Dried food recipes can be created for children’s lunch, snacking, or hiking, since they are always ready for human consumption and, at the same time, very easy to store. They do not need canning or refrigeration after dehydration. And more importantly, they do retain more nutritional content than their counterparts that have been preserved by canning.
Admittedly, preparing dried foods may require a bit of your effort, but once done; the process of keeping the food or preparing it for human consumption is extremely easy. That said, here is a generalized dried food recipe for preparing a number of dry foods like vegetables and fruits:
Step 1
Start by preparing the food to be dried: wash the vegetables and fruits; remove stalks and all contaminants, as well. Also if necessary, use a vegetable peeler or a sharp kitchen knife to peel some of the fruits and vegetables before moving to the next step.
Step 2
After preparing the foods, then next step should involve slicing the foods into uniform slices. However, the food you slice should not be thicker than a quarter an inch.
Step 3
In a single layer, you can now lay the slices on the rack of a dehydrator. For those using an oven, place the slices on a cookie sheet before laying them down on wire racks.
Step 4
At this point, you can turn on your dehydrator. Then give the slices at least 8 hours to dry before checking if they are done. For those using an oven, be sure to turn it to the lowest temperature settings before placing the cookie sheet inside. Give the slices at least 6 hours to dry before checking if they are done.
Step 5
After the allotted time has elapsed, keep on checking for doneness after every hour. But how do you know if the slices are done?
Simple; the food should be dry when touched but not sticky. It should also be slightly pliable; meaning, it can be slightly bent without breaking or crumbling.
Step 6
Give the slices another hour or two to dry if needed. If you are using an oven to dry the slices, remember to turn them over after the first 6 hours of drying. Once done, give the food enough time to cool off before storing.
Step 7.
You can now store the dried slices in heavy duty freezer bags or in airtight containers until needed.
Please note; the duration of dehydrating the slices may vary depending on the moisture content of the food in question. For some foods–like peaches and tomatoes, it might even take more than 24 hours for the underlying food to be completely dry. Also important, be keen to ensure the food you pick for your dried food recipe is of the best quality. Or more specifically, do not use overripe vegetables and fruits for your dehydrated food recipe.
Comparison of a dehydrator, oven and air drying
A dry food recipe can be prepared by oven drying, air drying or with a dehydrator. But if you are aspiring to get the best results, then the drying procedure should include two critical components; a continuous air flow and a steady temperature. And because of that, a food dehydrator is known for yielding the best results.
However, for those who do not own a dehydrator, you can still get the best results while oven drying by maintaining the lowest temperature setting–preferably below 110 degrees. Lastly, for those who prefer air drying, choose a day when the temperature is above 90 degrees and there is free circulation of air, as well. Also if you are drying leafy herbs, don’t expose them to direct sunlight as it causes them to lose important nutrients and to turn brown as well. For more information on dried food recipes, you can visit this page.
Posted By Kurt R. Davidson
Legacy Food Storage 