Another factor to consider in the dehydration process is the temperature that will be used. The temperature of the food will determine whether the food is dehydrated correctly or if the food become unsafe to eat. If the temperature is too low for the food that is being dehydrated, the moisture that is contained within the food will allow bacteria to grow.
If the temperature is too high for the food that is being dehydrated, the exterior of the food will tend to dry too quickly, creating a hard shell for the food, which will lead to the moisture getting trapped within the food. Therefore, you should dehydrate each type of food at the correct temperature in order to ensure the food is both safe to eat and has the correct texture. Each type of food require a different dehydration temperature.
How to Dry Food Safely
For instance, herbs and flowers should be dehydrated at low temperatures between 95 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Such low temperatures will help to prevent the essential oils within the herbs and flowers from evaporating. Foods like nuts and seeds should be dehydrated at temperatures between 115 and 125 degrees Fahrenheit.
Such temperatures will allow the nuts and seeds to lose moisture without damaging the fat that are naturaly contained within these foods. Vegetables should be dehydrated at temperatures between 125 and 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Blanching the vegetables prior to dehydration will help to maintain the bright colors of the vegetables.
Foods like fruits should also be dehydrated at around 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Slicing the fruit and dipping the slices into lemon juice prior to dehydration will prevent the fruits from turning brown due to oxidation. Foods like jerky and meats require high dehydration temperatures of between 145 and 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
These temperatures is required to kill any bacteria that may be within the meat. The temperatures for fish are even higher then the meats so that you can ensure the fish is safe to consume. The thickness of the food that is to be dehydrated also affects the dehydration process.
Food should be sliced into even thickness for even dehydration of the food. Most foods should be sliced into thicknesses of around quarter inches. Foods like herbs should be thinly sliced so they dry quick.
Jerky should be thicker in the slices to allow for better texture of the jerky. The time that the food is dehydrated also depends upon the type of food that is being dehydrated and the temperatures at which it is dehydrated. Foods like kale chips will dry between four and eight hours at 125 degrees Fahrenheit.
Strawberries will dry at a faster rate than kale chips. Jerky should be dried at 160 to 165 degrees Fahrenheit for four to eight hours. The moisture in the food should be low enough to prevent bacterial growth.
Moisture content in meats should be below 10%. Fruits can have a higher moisture content than meats because the fruits will not become unsafe with higher moisture content. It is not a matter of sight alone to determine if food has dried enough.
Food should be allowed to cool for at least ten minutes after the dehydration process. For fruits, the fruit can be bent until they becomes leathery in texture and exhibit cracks or sticky residue. Vegetables will snap when pressed with enough force.
Jerky can be pulled apart to ensure there are no wet spot within the jerky. Additionally, placing food that will be dehydrated into a jar overnight will reveal condensation in the jar if more dehydration time is required. Proper storage is needed after dehydration to prevent the food from becoming unsafe to eat.
Herbs and fruits can be stored in airtight mason jars for periods of six to twelve month. A desiccant packet can be included in the jar. Foods can be stored in vacuum bags or mylar bags to extend the life of the food.
Mylar bags require the addition of oxygen absorbers to allow for the longest period of storage. Foods that contain fats, like nuts and jerky, should be refrigerated. All dried foods should be stored in a cool, dark place with low humidity.
The storage temperature of all dried foods should remain below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. There are some mistake that should be avoided when dehydrating foods. One mistake that should be avoided is overcrowding the dehydrator with food.
This will prevent the food from properly drying due to the moisture that gets trapped within the food when it is too close to other food. For stackable dehydrators, you should rotate the tray of food so that the bottom pans do not receive too much heat compared to the upper pans. Storing food when it is still warm from the dehydrator will create condensation within the stored food.
Mixing food on a single tray will allow the flavors of each food to cross contaminate.