How Do You Make Homemade Dehydrated Foods?
Dehydration is an ancient method of food preservation. By removing the water from food, you create an inhospitable environment for bacterial growth. This eliminates the need for refrigeration and allows for lightweight, long-term storage of everything from tomatoes to mashed potatoes to soup. Once dehydrated, the items can be eaten as they are, or they can be reconstituted with the addition of water, or other liquid. Dehydration is inexpensive and easy to do at home, allowing you to take advantage of both the bounty of your garden and seasonal specials at the local market. Select favorite foods to dry. Popular choices include apples, pineapple, apricots, peaches, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peppers and beef. You can dehydrate anything that contains water. Slice your food items into thin wedges or small pieces. Slice in uniform sizes; unequal portions will dry haphazardly. Remove any visible fat from meat and any pits, seeds or cores from produce. Season or marinate your
