Food Dehydration: Food Storage You Can Do at Home!
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Food dehydration is a process that allows for moisture removal from a food product, halting the microbial growth that causes spoilage. If properly done, food dehydration makes for a long shelf life of the finished product, even after the sealed package has been opened.
Sun Drying Conventional sun drying is the oldest method of food dehydration. Although it can do the job, sun dehydration does not protect your food products from disease-causing bacteria brought on by dirt, wind, rain, bugs, and animals. A cheesecloth may give you some protection when sun drying. If you are using a metal screen, it should not touch the food. Also avoid screens with zinc or cadmium, or those made of copper and aluminum due to harmful residues that can come in contact with the food. Sun drying is not an efficient food dehydration system when the humidity is over 60%. Solar Drying This system of food dehydration is open-air sun drying offering protection for your food products. Try your ingenuity at making your own solar dryer, if you do not want to purchase one. You need a dehydration box, a clear window glass to collect the sun rays, a sun collector box painted black (sun dry it for at least two days prior to usage), at least two food racks, enough styrofoam padding to insulate the sides and bottom of the boxes, and sufficient tapes to secure your solar dryer. The length of drying time would depend on what food is being dehydrated, the sun, air circulation, and the humidity. Expect somewhere between one to three days to complete solar food dehydration. For uniform drying, you should half way turn the dryer every day, placing the drier food on the bottom rack. Areas on the western side of the United States such as Arizona, Nevada, California, New Mexico, and Utah are the most ideal locations for solar food dehydration. Freeze-Drying This food dehydration method is the removal of moisture from frozen products, requiring a freezer dryer and a vacuum pump. The system seals the taste, aroma, and nutrients of fresh frozen food, and provides the shelf life of canned or dehydrated foods. MREs (meals ready to eat) excluded, freeze-dried food products are the easiest to use in an emergency. They do not need cooking. You add the water, wait ten minutes, and you have either a hot or a cold meal. Dehydrating Indoors You can dehydrate most food in an oven or a commercial dehydrator. You can also use your microwave. Ovens cannot dry foods as fast as commercial food dehydrators can. They likewise require more energy and are more expensive to operate. When using an oven, let the door ajar but no more than three inches. A hot pad will serve you well. Place a fan in front of the oven for air circulation. On commercial dehydrators, their prices vary depending on your requirements. You may also need to buy accessories such as parchment or silicone sheets to keep your produce from sticking. Food Dehydration Using Microwaves Due to lack of airflow, only herbs can be safely dehydrated in a microwave. Check the herbs very often, about every 30 seconds, to prevent them from becoming too dry. It may take about two minutes for the complete food dehydration process. Food dehydration is easy, but you need to make time to do it safely! More on Food Dehydration
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