STOP! Read this before you dehydrate food

So you just bought a brand new food dehydrator and now you’re off to stuff it with a whole bunch of food out of the fridge.

Stop! Wait a sec…

Why not take a few minutes to learn about some of the things you should know before you start dehydrating food.

For those of you who don’t have an appliance or a clue on what I’m talking about then this post is also for you too.

First, a quick overview.

Food dehydration is just as it sounds. It is the process of drawing out all of the moisture from food using a gently heated airflow.

Why would someone do this?

• Food preservation as the food will last much longer
• Nutrients as the food holds its vitamins and is very healthy
• Taste, they make for a great crispy snack

As I said, there are appliances now that let you do this but we will also look into other methods to dry food.

Let’s get into it.

So what can I dehydrate?

Short answers would be fruit and vegetables.

The quality or ripeness doesn’t matter as the end result is to dry the food. Some foods might need to be blanched first to help them retain their vitamins.

Certain fruits such as grapes or berries could have mixed results.

You also want to be familiar with your dehydrator so that you have the best settings for the job.

Be sure not to cram too many things into an appliance at one time. For example if you had spicy chilli in one compartment but tomatoes in another they could affect the taste of each other.

But who knows, you might like the taste of a spicy dried tomato.

We’ve also put together a basic info graphic to help with this.

Understand the process

So what is the process for food dehydration exactly?

Well first, you need to wash the food of excess dirt or insects. Then start slicing the vegetable up into bite size disc’s.

Your appliance will likely have pull out trays which you would lay the food on top and slide in.

You will need to turn on and set the device from here the device will create a hot air flow. This will slowly reduce all of the moisture in the food.

The food will eventually dry out and become crispy, “voila” the food is officially dehydrated.

In this state it should last much longer and retain all its vitamin goodness too.

Make sure the food is fully dehydrated

Do not try to speed up the process by cranking up the machine to a higher setting. This could affect the results.

Remember you can never dry food for too long. It’s not as if it will burst into flames or become too dry.

Be wary of having the machine not warm enough if anything. This could end up sealing in moisture which defeats the purpose.

It’s also believed that the air flow in the room can also affect the time it takes. Make sure the room doesn’t have a strong draft or air conditioner.

A dry warm room with no vents or windows usually works best.

Of course if the food still feels moist or sticky just leave them in for longer.

Where do you store dehydrated foods?

The best way to think about this is the same as a packet of crisps or chips.

Cupboards, drawers and baskets are my usual go to. In terms of the food itself, it can sit in a plastic zip bag, metal container or even a glass jar.

Try not to mix the foods as it can affect the taste but as before this could be something you intended.

Best part is all this food you are storing should be good for at least 5 years.

What if I don’t have a food dehydrator?

For those of you who don’t have a food dehydrator there are still a few ways for you to give this a try.

You can always try the air dry method on spices and herbs which are also believed to be easiest to dry.

This is done by hanging them in a dry room until they turn crisp but this could take the best part of a week.

This works well with the following:

• Lemon balm
• Sage
• Oregano
• Lettuce
• Carrot tops
• Green mint

Another method is placing the food in a fan oven. The oven will need to be at its lowest setting and if possible under 140 degrees. You could also leave the oven door open slightly or point a fan at the oven, be sure to check that it can still operate under these conditions.

Conclusion

In survival situations where bulk buying food is required. Food dehydration is a great way to stretch this food out for a much longer time.

You could split the food up into two groups of food to be eaten now and to be dehydrated for later.

This is one of the oldest forms of food preservation and deserves to still be practiced today so please give it a try if you have the chance.

TIll next time survivors!