Drying Foods

[RedJohn]

Martha Archuleta
Extension Food and Nutrition Specialist
College of Agriculture and Home Economics
New Mexico State University

Drying or dehydration, the oldest method of food preservation, is particularly successful in the hot, dry climates found in much of New Mexico. Quite simply, drying reduces moisture necessary for bacterial growth that eventually causes deterioration.

Successful dehydration depends upon a slow steady heat supply to assure that food is dried from the inside to the outside. Drying is also an inexact art. Size of pieces, relative moisture, and the method selected all affect the time required to dehydrate a food adequately.

Read the attached PDF for the complete text.

[LUNCHBOX]

I have dried numerous items with my dehydrator from meat to veggies and fruit. Last winter I tried the old hanging method with my peppers that produced late in the year. I took a needle & heavy duty thread and stuck them through the stem and hung them for around three months in the basement (wasn't sure about the basement though) I hung around 125-150 peppers and only lost a dozen or so (they got real soft and I pithched them) The ones that were left turned out great. This summer I am going to do some more. Last summer we were moving and I didn't even get a garden in but still had dried peppers.

[bacpacker]

We just got a new excaliber dehydrator last summer to help with our food preservation. We were able to use it to put up 3 bushels of apples, both dried and as apple butter, pears, peaches, our favorite pineapple. We also put up other veggies, peas, corn, onions, & tomatos. We're very pleased with the output of the dehydrator. It has 9 trays so it hold a large quantity of produce. It's also has a adjustable temperture range from 95-155 degrees dependeing on what your working with.
We dryed a bunch of cayenne peppers a few years back by stringing them up with a needle and 4lb fishing line. We then hung them in the kitchen in a out of the way area. Didn't lose any of them as the house humidity stays very low for around here <40%.
We also have found that we can get the huge bags of veggies from the frozen food cabinets at our local store. Just spread them on the trays and let them go. It's a quick and easy way to cheat a little.

[Sniper-T]

This is a great time of year for the home dehydrator. I just got a bushel of crab apples from a neighbour, and my garden is hanging heavy with fruit. between the canning and drying and the hunting ... I love the fall!

[Taz Baby]

drying meat with a box fan

[Sniper-T]

Interesting. but I`m sure furnace filters are a lot more than .99 cents here. add to the price of the fan, and you could have a decent dehydrator.

also add the waste factor for all the filters all the time... meh! not for me.

cheapest everything I could find:
filter: Filtrete™ | 3M Filtrete 20x20 Micro Allergen Reduction Filter | Home Depot Canada

fan: Seabreeze | SMART ThermaFlo Off The Wall Bed/Bathroom 1500 Watt | Home Depot Canada

dehydrator: Total Chef | Deluxe 5-Tray Food Dehydrator | Home Depot Canada

with taxes, fan and filters about a hundred bucks
dehyd... $60.

multiply by how often you use it, and you would soon have spent way more doing it this way, than by doing it `right!

IMO

Sorry Taz!

But... way to think outside the box!

if you want to go green, look at making up some box screens, you can lay your meat out on them and plaace them outside. like the natives used to do to with wooden frames, but a little more modern. You can place it slighly downwind of a smouldering fire for a smoky taste, or if you make a bunch, set a bunch of little fires between them to the same effect!

[Taz Baby]

Not for me either. I need solar not ele. Just thought it was neat. I am making something like this.

[bacpacker]

Now Taz you've done went and got me thinking. I see another project starting to form.

[Sniper-T]

it is difficult to see in that picture, but one problem that I foresee, is emptying the upper tray. especially in the middle.

If I were to build something like that, I would make each of those four `trays` individual, so you could empty the lower one, remove it, and then slide the upper one down to the front. loading, same way, but backwards.

I assume that when it is closed, is when it is drying, but for your location, is that an appropriate angle to catch the sun? If you need more of an angle, will the food stay on the trays?

[Taz Baby]

The trays are all single tray's. I will put mine on wheels and can turn it to the sun if needed, but I shouldn't have to if I put it in the open where the sun will be directly on it for about the time it takes it to dry. I am guessing about 4 to 6 hrs. But we will see. Going to use Shower doors and window screen frames. with a screen under it for air. The wind blows good most of the time so it should not take long to dry.