Dehydrating fruits and vegetables is very easy and fast process. It’s been a very good choice for many balanced diet opions and one of the best sides of dhydration of fruits is that you dont have to throw away the food leftovers. This guide will show you how to dehydrate fruits and vegetables at home.
If you do it meticulously and consistently; it is possible to easily produce dried fruits and vegetables. In order to get fruits and vegetables dried, you should eliminate the 4% to 8% of water from them so as to decrease the growth of bacteria and prevent oxidization.
The most important step of the dehydration process is removing water from the fruits. After that the only thing to care about is keeping them in a sealed pack.
There are no certain recipes for dehydration of fruits or tutorials to tell step by step process. It is important to know basic rules for dehydration process and carefully apply them for the best results possible.
It is also best to trust your kitchen experience and intuitions. As you experience more on food dehydration you will get better results because it will be taiolred for your own taste.
TUTORIAL: How to Dehydrate Vegetables and Fruits
Whatever methods you apply first thing to start is choosing right fruits and vegetables to dehydrate. You should select the ones about to be ripen and then cut out the rotten parts. Then get rid of the seeds if any.
Now its time to choose the proper dehydration method. there are several methods and we can basicly say that all the methods are effective, however th most preferred methods are to dehydrate fruit in the oven,with the dehydrator and as the last option; dehydrate under sun.
How to dehydrate fruits and vegetables in the oven
It is, for sure, the easiest way to dehydrate fruits and it is vrey advantageous for the newbies. You just put them on a rack and put in the oven. Dont forget to turn them every 30 mins. The oven should be heated on a temperature which is not too strong to burn the foods inside. The time should be something between 2-3 hours which should be decided based on your experience.
How to dehydrate fruits and vegetables in the dehydrator?
The food dehydrator is one of the most brilliant inventions of the century. It is a very good method to preserve foods as an alternative to the freezer.
It is very easy to use it. Just cut and peel the fruits and vegetables then put in the dehydrator and push the ON button. Most probably it has an automated process and a timer. What makes it more advantageous against oven is more space which means more foods to get dried in one session.
How to dehydrate fruits and vegetables under the sun?
The origin of the dehydration of foods started with dehydration under sun which has resulted in very popular “sun-dried foods”. Although it is now a-less-preferred method; it would be cost effective and healthy way to get foods sun-dried.
It is very easy to dehydrate food under sun. First choose a place that gets direct sunlight at an average of 25 °C. Then slice the fruits and put them under sun. Dont forget to cover the foods with gauze or mosquito net so as not to let insects ruin all your efforts. This process would get 2 days on average which is way too much more than the modern techniques.
Best fruits and vegetables to dehydrate
For the fruits we can say that almost all can be dehydrated and gives the best results with the consumer experience. but we cant say the same for the vegetables. So, in order not to waste food and money try those vegetables for the best results; tomatoes, garlic, carrots, cabbage, sweet potato and celery. You can use them as a side-dish or healthy-snacks in a day.
We hope you enjoyed this guide how to dehydrate fruits and vegetables at home, please continue to explore our other articles.
