The EASY GUIDE to start dehydrating food

I know how hard it can be to start a new habit—that is why I created this +20 page PDF as an introduction to food dehydration.

DOWNLOAD it below or read the whole text on this page!

Get-started-dehydrating-FREE-PDF Download

I am happy you are curious about dehydrating food!

This text is intended as a simple introduction, not as a complete guide on the subject. I created it in a short and condensed way to inspire you and provide you with the essential information to get started.

For optimal learning, do the short exercises described in the text and test all the techniques. It’s about testing a small amount of food at a time and then increasing it. It’s simply wiser to try small batches of different food in the beginning, as not all food should be pre-treated and dehydrated in the same way (the opposite would be to dehydrate large quantities of only one ingredient!).

Now, have a lot of fun!
Best wishes, Eric Tornblad

PS. This is the first version of the text, and some errors may have sneaked in, so please feel free to email me if you find any – hello@dehydratefood.info

DEHYDRATE FOR THE FIRST TIME

It is clever to start with simple food and a simple drying method the first time. Air drying at room temperature is the easiest; it just takes some time.

Try drying one or more of these ingredients!

APPLE	Core with a corer or a smaller knife. Cut slices 2–3 mm thin. Hang on a stick or thread.
CARROT	Peel a carrot, then cut/peel thin strips. Hang them on a thread or put them on a mesh.
LEEK	Cut 2 mm slices and place them on a thin cloth, for example, a kitchen towel.
HERBS	Cut small bouquets of parsley or other herbs, hang them on a wire, a stick or put them on thin fabric/a mesh.
MUSHROOMS	Cut into 3 mm slices and place them airy on a mesh.

THE FIVE STEPS OF DRYING FOOD

1. CHOOSE FOOD	– High quality, not too ripe.
2. PREPARE	– For example, cut in cubes and parboil.
3. DEHYDRATE	– Air-dry, or in an oven or a food dehydrator.
4. STORE	– Glass jars for more extended storage.
5. COOK/ EAT	– Soak and cook; dried fruit can be eaten as it is.

PRE-TREATMENTS

CUT	You usually have to cut food into smaller pieces before dehydration.
FRY	Meat and other animal products should be heated before dehydration.
PARBOIL	To boil for a short time in lightly salted water. Many vegetables benefit from being blanched or parboiled. Potatoes must be parboiled to avoid turning grey.
STEAM	An alternative to parboiling.

5 DIFFERENT DRYING METHODS

DEHYDRATE IN AN OVEN

Your regular oven at home works well for food that doesn’t contain much water, for example, meat and chicken. The oven is also excellent for cooking meat and also for cooking vegetables before drying them, 100°C/212°F or higher. When drying in an oven, the food should be thinly sliced to reduce drying times.

DEHYDRATE IN A CONVECTION OVEN

There are two types of convection ovens – those that can run with the door open and those that shut off. My oven at home can’t run with the door open; I have to open the door from time to time and let moisture out. Using a convection oven, you can dry several plates simultaneously, but it takes a longer time. If you use a convection oven, you will get significantly shorter drying times than using an oven without convection.

DRY IN OVEN WITHOUT CONVECTION

Ovens without hot air can always be left open. The classic method is to put a wooden spoon in the opening. You should only use one baking sheet at a time in an oven without convection.

FOOD DEHYDRATOR

Drying food with an ordinary oven is possible. But it takes longer. With a food dehydrator, the air circulation is much higher, which results in faster drying and a higher quality of the food.

Another benefit is lower energy consumption compared to a conventional oven. The reduced energy consumption comes from the shorter drying time, and the dehydrator has a more accurate thermostat.

After a while, you know exactly how long it takes to dry a food of a certain thickness and at a specific temperature. A food dehydrator is perfect for water-rich food such as vegetables. However, meat can be dried almost as well in a convection oven as in a food dehydrator because it contains a small amount of water after frying.

Since it is an investment and remains unused, some or most of the time, an idea is to share a food dehydrator with a friend.

HYGIENE

In my fifteen years of drying food, I have never heard of anyone becoming ill from dehydrated food. But of course, you should always keep good hygiene when handling food.

Use plastic gloves when handling meat or other more sensitive ingredients. Don’t eat dried food that tastes or smells strange. If it tastes and smells well, but you are still unsure, cook the food properly.

Think about your hands, kitchen towels (often missed), knives, utensils, bowls, cutting boards – and other things that come into contact with the food.

WHEN IS THE FOOD DRY?

