Dehydration is an ideal way to preserve any food. It preserves practically all of its properties (vitamins, minerals, etc.) and even enhances them, intensifying the sweet taste due to the concentration of sugars.
When we dehydrate or dry foods such as fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, herbs, bread, etc., we make them lose almost all of the water they contain, allowing them to be preserved and making it possible for the food to last for months. In addition, it provides advantages such as reducing storage space, since when dehydrating a fruit, it loses around 75% of its original weight. 25grs. of dehydrated fruit is equivalent to 100grs. of fresh fruit.
Another feature of dehydration is that it improves preservation, extending the shelf life of food. Below we show several methods of drying food.
dehydrated foods
How to dehydrate food in the oven
Preheat the oven to 40-47°C. It is helpful to know how your oven performs beforehand, as no two home ovens are the same. Turn off the oven when it approaches 47°C. Temperatures between 55-70°C destroy nutrients.
Leave the oven door ajar. The opening should be between 5 and 10 cm, so that moisture can escape and the temperature can be controlled.
If your oven has a fan, use it. The constant airflow will dry thin slices and small fruits faster.
Turn the fruit pieces every 20 to 30 minutes to ensure even drying. Use kitchen tongs.
If the fruit looks dry, it is ready. The total dehydration time of the pieces depends on several factors: the amount of water contained in the fruit, the size of the slice, the temperature of the oven and the level of humidity in the air. However, as a guide, an average of 2-4 hours or until they look dry can be calculated.
How to dehydrate food in the microwave
Select quality, fresh fruit, at the ideal point of ripeness and without obvious damage.
Wash it and dry it very well (you can use kitchen paper, the absorbent kind).
Cut it into thin slices. Choose only one type of fruit for each drying batch.
Place the fruit slices on a microwave-safe plate (or on the glass turntable in the microwave itself). Spread them out without piling them up.
Set the microwave for approximately 30 to 45 minutes (time depends on the fruit, humidity and size). Select the defrost function to prevent burning.
How to dehydrate food in the sun
Wash the fruit thoroughly and dry it very well (use kitchen paper, preferably absorbent).
Expose the fruit slices to the sun and wind in a slit to allow the wind to circulate.
Cover the slices with a fine mosquito net or gauze to keep out insects. It is essential that the fruit receives direct sunlight and air.
Turn the pieces every 12 hours.
The ambient temperature should be around 29 °C.
If the fruit looks dry, it is ready. It may take 2-5 days to fully dehydrate.
How to dehydrate food with an electric dehydrator
A dehydrator is a device created exclusively to dry food, in a totally controlled manner.
Advantages of the dehydrator
Avoid climate variability.
Ensures hygiene.
It allows you to choose different textures (crunchy, chip, crackers or kuwait numbers soft textures).
It consumes little electricity.
You avoid chemical additives.
Dry fruits, vegetables, fish and meats.
Method of preparation
Select produce that is at its best and discard overripe or stained produce. Then wash it with water to remove any dirt.
Peel and cut into slices or strips no more than 1 centimeter thick.
Place them separately in the dehydrator to begin drying.
After drying, package quickly and store in a dry, ventilated place protected from light.
A good example of living without waste and taking advantage of these dehydration techniques is recycling the tomato skins that you normally throw away. Place them on a tray suitable for any of the methods mentioned above on baking paper and let them dry until they are super crispy without any moisture. Then grind them with a pulverizer robot and put them in an airtight jar. Use it as a condiment in the kitchen for everything, you can even mix it with flaky salt, and you can add a touch of flavor to your stews, to intensify the flavor of any sauce, omelette or scrambled egg, and even in pizza and bread dough. And even more, if you put 1 tablespoon of tomato powder, add a pinch of water and stir... you will get an instant concentrated tomato.
In conclusion, food dehydration is an alternative for preserving food, so you can enjoy out-of-season products and make the most of every piece of meat, fruit or vegetable you have at home.