Drying or “dehydrating” food is a method of food preservation

that removes enough moisture from the food so bacteria, yeast and
molds cannot grow.
Dried foods are tasty, nutritious, lightweight, easy to prepare, easy to carry
and easy to use. Low humidity, low heat and good air circulation are critical
for successful drying. You can use a dehydrator, oven, microwave or even
air-dry some foods. Start with good quality foods. Blanch vegetables first and
pretreat most fruit. Remember, successful drying takes time. Once dry, store
foods in a dark, cool location in containers that keep out moisture and
insects.

Methods of drying food

Dehydrators
 Produce the best quality product as compared to other methods of drying.
 Most food dehydrators have an electric element for heat and a fan and vents
for air circulation.
 Efficient dehydrators are designed to dry foods uniformly and to retain food
quality.

Oven drying
 An oven takes 2 to 3 times longer to dry food than a dehydrator. Drying in an
oven is slower because ovens do not have built-in fans for the air movement.
 The oven uses a great deal more energy than a dehydrator.

Prop the oven door open while drying

To use your oven for drying:
  Check the oven dial to see if it has a reading as low as 140 F or use the
‘keep warm’ setting. If the thermostat does not go this low, your food will
cook instead of dry.
 An oven thermometer placed near the food gives an accurate reading of the
drying temperature.
 Leave the oven door propped open 2-4 inches and place a fan near the
outside of the oven door to improve air circulation.

Sun drying
Air drying
 Air drying differs from sun-drying, since it takes place indoors in a well
ventilated attic, room or screened-in porch.
 Herbs, hot peppers and mushrooms are the most common air-dried items.
 Herbs and peppers are not pretreated, but simply strung on a string or tied in
bundles and suspended until dry.
 Enclose them in paper bags to protect them from dust or other pollutants.

Microwave drying
 Is a quick way to dry small quantities of herbs and some leaf vegetables, but
it is not successful for most other foods.
 Food which has been microwave dried often tastes overcooked rather than
dried.

Drying herbs in the microwave

To dry small quantities of herbs:

 Place no more than 4 or 5 herb branches between two paper towels and
microwave for 2-3 minutes.
 Remove the herbs. When cool, check to see if they are dry and brittle. If not,
repeat drying for 30-second intervals until dry.
https://extension.umn.edu/preserving-and-preparing/drying-food#:~:text=Drying%20or
%20%E2%80%9Cdehydrating%E2%80%9D%20food%20is,yeast%20and%20molds%20cannot%20grow.
dehydration, in food processing, means by which many types of food can be
preserved for indefinite periods by extracting the moisture,
thereby inhibiting the growth of microorganisms. Dehydration is one of the
oldest methods of food preservation and was used by prehistoric peoples in sun-
drying seeds. The North American Indians preserved meat by sun-drying
slices, the Chinese dried eggs, and the Japanese dried fish and rice.

Dehydration is one of the oldest methods of food preservation,

though methods for drying food have become sophisticated
over time. For many people, dehydrating food at home is a
convenient way to preserve foods.

(opens in new window)Benefits

Molds, yeast and bacteria need water to grow. When foods are
sufficiently dehydrated, microorganisms cannot grow and
foods will not spoil. Dried fruits and fruit leathers may be used
as snack foods; dried vegetables may be added to soups,
stews or casseroles. Campers and hikers value dried foods for
their light weight, keeping qualities and ease of preparation.

(opens in new window)Nutritional

value
The nutritive value of food is affected by the dehydration
process. Vitamins A and C are destroyed by heat and air. Using
a sulfite treatment prevents the loss of some vitamins but
causes the destruction of thiamin. Blanching vegetables
before drying, while crucial to a better quality product, results
in some loss of vitamin C and B-complex vitamins as well as
the loss of some minerals, because these are all water soluble.
Yet blanching reduces the loss of thiamin and vitamins A and C
during dehydration and storage.
Dried foods have more calories on a weight-for-weight basis
because of their nutrient concentration. For example, 100
grams of fresh apricots has 51 calories, whereas 100 grams of
dried apricots has 260 calories. Nutritive value, as well as
flavor and appearance, is best protected by low temperature
and low humidity during storage.

(opens in new window)Dehydration

methods
Foods can be dehydrated by various means: the sun, a
conventional oven, an electric dehydrator, a microwave oven
(for herbs only), air drying and solar drying. Dehydration, like
other preservation methods, requires energy. Unless sun
drying is possible where you live, the energy cost of
dehydrating foods at home is higher than for canning and, in
some cases, more expensive than freezing.