FRUIT & BERRIES	Tough or brittle, depending on the sugar content.
VEGETABLES	Brittle, able to break into smaller pieces.
MEAT	Mince: like gravel. Slices: hard, possible to break.
MUSHROOMS	Brittle, with a distinct sound when you break a piece.

Dried beetroot with a onion and a bouillon cube will make a good soup!

TEMPERATURES

MEAT \| CHICKEN \| FISH	68°C (155°F)
BERRIES \| FRUIT \| VEGETABLES \| BEANS \| PUREE	52°C (125°F)
MUSHROOMS \| HERBS \| ONIONS \| FRUIT (APPLES)	Room temperature or 30–40°C (86–104°F)

DRYING TIMES

Drying times vary with humidity, type of oven, the ingredient’s thickness and several other factors.

*Grapes dried in a Stöckli Dörrex – much tastier than bought raisins!*

VEGETABLES

GROUND MEAT

PIECES OF MEAT

ROOT VEGETABLES

PUREÉ

COMMON MISTAKES

TOO THICK PIECES	The food then dries too slowly and can go bad.
DIFFERENT THICKNESS	If the pieces have random thicknesses, they will have different drying times, which makes it hard to determine when the food is dry.
TEMPERATURE TOO HIGH	The nutritional value and taste decrease with high temperatures. The surface can become dry but not on the inside, causing food to mold.
POOR AIR CIRCULATION	If you air dry in a space with poor air circulation, the process will take too long, and the food can mold.
TOO MUCH AT A TIME	In the beginning, it is challenging to handle a lot of food at a time. Instead, dry smaller batches at a time.
TOO FATTY FOODS	Food with a higher fat content than 10% can be challenging to dehydrate. Fatty food goes rancid after a period of storage.

*Potatoes that are not blanched turn grey.*

STORAGE OF DRIED FOOD – AT HOME

Different foods need to be stored in various ways for best preservation. In general, dried food should be kept cool, dark and dry. Food with fat should be stored in the fridge or freezer, preferably vacuum-packed.

MUSHROOMS
Store dry, cool and dark, preferably in an air-tight glass jar.

FRUIT & BERRIES
Store dry, cool and dark. Preferably in an air-tight glass jar.

ROOT VEGETABLES
Store dry, cool and dark.

HERBS
Store the herbs in a dry, cool, dark place, preferably in an air-tight glass jar. It may be better to have several small jars than one large one, as they can lose flavor if the jar is opened too often.

FISH
Store the dried fish in the freezer, vacuum-pack fatty fish.

MEAT
Store the dried meat in a freezer bag or, even better, vacuum-packed, as meat contains fat.

CHICKEN
Store the chicken in a plastic bag in the freezer. Less prone to go rancid.

STORAGE OF DRIED FOOD – ON A HIKE

There are several ways to bring dried food on a hike. If you are going to be out for several weeks, it is, of course, more important that it is well-packed than if you are going to be out for the day.

The most important thing is that the food is packed watertight so it doesn’t go bad (mold).

Vacuum packing is the best and safest way to bring on the trail – but make sure sharp food doesn’t puncture the bag!

Three ways to pack dried food on a hike:

Plastic bag
Vacuum bag
Plastic can

SOAKING & REHYDRATION

Dried apples and other fruit do not need to be soaked. But food that is to be cooked should be rehydrated to reduce cooking time.

Here are some quick tips on soaking:

Don’t soak with fat – then the soaking becomes longer (e.g., oil in trail food)

Don’t soak in too much water; use less and add more if needed – otherwise, you risk losing valuable flavors in the excess soaking water (unless you’re making a stew, then you can utilize it all).

Try to keep the soaking time as short as possible – this reduces the risk of bacteria formation. Soak preferably in warm water – it shortens the soaking time.

COMPOSE DISHES

A dish typically consists of carbohydrates, protein and fat. And spices, of course! There are a few different ways to cook and compose; you can read about them below.

Fat is added after soaking. About 30 grams of protein (dried meat, fish or other) is enough per portion. Test yourself to determine the ideal quantity of dried carbohydrates to satisfy your hunger.

ONE POT COOKING	Here, you mix everything in a bag and soak. It can be potatoes, vegetables and meat with various spices. Everything is then cooked in a pot. If the food is sliced thin, it can be eaten directly after being soaked in hot water, like freeze-dried food.
STEW	Similar to “one-pot” but more focused on protein and less on carbohydrates. You combine different dry ingredients into a tasty stew, which is rehydrated before you cook it. Use more flavor as it will be mixed with rice, pasta or other starchy food.
DEHYDRATE A STEW	In this case, dry a cooked stew on a baking sheet in the oven or a food dehydrator until completely dry, crush and pack in a bag.
SALAD	You can easily make a salad of, for example, dried cabbage, tomato, paprika or carrots. You can also make a potato salad with potatoes, onions and dried capers.

