficult to suggest amounts of food to purchase because of the variables involved. How ripe the food is, the size of slices, the amount of discard in preparation, the moisture content, and how fast the food dries all have to be taken into consideration before the quanity can be decided upon.

For example, tomaotes have very little waste with a very high moisture content while apples have quite abit of waste (peels, core, and stems) with a lower moisture content. Another thing to remember is some products have a long shelf life while others have a very short shelf life. You can take up to a few weeks to dehydrate fresh apples without noticeable loss of quality, but tomatoes will have to be processed within a few days.

A dehydrator will hold approximately 10-20 pounds of prepared food per dryer load. The amount to purchase will depend on the drying time and how many dryer loads can be processed before spoilage begins.

Drying Times ~ You will find that your drying times may vary as much as 50% due to several factors: the moisture content of the food to be dried, the mothod of pre-treatment, the size of your slices, the smaller the slices, the faster they will dehydrate, and external factors such as the relative humidity on the day you choose to dry.

There are many books and the Internet to help you with how long to dry the products you want to dry.

Cool all dehydrated food before storing. Choose air tight containers or plastic freezer bags to keep moisture out.

Miscellaneous Uses for The Dehydrator

Snack Crackers ~ When humidity makes snack crackers, cereals, and chips soggy, place them in the dehydrator for an hour at 145 degrees F. and they become crispy again.

Backpacking Foods ~ May be dried for lightweight nutritious meals. Just open a can of chunky soup and dehydrate it by placing it on plastic wrap in the dehydrator. when it is dry, place it in a baggie and its ready to be carried up the trail to an open campfire where you add water. No muss, no fuss and you have a nice hot bowl of soup.

Trail mix is the most grabbed item for on the trail. Granola, kiwi fruit, papaya, mango, peaches, pears, plums, apples; even bits and pieces of fruit leather and yogurt taffy. The list is endless, simple, exotic and rewarding. Owning a dehydrator could be as important as owning a good pair of walking shoes to get you to your destination.

Power Bars ~ Talk about a nutritious and powerful treat. Golfers, students, cyclists, gymnasts, weight lifters, mountain climbers, or anyone on the go. Energy NOW and lots of it. What better way to use your dehydrator than to make your own. Rolled oats, chunks of dried fruit, yogurt, honey, coconut and nuts are just a few of the NATURAL ingredients dehydrator owners are packing into their briefcases and lunchboxes ~ in their own custom made power bars.

Croutons ~ May be made at a fraction of the cost of purchasing them. Add cube bread, place it in the dehydrator and dry until crisp. Do not add seasoning until you are ready to use the bread so it stays fresh.

Baby Food ~ Any fruit, vegetables or meat may be dried and reconstituted into baby food by just placing the food into a blender and adding water to make a nutritious fresh tasting food without preservatives.

Art and Craft Items ~ Dough ornaments, cake decorations, flower drying and decopage may be dried in the dehydrator. The filter is an important feature to have to prevent dust particles from accumulating on the finished product.

Fruit Drying

Choose only high quality mature fruit. When fruit is mature their natural sugar content is high as the naturitional content. Use only firm fruit to dry into slices. Overripe and bruised fruits may turn black and look burnt. Remove the moisture quickly to prevent spoilage. Bananas are best when the fruit has brown speckles on the peel. When the skin has turned black it may be pureed for leather and by adding lemon juice it makes good banana bread.

Wash fruit thoroughly. Some fruits have been commercially waxed to retain moisture. The only way to remove the wax is by peeling. There are many ways to pretreat fruit. The only way to discover the method you like best is to try different ways.

Remove pits, stems, and stones. Half or slice in 3/8" slices. Use a stainless steel knife to prevent darkening of the fruit.

Place fruits in the dehydrator at 145 degrees F. about half way through the drying cycle, turn trays around, the food will dry faster. it is not necessary but shortens drying time.

Fruits will store with 10% moisture content. Some fruit will be pliable and leathery, others will be brittle. A good test to see if fruit is dry is to tear a piece in half and watch for moisture beads along the tear. If there aren't any, fruit is dry enough for long term storage. For long term storage it is better to overdry. do not store 5% and 10% moisture content fruits in the same containers or they will equalize.

Fruit and Vegetable Leather

Leather is the answer to overripe fruit. Use ripe fruit, not spoiled fruit. Overripe spots cut from fruit that is being dehydrated can be blended to make leather. Frozen, canned or bottled fruit can also be used after thawing or draining off the liquid.

The combination of fruits is only limited by your imagination. Choose fruits that blend and taste well together. Strawberry Rhubarb fruit roll is a very big hit and cannot be purchased in the stores. Another big hit is flavored yogurt rolls.

Wash and remove any bad spots, stems, pits, and peel fruit if necessary. Start with a few slices and puree gradually adding fruit. When puree is smooth, place on a Teflex sheet on the dehydrator trays and dry. Teflex trays pevent your leathers from sticking to the trays when removing from the dehydrator.

Plums and Rhubard are quite tart and may require sweetening with sugar or honey. If the fruit is bland, honey may change the flavor. Apricot and peach leather oxidize rapidly. To maintain a pretty bright orange color, heat the fruit to boiling before putting into the blender. Other fruits do not need this treatment.

