Food Drying Basics and Important Tips

Food dehydration or water sublimation from food items is a typical process. It can be done with home made equipment as well as a good dehydrator machine both. But during drying retaining taste, appearance and nutritive value of fresh food is recommended.

Dried Food Preparation is a method of food preservation that inhibits the growth of microorganisms and stop decaying. The appliance used for this purpose is called food dehydrator. Generally water content of certain foods is very high. For example fruits and vegetables contain 80%-90% water content and meats contain 50%-75%. Food dehydrators by soaking the moisture and reducing weight of the food can increase shelf life of various foods.

 

 

 

Dehydrator function:

But how does a hydrator function actually and what are the accessories that perform the mechanism?  The basic part contains heating element, a fan, air vents, food trays etc. Vents allow air circulation, fan and other heating elements helps to remove wetness from the interior. Thus the process prolongs till the water content comes down to 15%-20%.Most of the foods are dried out at 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Meat would require 155 degrees Fahrenheit to get successfully dried out. Application of constant temperature and sufficient air blow, these two are the primary requisite of food dehydration process.          

 

 

Dehydration methods:

As there are different food types applied for food dehydration process, the number of method are also multiple. Raw food dehydration processes are as follows:

• Bed dryers
• Spray drying
• Sunlight
• Fluidized bed dryers
• Freeze Drying
• Shelf dryers
• Commercial food dehydrators
• Household oven

Precautions:

Solid metal trays or cookie sheets should not be used to dry food because air must circulate all around the food so that drying can take place from the bottom and the top at the same time. Pieces of meat for bouncy can be placed directly on the metal racks in the stove if the pieces are large enough not to fall through the spaces in the racks.

Do not use racks made of galvanized screen, aluminum, copper, fiberglass, or vinyl. Galvanized screen contains zinc and cadmium. These metals cause an acid reaction that forms harmful compounds and darkens the food. Aluminum becomes discolored and causes an off-flavor in sulfured fruit. Copper materials annihilate vitamin C. Fiberglass may leave dangerous splinters in the food, and vinyl melts at temperatures used for drying.

While using a dryer preheat it to 125 F (52 C.). Place the food on trays and stack the trays in the dryer. Gradually increase the temperature to 140 F. (60 C.). It takes 4 to 12 hours to dry fruits or vegetables in a dryer.

One should not use space heaters to dry food. These mix up dust and dirt, which pollute the food. For the same reason, do not try to dry food on a furnace vent or clothes dryer.

 

 

 

Drying Food Items:

Drying fruits:

Apples, Apricot, Avocados, Bananas, Berries, Cherries, Dates, Grapes, Peaches, Olives, Plums, Strawberries, Melons. Suitability for drying and suitability for fruit leather for these varies.

Dried Food Preparation:

•  Peach Pie
• Sun-Dried Tomato Dip
• Creamed Corn
• Creamy Mushroom Soup
• Dehydrated Soup Mix
• Dried Apple Cakes
• Dried Tomato Basil Pesto
• Fresh Fennel With Sun-Dried Tomatoes
• Fruit Leathers - all flavors
• Fruit Powders
• Apple Pie
• Cherry Pie
• Harvest Cake
•  Vegetable Soup  

Once the foods are dried there are few steps of storing, using and cooking to be followed. Before storage one need to test dryness, conditioning and pasteurization status also. Cooking procedure for fruits, vegetables, herbs and other categories of food are different. Drying is an excellent way to conserve foods that can add diversity to meals and provide delicious, nutritious snacks also. It also takes less storage space than canned or frozen foods. So it is excellent idea of food preservation.

EXCALIBUR DEHYDRATOR focuses solely on food dehydration. They are the World Leaders when it comes to dehydration technology for both home and commercial uses.

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