TWO RECIPES

CASSEROLE WITH CHICKPEAS AND CHILLI

(2 servings)

A stew that is as tasty as it is colorful. If you soak the stew in cold water, it will have more texture and chewiness than if you soak it in hot water. Add oil after soaking; otherwise, it will take longer. Which oil you use dramatically determines the taste; a flavourful olive oil has a different character than a neutral cooking oil.

200 ml dried chickpeas
100 ml dried feta cheese/salad cheese
100 ml dried peppers
Black pepper
1 chopped red chilli
Salt

+ 400 ml cold water
+ 4 tbsp oil

RISOTTO ON DRIED MUSHROOMS

(2 servings)

100 ml dried mushrooms
2 shallots
1 clove of garlic500 ml mushroom bouillon (water and stock cube)
2 tbsp olive oil
200 ml Arborio rice
100 ml white wine
Salt, black pepper

Soak the dried mushrooms.
Fry the chopped onion in olive oil, add the rice and fry for a while. Pour in the wine. Add half of the bouillon and cook on low heat. After ten minutes, add the mushrooms. Add a little bouillon every second minute and boil until the rice has a slight chewing resistance.
Serve with parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper.

Food Dehydrating: The Illustrated Handbook: Including 300 color images

GET IT ON AMAZON.COM

Do you want to learn how to dehydrate food efficiently and safely?

Do you find it hard to find the right food dehydrator?

Do you want to see the process and the result in hundreds of color images?

– Then this book is for you!

The author has 20 years of experience in food dehydration, with seven written books in the field of food preserving and outdoor food. In this fully illustrated book, he guides the reader through the basic knowledge of food dehydrating. The more experienced reader will find ways to make beef jerky, fruit leather, energy bars and herb salt. A whole chapter is devoted to different types of dehydrators.

The book has sold more than 30,000 copies in the Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland)

GET IT ON AMAZON.COM

HOW TO CHOOSE A FOOD DEHYDRATOR

A food dehydrator is also called “dehydrator oven”, “mushroom dryer”, and, in some cases, a “fruit dryer”. The principle of all food dryers is the same – hot air passes over the food and dries it. However, there are two different types of food dehydrators.

Consider the necessary capacity for your dehydrator and whether you intend to dry wet food such as fruit leather and more advanced trail food. For wet food, you need an oven with horizontal airflow.

There are dehydrators with horizontal and vertical airflow. Both types work great, but choose a dehydrator with horizontal flow to dry wet foods such as purees or stews.

If you want to dry a lot of food at the same time, for example, if you have a garden with fruit and vegetables or if you dry for many people – then a larger food dryer is a good idea. A smaller dehydrator is fine if you dry small amounts at a time. If you have little space at home, it can also be suitable with a smaller model.

A thermostat is a must. Then, you can regulate the temperature precisely according to the food you are drying. Otherwise, you risk drying the food too hard (hot) and spoil it.

The timer is very convenient and gives you a better idea of how long it takes to dry different foods. It is also a safety issue if you leave the oven unattended.

Digital or mechanical knobs/buttons for adjusting temperature and time are a matter of taste.

Of course, the price is relevant when choosing a food dehydrator. But with a higher price, you get, among other things, quality, BPA-free plastic, more even drying and built-in safety such as overheating protection. Also, if the dehydrator breaks down, the warranty is more extensive on more expensive models, and there are spare parts available.

Good luck finding the dehydrator for your needs!

Images below: eggs, chicken, energy cookies, cream cheese, oil and spices, pickles, kale, lemon and salmon.

FOOD DEHYDRATOR	There are two types of food dehydrators: round ones, where the air flows from below and upwards and square ones, where the air flows from the side. The square ones can dry stews and pureé. Further along in the PDF, you can read about choosing a food dehydrator.
OVEN/CONVECTOR OVEN	An oven works well for food with less water, such as meat. It is possible to dry vegetables, but it takes a long time. Although, an oven is excellent for pre-cooking/roasting all kinds of food before drying.
AIR DRYING – STICK	Drill holes in a wooden plank, insert wooden chopsticks and hang apple rings or herb bouquets.
AIR DRYING – NET	Use an old window frame, or assemble a simple wood frame. Then, stretch a mosquito net, which you fasten with a stapler. Use to dry apples, onions and mushrooms.
AIR DRYING – WIRE	Stretch a wire between two nails in the kitchen where you can hang apple rings or herbs.

Dehydratefood.info