September is National Preparedness Month. Last year I did a post called “Be Prepared!!” which has many tips to help you be prepared for the unexpected. You can check it out here. I believe it is important to have food on hand for those times when you may not be able to run to the grocery store or the grocery store may be empty. This past year and a half has shown how fragile our food supply chain can be.
Before refrigeration was available food was either canned or dehydrated for long-term storage. Today we will look at dehydration, and I will share some tips to get you started.
History
Dehydration is one of the oldest methods of food preservation. Primitive people dehydrated grasses, herbs, roots, berries, and meats by setting them out to dry in the sun.
- Phoenicians were one of the earliest to dry their catch in the open air.
- Early Chinese would sun dry tea leaves.
- Egyptian tombs have been found to have a variety of dehydrated foods, including wheat. Some of these grains were rehydrated and actually sprouted. This is really important as it shows how viable dehydrating food can be.
- In World War I dried food made up a good portion of the military’s nutritional support.
- The Great Depression was a time when people could not afford or find canning supplies so many returned to drying food again. Today’s troops and the space program still use dried food.
- By the time World War II came, the Federal Government developed a self-help program which provided solar dehydrator plans available to citizens so they could dry the food from their “Victory Gardens”.
Advantages
The advantages of dehydrated food include the food takes up less space, no electricity is required to store the food, convenience, and great for camping or hiking trips. If you dehydrate your own food, it can be a healthier option as there will be no preservatives.
Dehydrating Methods
- Sun drying is the original method. It can be challenging as you need near perfect temperatures and low humidity.
- Solar units will provide a bit more control but will involve tracking the sun and proper ventilation.
- Air drying works best for things like herbs which can be hung. There can be spoilage problems and drying times can be quite long.
- Oven drying is an option if your oven can be kept on a low setting. The challenge can be it still takes time, and you would not be able to use your oven for any baking. It is also not economical.
- Electric dehydrators are a great option for dehydrating foods. They come in many styles, sizes, and price ranges to fit almost any one’s needs.
Dehydrators
I have two dehydrators that I use: both have pros and cons. My daughter has another type. Today, I will be sharing about these three dehydrators. The type of dehydrator you purchase will depend on your needs.
National Presto Dehydro Digital Electric Food Presto Dehydrator
This is the one my daughter has; it is basically a “starter” one for her.
- Likes: it is easy, temp and time controls, square instead of round which provides more space, and not too loud.
- Dislikes: it is annoying to clean, large spaces on the trays for food to fall through, it is a stacking type, there is a hole in the middle of the trays.
- For the price, she has found that it is worth it until she can upgrade.
Cosori Premium Food Dehydrator
I got this one in the summer of 2020 when my large dehydrator fan stopped working and it took over a month to get the replacement part. It was when my garden was ready to harvest, and I needed one to process all my produce.
- Likes: Stainless steel trays, one mesh tray, and one fruit roll sheet, temp and time controls, very quiet to use, and very easy to clean.
- Dislikes: the stainless-steel trays have a rather wide spaces on them so smaller things fall through, it does seem to take longer in this dehydrator than my large one to dry things, only has 6 trays.
- It has been a good dehydrator and has worked well for medicinal flowers and herbs.
This was an investment I made about three years ago. Yes, it is an investment as the model I purchased was over $300.00. I really love this machine, as long as the blower motor works! I do have to say I was running it A LOT when it died. It was just unfortunate that it broke during the early part of the pandemic. Eventually I got the part, and it is back working again.
- Likes: Mine has nine trays, the trays can be turned to help with more even drying, it has silicone trays for leathers or small items, temp and time adjustable, has temperature high enough to do meat jerky, and made in the USA.
- Dislikes: the fan motor is a bit loud and trays can be difficult to clean.
As you can see there are many different types of dehydrators, and you will need to determine how you will be using it to preserve food. If you are only doing the occasional fruit or veggie, then maybe the Presto Dehydro would work great for you. If you are planning to do a lot of dehydrating, then the Excalibur would be a great investment. I use mine at least once or twice a week. I use it for herbs, fruit, veggies (peppers are drying right now), nuts, jerky, and I actually make my yogurt in the dehydrator too.
Why Dehydrate?
With the food challenges of last summer, I started preserving more food, especially from my garden. We are actually still using some of the veggies I dried from last summer now. Dried food can be stored in glass jars or by using a Food Savor. I have done both.
One of the favorites with the grandkids is apple slices with cinnamon sprinkled on top. They are super easy and make great snacks. I just thinly slice, lay on the drying racks, sprinkle with cinnamon, and dry at 125 degrees for 5 to 8 hours. They don’t last long when the grandkids find them. I also like to do onions, carrots, and mushrooms as these can be added to soups, store well, and do not have to be rehydrated before use.
Dehydrating food can be a great way to build your food storage. It is really easy to do, prolongs shelf life, and by processing yourself is often a healthier option.
What is your favorite dried food? Do you have at least a week’s worth of food on hand in case of a disaster?
Be blessed and be a blessing,
Heather