Have you ever thought about dehydrating your own food? A commercial dehydrator can be purchased inexpensively, especially if you buy a used one, and are one of the best ways to make sure your family has access to fresh food even in the dead of winter. Here are some tips that will help you get the most out of your dehydrator and turn it into an essential kitchen appliance!
Dehydrating foods at home
Dehydration is a food preservation technique that removes moisture from food in order to prolong its shelf life. In many countries, including the United States, dehydration is used as a form of preservation for certain foods. The low-moisture content inhibits spoilage by microorganisms and prevents weight loss due to water evaporation. Dried food can last up to 30 years without refrigeration if it is stored properly.
Some disadvantages of using a commercial dehydrator include having to pay the money upfront and then waiting for the machine to be delivered; not being able to make exact amounts; not having any idea what it’s going cost you because there are no prices listed; they may be difficult to use if you don’t know what you’re doing or don’t have instructions on how to use them.
The benefits of using a commercial dehydrator
A commercial dehydrator is an investment, but it will serve you well. Here are five reasons why:
-Commercial dehydration is fast and efficient. It takes less than two hours to dry food in commercial dehydration. Using a household dehydrator would take a day or more to do the same job.
– Commercial dehydration saves money on electricity bills. The high heat setting also makes drying time shorter and prevents spoilage, since it is much hotter. The internal temperature for a home model usually ranges from 110°F to 160°F (43°C-71°C), while a commercial dehydrator typically operates at 170°F-200°F (77°C-93 °C). – You can use your house’s AC unit to power the machine instead of having to purchase its own power supply.
Tips for getting the most out of your dehydrator
If you’re looking to get the most out of your dehydrator, there are a few simple things that you can do to make sure it’s functioning well.
-Use fruit and vegetables that are at room temperature so they won’t take as long to dry.
-It’s a good idea to rotate your racks every hour or two for even drying.
-You can speed up drying time by fanning the food periodically during the process.
-Don’t forget about flavors! You’ll be surprised what adding just a little bit of salt or sugar will do to intensify the flavor.
-If you have tough fruits like apples, pears, peaches, apricots, etc., it helps to sprinkle them with lemon juice before drying them in order to prevent them from getting brown spots on their surface.
Conclusion
Drying food is a wonderful way to preserve food and get it to last much longer. It’s also a great way to save money on groceries. There are many foods that can be dried, so below are some of the best food to dry with this machine;
- -Fruits: Apples, apricots, cherries, pineapple, peaches, nectarines
- -Vegetables: Green beans, corn
- -Nuts: Almonds
- -Herbs: Basil leaves, chives, cilantro leaves, dill leaves, oregano, parsley
- -Meats: Beef jerky
- -Beans: Black beans, kidney beans
