Foods to Dehydrate for Survival
A wide variety of food can be dehydrated for survival purposes. As long as the food item has moisture and body to begin with, it can almost always be dehydrated. Dehydration was one of the first food preservation methods utilized by early man. Though originally a natural process, modern technology now provides many different types of artificial dehydration methods. Food can be dehydrated using sun, salt, smoke, heat, chemical or freeze-drying methods.
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Meat
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Red meat, such as beef and venison, is the best type of meat to dehydrate. Thick and fatty fish, such as salmon, also works well as a dehydrated protein. Though meat can be dehydrated without being cooked, most people prefer to dehydrate meats using smoke or salt methods. This adds to the meat's flavor and helps prevent bacterial growth.
Fruit
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Almost every kind of fruit, except citrus and melon, can be easily dehydrated. Grapes, apples, bananas, papaya, pineapple, apricot, figs, dates, cranberries and plums are all delicious when dried. Fruit can be dehydrated slowly or artificially. However, the high sugar content of most fruit makes it highly susceptible to bacteria growth, so you'll want to dehydrate it as quickly as possible.
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Grains
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Most grains are dehydrated for easy preservation. It's such a natural state for grains that people don't even realize they're eating a dehydrated food. Wheat, rice, oats, barley, corn and rye are the most common types of dehydrated grains. However, you can also survive with sorghum, millet, spelt and teff. Almost any dehydration process works on grains, including freeze-drying.
Nuts and Seeds
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Nuts and seeds are easy foods to dehydrate, regardless of whether they're shelled or not. Nuts and seeds provide a perfect balance of protein and carbohydrates. They can be eaten whole as a snack or ground into flour for baking. Walnuts, almonds, pecans, peanuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds are all easy to find and even easier to store.
Vegetables
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Many types of root vegetables dehydrate well, such as potatoes and carrots. Vegetables with some bulk and body, such as tomatoes, peppers, asparagus and mushrooms, also dehydrate well. Vegetables with a high water content can be dehydrated, but with mixed results. High-water content vegetables, such as celery, cucumbers and onions, get the best results when freeze-dried as opposed to other dehydration methods.
Herbs and Spices
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Not only are herbs and spices useful for adding flavor to a meal, they provide essential nutrients for a well-balanced diet. They are also handy as remedies for minor ailments, such as a cold, stuffy nose, scratchy throat and itchy skin. A small store of dehydrated herbs and spices, like garlic, ginger, peppermint, chamomile, cinnamon, cloves, pepper and salt, is a smart way to maximize the versatility of any dehydrated food supply.
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