Place Teflex sheet over tray. Pour about two cups of puree onto the tray and spread a thin layer. Make center of the leather 1/8" thick and build on the outside edge to 1/4" thick. Because air cannot get to the center, the outside edge has a tendency to get crisp while the inside stays moist. With extra thickness on the outside edge, it dries more evenly. (Plastic wrap may be used if you don't have Teflex sheets)

Yogurt leather ~ Some pre-stirred flavors from the store make good rolls, such as orange, lemon, lime, caramel pecan sundae, or use plain yogurt with fruit or jam pureed then added to yogurt. Prepare and dry the same as fruit leather.

You can also drop by the teaspoonful onto the Teflex sheet and dry it as chips or drops for party candy.

Place fruits in dehydrator at 145 degrees. Remember that the length of time required to dry may not be the same as the last time you dried.

Remove leathr from dehydrator while it is still warm and roll it up. Plastic wrap may be used to wrap it in. Do not store fruit and vegetables in the same container or the vegetable leather will mold. A large plastic bucket will hold many rolls. Do not add nuts or spices to fruit rolls that are to be stored for more than a month because they will go rancid unless stored in the freezer.

CAUTION: Wax paper, foil or plastic bags SHOULD NOT be used to hold puree on the tray.

Vegetables

Choose crisp, fresh vegetables. it is important to pick vegetables when they are mature and dry them as soon as possible for high nutritional value.

Some vegetables need pretreatment to prevent enzyme action that causes the product to deteriorate. Take corn for example. if it is not steam blanched before it is dehydrated the sugar turns to starch and it is not as flavorful as it should be had it been pretreated. Summer squash has a short cooking time and does not need pretreatment.

Pre~treatment

Pre~treating most vegetables by natural means such as water blenching or steam blanching is recommended before drying. This decreases the chances of spoilage, loss of color and flavor.

Blanching

Blanching reduces micro organism growth that causes spoilage in food, stops desructive chemical changes, helps preserve color, stops the riping process, and helps the produce dry faster because it makes the skin porous.

Steam

To steam blanch, obtain a pan with a tight firm lid. Place food in a steamer rack, place lid on pan and steam until vegetable is translucent or just tender. Cool in ice water to stop cooking action. Place on paper towel or terry cloth towel to absorb excess moisture then place in dehydrator. Allow sufficient space in steamer for all pieces of food to be reached by the steam, allowing proper steam circulation.

Steam blanching is perferred to water blanching because it preserves more food value. Water soluble vitamins and minerals are lost in the bioling water.

Vegetables have less moisture content than fruits. It is important to not have the temperature too high or the vegetables will case harden. What that means is that the outside of the vegetable dries and harden on the outside and the inside moisture cannot get out. When this happens the vegetable has to be discarded because the trapped moisture sours and destroys the product. Vegetables such as tomatoes or onions that have a high moisture content may be dried at 145 degrees F. if trays are turned around after 4 or 5 hours, this speeds the total drying time. It is not necessary but shortens the drying time.

Vegetables are not as susceptible as fruits to contamination by insects, but it is wise to be cautious. Store in containers that have secure lids with hard surfaces so bugs cannot penetrate and destroy the product. Do not store vegetables in same container as fruits unless securely sealed in airtight bags, otherwise the vegetables will draw moisture from the fruit and mold. Store in a cool, dark, dry area.

Meats and Fish

Meats for stew, sandwich spreads or casseroles should be cooked to tendeer done so they will not be tough when redehydrated. Using left-over meats from dinner, you can omit the precooking process. DO NOT dry fresh pork. Use only precooked and processed ham to make jerky. It is not necessary to precook most meats for jerkey, it is suppose to be tough and chewy. Choose lean cuts of meat without marbled fat. Venison makes great jerky.

CAUTION: When preparing meat and fish for drying, and in the actual drying process, EXTREME CARE should be taken to prevent spoilage. Food should be refrigerated prior ro drying, and when in dehydrator, make certain the dehydrator runs continously and at the same temperature.

When drying meat for sandwich spreads, its easier to work with soft meat, so grind the meat before drying it. Ground meat dries faster also.

Cooked meat should have all the fat removed and be cut into slices or cubes according to the desired use.

Fish must be cleaned and washed well. Have it chilled before marinating it.

When marinating meat in liquid it requires longer drying time. Salt and herb seasonings sprinkled on meat cause moisture to be drawn out of it, therefore having a shorter drying time. Meat seasoned well will take about 6 hours to dry when it is cut one inch by one- quarter inch. Meat soaked in marinade takes approximately 12 hours to dry. Thicker cuts of meat will take longer to dry and precooked meats will dry in about 6 hours when cut in thin slices. cubes take longer to dry.

Jerked meat should have all fat trimmed off. Partically frozen meat is easier to cut in long narrow strips. Choose a round steak about one inch thick and cut the strips a quarter of an inch wide with the grain of the meat. Meat cut against the grain will shatter when dried. Marinate in a sauce or sprinkle with seasonings and dry. Do not leave meat at room temperature more than three hours. If you plan to marinate meat longer, place in the refrigerator.

Set the dehydrator at 145 degrees F. for drying meat or fish. Jerky will bend but not break it is dry. Meat and fish should be dried to a brittle stage and should have no soft spots.

Jerky, meat cubes and grated meat may be stored on the shelf for 30 days. It will go rancid when stored at room temperature for longer periods of time. meat may be kept in the refrigerator or freezer for long term storage. Remove any beads of fat on the meat with a paper towel before placing it in the storage container.

Storing Dried Foods

Fish should be stored in airtight sealed bags or plastic freezer containers in the refrigerator or freezer and may be stored 6-8 months.

There you have it, quick, simple and easy tips that demonstrate the simplicity of how to dehydrate foods. Now it is up to you. Use your imagination, have fun and stay healthy!