Food drying is the oldest method of preservation preventing the development of undesirable microorganisms in food which is the leading cause of food going bad. This gentle method is used for long term food storage. Drying is a simple and suitable form for processing almost all types of fruit, vegetables, mushrooms, herbs and meat. Because of the process of gentle drying with the EZIDRI, an extremely high percentage of nutrients is retained compared to other forms of preserving. It is a natural process involving no additives, such as preservatives, sugars or salts.
For each type of raw food there should be an individual approach and attention given to the correct length of processing at a certain temperature regime. Therefore drying in domestic conditions such as the attic, a space under a hot roof, on a radiator or a sheet of newspaper does not lead to efficient dehydration. Quite the opposite - very slow and uncontrollable drying occurs in such conditions. Vitamins, however, are sensitive to high temperature, light and atmospheric oxygen.
This mainly applies to produce that contain both a large amount of water and fiber, such as pears or plums. Drying for too long periods of time with temperature fluctuations can start the formation of mold and thus completely devalue the food. For high-quality drying of food and preservation of vitamins, minerals and trace elements a good quality food dehydrator is essential.
Drying enables to preserve surplus harvest from your own garden or cheaply bought seasonal produce. Dried foods can be a readily available source of vitamins and protein during the winter season.
Stored in ideal conditions (i.e., in a cool, dark, dry place) or the freezer as the produce does not freeze-up as such, as there is less than 2% moisture. The produce has a long shelf-life and has the advantage of reducing the produce by up to 90% of its original volume. It should be remembered that if the dried food is stored in a refrigerator or freezer, there will be no detrimental effect if the electricity is turned off for any length of time.
You can achieve high-quality dehydration of food ready for consumption or safe storage under the following conditions:
- Dehydration temperature between 30 – 70 °C.
- With the help of a stream of warm air and without the presence of light.
- The drying time should not be too long. The drying time depends on the amount of water locked in fiber, thickness and also the room temperature and atmospheric humidity in the drying place.
- The temperature and time must be chosen individually with regard to the amount of water and fiber contained in the raw material. The more water locked in fiber the food contains, the longer the drying time.
- The concentration of natural sugars increases with drying, ripe fruit does not need to be sweetened.
- Always dry fresh foods, never rotten or moldy.
- Cut fruit into slices, chips or pieces 5 mm thick. Slice vegetables.
- Use a fine mesh sheet for drying small pieces.
- Place slices of raw foods on the sheets in one layer, right next to each other so that the entire surface of the sheet is used.
- Under these conditions, fruits and vegetables retain a large amount of vitamins, color and aroma.
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