1. Electric dehydrators produces a better-quality dried

product than any other method of drying. Electric
dehydrators are self-contained units with a heat source, a
ventilation system, and trays to place the food on. Models
vary in sophistication and efficiency, so choose options
that you desire. Although an electric dehydrator requires
a fairly high initial investment, it maintains low
temperatures and uses less energy than an oven.

When using a dehydrator, load food on trays in single

layers so that pieces do not overlap. This arrangement
allows air to circulate through the trays. Large pieces,
such as apricot halves, should be turned halfway through
the drying time. Pieces near the sides of the tray should
be moved to the center. Stir small pieces every one to
two hours, separating bits that stick together. It may be
necessary to rotate the trays within the dryer at least
once during the drying period to ensure uniform drying.
 Follow manufacturers’ guidance for heat settings for
specific foods.

2. Oven drying requires little initial investment, but

continual use of an oven for drying is not recommended
because ovens are less energy-efficient than dehydrators,
and energy costs tend to be high. Overall oven-dried foods
are usually darker, more brittle and less flavorful than
foods dried by an electric dehydrator.

An oven takes 2 to 3 times longer to dry food than a

dehydrator. Drying in an oven is slower because ovens do
not have built-in fans for the air movement It is difficult to
maintain a low drying temperature in an oven, and foods
are more susceptible to scorching at the end of the drying
period. Check oven settings to see if it has a reading as
low as 140° F or a “warm’ setting. If the thermostat does
not go this low, your food will cook instead of dry. Use an
oven thermometer to test the temperature of the oven at
its lowest setting.

Trays upon which the food is placed must be at least 1½

inches narrower than the inside of the oven to allow for
air circulation. Allow at least 2½ inches between trays
and 3 inches of free space at the top of the oven for good
air circulation.

About 4 to 6 pounds of food can be dried in an oven at one

time. Place food on drying trays, or on wire cooling racks
covered with cheesecloth or nylon netting, to allow easy
removal of dried food. Pieces of food should be in a single
layer. Do not place food directly on oven racks. Cookie
sheets are acceptable only for fruit leathers, which do not
require good air circulation.

Keep oven door propped open at least 4 inches. Place a

fan outside the oven door to aid air circulation. Move it
from side to side occasionally. The room also should be
 well ventilated. Oven drying, particularly if a fan is used,
should be done with caution if small children are around.

Maintain the temperature at 140° F. Watch the

temperature even more carefully toward the end of the
drying process. To prevent scorching, lower temperature
to 120° F if possible. Examine the food often and turn
trays frequently, removing foods as they dry.

3. Microwave drying is a quick way to dry small quantities

of herbs and some leaf vegetables, but it is not successful
for most other foods. Food which has been microwave
dried often tastes overcooked rather than dried. Follow
manufacturers’ guidance.
4. Air drying can be done indoors in a well ventilated attic,
room or screened-in porch. Herbs, hot peppers and
mushrooms are the most common air-dried items. Herbs
and peppers are not pretreated, but simply strung on a
string or tied in bundles and suspended until dry. Enclose
them in paper bags to protect them from dust or other
pollutants.
5. Sun-drying is not recommended in the midwest due to
high humidity. Foods dried in the sun can take 3–4 days
to dry; if the humidity is high, as is generally the case in
Missouri, the food will mold before it dries. Sun-drying
requires constant exposure to direct sunlight during the
day and a relative humidity of less than 20%. These
conditions are found only in the southwestern states.

Dehydration basics
Drying times in conventional ovens or dehydrators vary
considerably depending on the amount of food dried, its
moisture content, room temperature and humidity level — and
in the case of oven drying, the use of fans. Some foods require
several hours, and others may take more than a day. General
guidelines include:

 Fruits (125 to 135 degrees F)

 Vegetables (115 to 130 degrees F)
 Meat/jerky (155 degrees F)
 Herbs (95 to 105 degrees F)

Interrupting drying time, or prolonging it by using lower

temperatures, may result in spoilage.

Different foods that require similar drying times and

temperatures can be dried together. Vegetables with strong
odors or flavors (garlic, onion and pepper) should be dried
separately.

Air temperature and circulation must be controlled during the

drying process. If the temperature is too low or the humidity
too high (resulting in poor circulation of moist air), the food
will dry more slowly than it should and microbial growth can
occur. Watch temperatures closely at the beginning and end of
the drying period. If the temperature is too high at first, a hard
shell may develop on the outside, trapping moisture on the
inside. This condition is known as case hardening and leads to
a moldy food product. Temperatures that are too high at the
end of the drying period may cause food to scorch.

