A Glimpse into the World of Food Dehydration
14. You can refrigerate your dehydrated foods if you like.15. Humid air slows down the dehydration process.
16. You can avoid wasting celery by dehydrating thinly sliced celery at the time you purchase a bunch. The dehydrated celery works beautifully in many recipes that call for celery to be cooked.
17. Fast dehydration is best. The higher the temperature the better. Too high a temperature however, will make the outside of the fruit or vegetable harden faster than the inside, and the food may not be fully dehydrated. Be aware of the temperature you are dehydrating at and follow the guidelines of the manufacturer's product.
18. Slice fruits and vegetables the same thickness so they dehydrate as evenly as possible during the process.
19. Foods dehydrate faster at the perimeter or edges of the trays than in the center. This is why you should test samples of dehydrated foods from various sections of your trays.
20. Food dehydration is not an exact science. It is simple, however it will require some trial and error experiments to determine if you need longer dehydrating times, or to slice food products thinner, etc.
21. You can dehydrate bruised fruit, only if you remove the bruised areas before drying.
22. Dried tomatoes add both texture and flavor to pasta and rice dishes as well as flavored breads and marinated salads.
23. The most common and easiest fruits and vegetables to dry are apples, bananas, berries, cherries, peaches, apricots, pears, peas, corn, bell peppers, tomatoes, onion, potatoes, mushrooms, green beans and carrots.
24. You can add dried fruits to your hot oatmeal for easy rehydration. They also easily rehydrate in cold cereals with milk.
25. Dried apricots cook great in muffins and fruit breads.
26. NEVER dehydrate raw chicken or poultry because it could contain salmonella.
18. Slice fruits and vegetables the same thickness so they dehydrate as evenly as possible during the process.
19. Foods dehydrate faster at the perimeter or edges of the trays than in the center. This is why you should test samples of dehydrated foods from various sections of your trays.
20. Food dehydration is not an exact science. It is simple, however it will require some trial and error experiments to determine if you need longer dehydrating times, or to slice food products thinner, etc.
21. You can dehydrate bruised fruit, only if you remove the bruised areas before drying.
22. Dried tomatoes add both texture and flavor to pasta and rice dishes as well as flavored breads and marinated salads.
23. The most common and easiest fruits and vegetables to dry are apples, bananas, berries, cherries, peaches, apricots, pears, peas, corn, bell peppers, tomatoes, onion, potatoes, mushrooms, green beans and carrots.
24. You can add dried fruits to your hot oatmeal for easy rehydration. They also easily rehydrate in cold cereals with milk.
25. Dried apricots cook great in muffins and fruit breads.
26. NEVER dehydrate raw chicken or poultry because it could contain salmonella.
