How to Build a Food Dehydrator

The secret to extending the bounty of the summer is food preservation. This can be accomplished by canning, freezing or drying. Through dehydration, food retains nutrients and flavor. Dried food is compact, light weight and effortless to store and use. Store bought food dehydrators can be expensive to purchase. For a few dollars you can build a food dehydrator yourself by following the instructions below.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Heavy duty, corrugated cardboard packing box
• Aluminum foil
• Duct tape or glue
• Light socket
• Lamp unit with attached electrical cord
• Ceramic light surface mount
• 150 watt bulb
• Spare piece of cardboard
• Pencil
• Scissors or utility knife
• Thin aluminium baking sheets
• Strips of wood trim, unfinished

1. Line the entire inside of a heavy-duty corrugated cardboard box with aluminum foil. Smooth the foil over the flaps, sides and bottom of the box and secure it with duct tape.

2. Insert a 150-watt light bulb into the socket and plug in the cord; test to make sure the socket works. Run the cord through the light surface mount creating your light unit.

3. Trace the outline of the base of your light unit onto a piece of cardboard and cut to fit. Attach the cardboard to the light unit securing it with glue or tape, covering the back and preventing direct contact with the aluminum once the light is attached.

4. Place the light unit in one corner of the bottom of the box. Make a small hole to run the electrical cord through and secure the unit with tape or glue.

5. On opposite sides of the box, measure and create slots to slide the wooden trimming through. These will hold the baking sheets full of food above the light unit. You should use at least two wooden supports per baking sheet and sheets should have at least 1 inch of air space between them.

6. Place the un-dehydrated food on the baking sheets. Place the baking sheets in the box. Plug in the light and close the lid.

7. Check your food regularly, at least once every three hours, until you have reached the desired level of dehydration.

Tips & Warnings

• Using this model, beef jerky takes approximately 8 to 10 hours made from slices of raw, seasoned meat, while jerky made from raw ground meat takes 12 to 14 hours. If you are drying fruits or vegetables, always use food that has fully ripened and is as fresh as possible. To prepare produce for drying, simply wash, slice to the desired thickness--taking care to make all the pieces as uniform as possible, place on the trays and dry. Look for bargains by making the most of seasonal specials: berries in the early summer, tomatoes at summer's end and apples in the fall.

Resources

• Drying and Dehydrating Food

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