Simple tips for dehydrating and drying food. Dried fruits and other dried foods have a long shelf life and are healthy. In addition, dried fruit and dried fruit are good fiber and very digestible. But which foods can be dehydrated?
Thousands of years ago, this type of preservation made food last longer. In this way, important vitamins could be absorbed even in times of hardship. And so mold and bacteria could spoil the food. And even today, dried foods offer benefits.
How does dehydration work?
Drying is the oldest and gentlest way of preserving and preserving food. The water is removed from the respective food, so it is dried. With the removal of any moisture, bacteria, fungi, and other pathogens are excluded. Drying itself requires a lot of heat and air to promote the evaporation of moisture. This method works great for plant foods. They dry out very quickly and are ready for preservation after a short time.
1) Dehydrate fruit and enjoy dried fruit
Apples, pineapple, grapes, and mangoes in particular are the absolute favorites among dried foods. Because they dry well. They get their own taste and are real sources of energy. And you can use this dried fruit for your muesli or as a healthy snack on the go. Banana chips aren’t easy to make, but they’re pretty good with a food dehydrator.
2) Vegetables for drying
Basically, you can dry any vegetable. To preserve the typical taste, you should store the dried vegetables separately later. Likewise, when drying vegetables, you must take special care to ensure that all moisture is removed. Otherwise, mold will set in very quickly. If you don’t like dried vegetables, you can just as easily prepare your vegetables with the steamer and preserve important vitamins.
3) Dry fresh herbs
You can also dry herbs particularly well. Because they are light and thin. As a result, they contain little moisture. So if you want fresh and healthy basil, oregano, or thyme in winter, you should dry it. Also, note our instructions and tips for drying herbs.
4) Make Dehydrated Nuts
Walnut, Hazelnut, Brazil Nut, and Coconut. They are all suitable for drying. Especially the coconut, cut into slices and dried, is an absolute favorite in many dishes and combinations. With the other nut types and varieties, you have to make sure that the moisture has been completely removed. Mold spores can very easily settle in nuts.
5) Grains and legumes
These are also easy to dry. Especially slightly thicker grains, such as barley or wheat. You can dry these well because they dry relatively quickly. Accordingly, they can be used quickly.
6) Dry mushrooms yourself
They are one of the easiest to dehydrate. When to cut into slices, they are dried after a short time. But be careful here! Because you should only use edible mushrooms. Even a poisonous mushroom when dried contains the same amount of toxins. You can freeze and reheat mushrooms just as well.
7) Dry fish and meat
Dried fish is still popular in many countries today and is considered a delicacy. In southern Italy, the “baccala”, a dried haddock, is an absolute delicacy. However, you should be very careful here and dry it with a dehydrator. The same goes for meat too. However, hygiene and absolute know-how are required to really dry meat properly. Also, note our tips on freezing meat and preserving fish.
Dehydrators for drying
In addition to the original drying in the sun and in the air, modern equipment can also be used. So you can try dehydrating with an oven first. Or use the safe option: drying with a dehydrator. For this, you need a really good machine.
