Dehydration is the oldest form of food preservation. Although done originally with the sun, modern food preservation can be done with a dehydrator. In all instances, moisture is removed from foods that are exposed to heat and moving air.
A dehydrator, such as popular models by Excalibur, creates controlled environments with a constant and ideal temperature. Food is added to trays and can stay inside a dehydrator for several hours. Once done, the dehydrated food needs to cool and should be stored in an airtight container for future use. Dehydrated items kept in a sealed container can be kept in storage for several months. Like the rest of your food storage, containers of dehydrated foods need to be kept in a room with a moderate and consistent temperature and away from light.
Almost any type of food can be dehydrated for later use. Fruits and vegetables are the most common, but meats and even eggs can be dehydrated. Brands of freeze dried and dehydrated foods even carry containers of dehydrated egg whites, which just need to be reconstituted with water to be cooked.
Oven drying is a basic method of food dehydration. Once the fruits, vegetables, or meat are sliced, they can be laid out on a tray and placed inside an oven heated from 130°F to 150°F. If you choose this method to preserve foods, however, check regularly, as foods kept in the oven for too long may spoil.
Food dehydrators are a popular and effective method for preservation. All systems expose fruits, vegetables, or meats inside to heat and moving air and remove moisture. A round or square design is used, and the former is considered more efficient. Excalibur food dehydrators, for example, use a square design with rear-mounted equipment that creates parallel air flow over every tray.
Excalibur food dehydrators draw air into the back of the device and heat it. The warm air is then distributed evenly over each tray and removes moisture from foods, causing them to dehydrate. The water content in fruits, vegetables, or meats is reduced from 80 to 95 percent down to 15 to 20 percent.
The moisture is then pushed out through the front of the dehydrator. Round units with stacked trays, however, tend to keep more moisture contained, which results in longer time for dehydration.
Unlike the oven method, dehydrators offer a larger temperature range, which is adjusted for different types of foods. Excalibur food dehydrators have a range of 95°F to 150°F. Fruits and vegetables are typically dehydrated at 130°F, while 150° is best for meats.
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