Michigan State University Extension
Preserving Food Safely - 01600516
10/13/97

### DRYING, GENERAL INFORMATION

     For  thousands of years, people have dried many  foods  to

    preserve
     them for leaner times.  Preserving seasonal  foods

    by
     drying  is still useful and convenient, and it  has  the

    added
    advantage of conserving storage space.

     Successful  home  food dehydration is dependent  on  three

    basic
    principles:

     Heat:  controlled  temperature high enough  to  force  out

    moisture,
    but not hot enough to cook the food.

     Dry Air: to absorb the released moisture.

     Air Circulation: to carry the moisture away.

     When food is dehydrated, 80 to 95 percent of the  moisture

    is
     removed, inactivating the growth of bacteria  and  other

    spoilage
     microorganisms,  making  it  a  useful  method  of

    preparation.

     In  hot, dry climates, food will be reduced in a few  days

    to
     a moisture level that preserves them.  In  any  climate,

    however,
    you can create satisfactory drying conditions at  a

    moderate
     expense by using artificial heat  and  circulating

    air
    over the food.  You can do this:

    --
    in  your  own  kitchen  oven  (equipment  needed:  drying

    trays,
    an oven thermometer and a small fan)

    --
    in a homemade or commercial portable vegetable dehydrator

    (USDA
     Bulletin 217 has instructions  on  how  to  construct

    a
      natural-draft dehydrator.   Electric food dehydrator can

    be
    purchased in most appliance stores.

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