The Art of Dehydrating Foods
A couple of years ago, I started dehydrating foods. It takes some work, depending on the amount of food you are looking to preserve food by dehydrating, but the pay-off is definitely worth it. Organic farmer Dan Bodkin, of Gill, MA had taught me how to get started. Recently, he reviewed some tips
Posted — UpdatedHowever, before I can tell you the secret, you'll want to understand why the secret is important in the first place.
Another reason to dehydrate foods is their value as gifts. "Every year during the holidays, I make up packages of dried fruits and veggies for my friends," said Bodkin. Using a dehydrator, you can also dry or "jerk" meats.
What you are paying for is faster drying and greater consistency in the final product. Bodkin said that in terms of what you might want to experiment with first, he recommends apples, bananas, and pears. "Asian pears, for example, have such a high sugar content, you basically end up with a confection." He also likes widely experimenting and has dried watermelon, figs, and kiwis.
Whatever you are looking to dehydrate, you want to have clean, undamaged produce that is not over-ripe, and meats that are fresh. You can experiment with thickness, but basically, you want to cut your product about an eighth inch thick, depending on what you are drying. You can add spices to the produce or meats, or in the case of tomatoes, you can brush them with a light coat of olive oil and herbs. The possibilities are endless. "Some tomatoes come out as rich as a steak," said Bodkin.
Less expensive models can produce some uneven results. You want to make sure your product is neither too wet nor too dried. "You don't want to end up with something you can crack a tooth on, nor do you want a gloppy mess," said Bodkin. With less expensive models you will also need to check your dehydrating goodies at least once an hour until you get a feel for how quickly the process is moving on depending on what you are drying. Plan on starting the process earl yin the day as it can take ten or more hours for dehydrating. The more moisture, the longer it will take to dry properly. Bodkin said that apples dry quickly which make them ideal to experiment with first.
Storage is critical. The one problem you can run into with dehydrated foods is worms and moths. Bodkin said even if you have your product stored in a glass jar, if the lid is compromised, he has witnessed moths managing to get in. Glass jars with a good seals are best for storage. You can store jars in the refrigerator or triple-wrap the product in plastic and store in the freezer.