Dehydrating is one of the simplest ways to preserve foods and it is as old as time; well, nearly. Since you would probably not be surprised to learn that the Egyptians and Romans did it, let’s skip directly to our own timeline and review how easy it is thanks to our modern inventions.

One question that comes to mind now, when preparing food, is whether it will take a long time. We have busy lives. I dare you to find any person these days who is not a multitasking hero. We were already quite adept at time management when our roles around the home were different and more targeted, can you imagine now?

What is a great wonder to me is that in spite of our current circumstances, at a time when men and women pursue time-consuming careers and even many young adults are busy entrepreneurs, we value our quality of life so much that we continue to make room for elaborate gardening and food preparation processes. The reason for this is clear and simple: It makes sense and the process itself adds joy to our lives. In fact, it probably adds years too.

Home preserving makes sense not only to be prepared in case of an emergency, but also because it can make the food preparation process more efficient over time. It also supplies us with flavorful and versatile options.

To answer the above question about how much time it takes (after a slight detour for some musings), generally you need only spend a few moments cleaning and slicing your produce. Once you start the dehydrator, it will run for 8 to 12 hours (follow dehydrator instructions), which means you are free to tackle any other project that appeals to you in the meantime. Here, then, is an overview of one simple process that can add variety to your dishes and to your stash of emergency foods.

1- Whether you dry produce from your own garden or from another source, remember that the same basic rule applies if you are canning or dehydrating: start with fresh produce. By this I mean stay away from bruised or overripe fruits and vegetables. A partially rotten fruit will not be any less rotten once dehydrated! If good, ripe, crisp flesh can be salvaged, then by all means set that aside and toss the rest in the compost bin.

2- Clean all fruits or vegetables in running water, scrubbing gently if necessary. Remove seeds and pits and then slice, being careful to slice everything to a similar thickness. This makes it easier to determine with more certainty when everything in the dehydrator is dry enough.

3- Sprinkle fruit that is prone to oxidation with citrus juice so it retains its color. Cruciferous vegetables, as well as beans, kernels and root vegetables, can be blanched for a few minutes. This will ensure they maintain their color.

4- You are ready to place your sliced produce in the dehydrator. Refer to your particular model’s manual for capacity. Allow at least a slight amount of space between slices on each tray and never overlap. This could trap moisture, which reduces the quality and lifespan of your dehydrated foods. Again, refer to the dehydrator’s instructions manual to determine proper drying time.

5- When the time to turn off the dehydrator approaches, remove a few slices of fruit/vegetable from any tray (dehydrators are designed to dry evenly, so any tray should do) to test them. Allow them to cool first. You want to use your fingers and a knife for this, not your taste buds; at least not yet. Touch and sight will inform you properly in this case. If they feel dry to the touch, they are probably adequately dehydrated. To be certain, however, cut a few of the slices and examine the edges. If beads of moisture emerge, you should set the dehydrator to remain on for a few extra minutes, at which point you will test a few more slices in this same manner. After you use the machine a few times you will develop a good instinct for proper timing.

6- That’s it. Allow dehydrated fruits and vegetables to cool for about an hour before packing for storage. Finally, make sure you plan on using some of it in a recipe right away, simply because it is so satisfying to taste the fresh fruit of your labor.

You might be interested in some of these articles -

An Inside Look at The Food Dehydrator

The Frugal Kitchen – It’s About Values; Not Just Money

7 Ways Dehydrated Food Saves Money

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