A great way of preparing food while at home is through dehydrating. A unique kitchen appliance known as a dehydrated is used. The technique applied when preparing fresh foods that are to be stored or snacked is quite simple once you have the dehydrator. To get everything right at a go, ensure you have the right ingredients before you kick-start your food dehydrated. With this beginner’s guide to dehydrating food: tips & tricks, you will be an expert in no time.
The Food Dehydratoron Dehydrator Spot
This reasonably small kitchen appliance is excellent for drying, dehydrating certain foods. It operates on the principle of an inbuilt fan which releases a low flow in hot air reducing the moisture present in vegetables, fruits, and several other foods. Removal of this water keeps the food from going while denying several bacteria species the opportunity to grow.
Food that has been subjected to dehydration will still retain its nutritional value. When cooking the food, you lose the nutritional content, no wonder many tout the attributes of raw diets as a health bonus. The food dehydrator will not interfere with any vitamins or minerals inside the food. However, it will guarantee convenience when storing and carrying around.
Food Dehydration Tips
1. Maintain Food at a Suitable Temperature
The time duration and temperature controls for the dehydration process depend on the dehydrator type in use. The other factor is the food undergoing dehydration. As a starter, you can follow the instructions printed on your dehydrator manual. However, when buying a dehydrator ensure that you get the most suitable one like the ones reviewed on Dehydrator Spot.
2. Do a 95 Percent Dehydration
For safe food storage, you must perform a 95 percent dehydration. If the food substance feels spongy, sticky or soft-like, you might as well set it back into the dehydrator and give it more time. If the final product is a crunchy hard-like substance, you are good to go.
3 Avoid Shortcuts when Drying Foods
Do not be too concerned with overdrying your food. It would be unwise to raise the temperature on the pretext of speeding up the process. The moisture will accumulate inside ultimately resulting in ion spoilt food.
4. Prepare Adequately
Thoroughly wash all food before setting them into the dehydrator. An antibacterial cleaner is highly recommended. You should use gloves when preparing such foods to prevent body oils from mixing onto the food. Steam any low-acid vegetables for not more 10 minutes.
5. Utilize Efficiency
Before using your dehydrator warm it to temperature after which you then add your food. Prepare foods which dehydrate at the same temperature. To get the best results, slice them up to be of equal size and thickness.
The most important aspect of the food dehydrate device is its fan. When shopping for such devices, go for those with a fan at the back. Those with a fan at the top and bottom are not as effective. The devices with back-mounted fans allow your device to dry evenly. Among the key features to look out for in a dehydrator are; automatic shut-down timers, heating elements, thermostats that are adjustable, and adequate capacity. Varied temperature settings are necessary so you can adjust according to the food undergoing dehydration.