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Before the dehydration process begins, the food must be properly prepared. Fruits and vegetables should be washed and dried and sliced, with cores or pits removed, or left whole if desired (drying times will be longer). Sundried tomatoes, for example, can be made from whole or sliced fruits, depending on preference.
- The food dehydrator can be a tier of clean wire mesh sheets in the hot, dry sun or a commercially made electric food dehydrator set up on your kitchen table. It's also possible to make beef jerky in a warm oven overnight. The two basic ingredients for food dehydration are hot air and lack of moisture, or humidity, in the surrounding air. You can achieve this environment in a variety of ways, from a purchased machine to a set of trays in a sunroom.
- Place food in single layers on the food dehydration trays. Pieces can be touching each other as they will shrivel and make more space as they dry. Allow food to dehydrate for several hours, usually about 6 to 12 hours, depending on the environment and type of food. Outdoor drying requires about three days of hot, 100-degree weather. Dehydrators can render food dried in less time--6 to 12 hours for sliced tomatoes, 8 to 16 hours for banana slices. When fully dehydrated, food will be leathery to the touch with no evidence of moisture.
- Dehydrated food, properly dried, can be stored in airtight containers in a cool, dry place for several months. If the environment is humid, dehydrated foods should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer in plastic bags or containers.
