Drying is the oldest method of preserving food. The early American
settlers dried foods such as corn, apple slices, currants, grapes, and
meat. Compared with other methods, drying is quite simple. In fact, you
may already have most of the equipment on hand. Dried foods keep well
because the moisture content is so low that spoilage organisms cannot
grow.
Drying will never replace canning and freezing because these methods
do a better job of retaining the taste, appearance, and nutritive value
of fresh food. But drying is an excellent way to preserve foods that can
add variety to meals and provide delicious, nutritious snacks. One of
the biggest advantages of dried foods is that they take much less
storage space than canned or frozen foods.
Recommended methods for canning and freezing have been determined by
research and widespread experience. Home drying, however, does not have
firmly established procedures. Food can be dried several ways, for
example, by the sun if the air is hot and dry enough, or in an oven or
dryer if the climate is humid.
With the renewed interest in gardening and natural foods and because
of the high cost of commercially dried products, drying foods at home is
becoming popular again. Drying is not difficult, but it does take time
and a lot of attention. Although there are different drying methods, the
guidelines remain the same.
Although solar drying is a popular and very inexpensive method, some
areas do not have a suitable climate for it. Dependable solar
dehydration of foods requires 3 to 5 consecutive days when the
temperature is 95 degrees F. and the humidity is very low.
Drying food in the oven of a kitchen range, on the other hand, can be
very expensive. In an electric oven, drying food has been found to be
nine to twelve times as costly as canning it. Food dehydrators are less
expensive to operate but are only useful for a few months of the year. A
convection oven can be the most economical investment if the proper
model is chosen. A convection oven that has a controllable temperature
starting at 120 degrees F. and a continuous operation feature rather
than a timer-controlled one will function quite well as a dehydrator
during the gardening months. For the rest of the year it can be used as a
tabletop oven.
*From the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, Circular 1227.
