Drying Foods at Home: Easy Techniques & Tips for Preservation

1. Drying Foods at Home

2. Resources for Today • So Easy to Preserve (Univ of Georgia- 1999) • Wisconsin’s Wild Game: Enjoying the Harvest (B3573) • How to Dry Foods

3. Drying Foods at Home • Quick and easy • Adds diversity to snacking and meals • Economical and energy efficient

4. How Drying Preserves Food • Moisture is removed so bacteria, yeast and mold can’t grow • Enzyme action is slowed

5. 3 Requirements • Heat – 120° to 150°F • Low Humidity • Air movement

6. Drying Food Out-of-Doors • Sun-dried fruits and vine-dried beans • Hot (86° F), dry, breezy days are best • Use appropriate materials • Pasteurize afterwards

7. Drying Food Indoors • Oven drying • Room drying • Food dehydrators

8. Styles of food dehydrators…. • Vertical air flow e.g. GardenMaster • Horizontal air flow e.g. Excaliber

9. Question time??

10. Drying Fruits • Check suitability • Prepare uniform pieces or slices • Pre-treat fruit

11. Drying Fruits • Dry at 150°F for 2 hrs, then at 125°until done • Determining doneness • Conditioning fruits

12. Fruit Leathers • Select ripe fruit • Blend or puree • Try fun combinations • Dry at 140°F

13. Drying Vegetables • Check suitability • Prepare uniform pieces • Blanch, if necessary • Dry until brittle

14. Drying Jerky • Choose lean meat for drying • Handle raw meat carefully • Partially freeze meat for easy slicing • Dry at 145°F

15. What if…… • Dried vegetables fail to rehydrate • There are black spots on my sun-dried apples • Air-dried herbs mold

16. Question time??

17. Next Time: Canning low acid vegetables – safe ways to can green beans, carrots and other vegetables