Determining dryness. Judging when food is dry requires

experience. It is better to overdry than to underdry. When in
doubt, continue drying for an additional 15–30 minutes. Check
for doneness. Allow the product to cool before testing.

Vegetables are sufficiently dried when they are leathery or

brittle. Leathery vegetables will be pliable and spring back if
folded. Edges will be sharp. Corn and peas will shatter when
hit with a hammer.
Fruits are adequately dried when moisture cannot be squeezed
from them, and if they are tough and pliable when cut. Fruit
leathers may be slightly sticky to the touch but should
separate easily from the plastic wrap.

Meats should be extremely dry unless they are to be

refrigerated or frozen for long-term storage. Meat is sufficiently
dried when it is dark-colored and fibrous and forms sharp
points when broken.

Herbs are dried when brittle. Their leaves shatter when rubbed
together.

After drying, even when a food tests dry, it may not be

uniformly dry. Therefore, conditioning and pasteurizing should
be done before storing.

Conditioning is the process used to equalize, or evenly

distribute, moisture left in the food after drying. It is usually
done to fruits, herbs and seeds to improve storage, because it
decreases the chance of spoilage, especially by molds. To
condition a food, follow these steps:

1. Cool foods on trays.

2. Pour into a large, nonporous container of food-grade
material; fill to about two-thirds full.
3. Cover container and shake container daily or stir contents
at least once a day for 10–14 days.
4. Check for condensation on the lid and any signs of
spoilage. If condensation occurs, return food to the dryer
to finish the product. Recondition after it is dry.
5. Cool thoroughly before packaging.

Freshly dried fruit can be added to the conditioning batch

within the first five days. Conditioning time will need to be
lengthened to accommodate the additional food.

https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/gh1562
Drying or dehydration is, by definition, the removal of water by
evaporation, from a solid or liquid food, with the purpose of obtaining a
solid product sufficiently low in water content. (Note: Osmotic
dehydration, where removal of water takes place by virtue of a
difference in osmotic pressure and not by evaporation, is treated at
the end of this chapter.)
The main technological objectives of food dehydration are:
•
Preservation as a result of depression of water activity.
•
Reduction in weight and volume.
•
Transformation of a food to a form more convenient to store,
package, transport, and use; for example, transformation of
liquids such as milk, eggs, fruit and vegetable juices, or coffee
extract, to a dry powder that can be reconstituted to the original
form by addition of water (instant products).
•
Imparting to a food product, a particular desirable feature such
as a different flavor, crispiness, chewiness, etc., that is, creating
a new food (e.g., transformation of grapes to raisins).

Other methods[edit]

This electric food dehydrator has a hot air blower that blows air through trays with foods on them. Pictured are
mango and papaya slices being dried.
There are many different methods for drying,[7] each with their own advantages for particular
applications. These include:

 Convection drying
 Bed dryers
 Drum drying
 Freeze Drying
 Microwave-vacuum drying[7]
 Shelf dryers
 Spray drying
 Infrared radiation drying[7]
 Combined thermal hybrid drying[8]
 Sunlight
 Commercial food dehydrators
 Household oven

Drum drying is a method used for drying out liquids from raw materials with a drying drum. In the
drum-drying process, pureed raw ingredients are dried at relatively low temperatures over rotating,
high-capacity drums that produce sheets of drum-dried product. This product is milled to a finished
flake or powder form. Modern drum drying techniques results in dried ingredients which reconstitute
immediately and retain much of their original flavor, color and nutritional value.
Some advantages of drum drying include the ability to dry viscous foods which cannot be easily
dried with other methods. Drum dryers are easy[compared to?] to operate and maintain.[1]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drum_drying
Freeze drying, also known as lyophilization or cryodesiccation, is a low
temperature dehydration process[1] that involves freezing the product and lowering pressure,
removing the ice by sublimation.[2] This is in contrast to dehydration by most conventional methods
that evaporate water using heat.

A microwave oven (commonly referred to as a microwave) is an electric oven that heats and cooks
food by exposing it to electromagnetic radiation in the microwave frequency range.[1] This
induces polar molecules in the food to rotate and produce thermal energy in a process known
as dielectric heating. Microwave ovens heat foods quickly and efficiently because excitation is fairly
uniform in the outer 25–38 mm (1–1.5 inches) of a homogeneous, high-water-content food item.

pray drying is a method of forming a dry powder from a liquid or slurry by rapidly drying with a hot
gas. This is the preferred method of drying of many thermally-sensitive materials such as foods
and pharmaceuticals,[1] or materials which may require extremely consistent, fine particle size. Air is
the heated drying medium; however, if the liquid is a flammable solvent such as ethanol or the
product is oxygen-sensitive then nitrogen is used.