How to Dry Meal Worms

Dried meal worms can be stored for up to one year without refrigeration. This is convenient for those who keep pet amphibians or reptiles as these worms are often used to feed such animals. The process of drying out the meal worms is called freeze drying or roasting. Regardless of the name, this process removes moisture from the larvae and allows it to be kept for long periods of time without fear of spoiling.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Freezer
• Corn meal
• Baking sheet
• Grill
• Potholders
• Sealed container

1. Place meal worms into the freezer in a sealed container. Allow them to remain in the freezer until the worms are frozen solid and dead.

2. Sprinkle corn meal onto the bottom of a large baking sheet to prevent the worms from sticking to the sheet during cooking. Place the frozen meal worms onto the baking sheet.

3. Turn an outdoor electric or propane grill on and set it to the lowest heat setting. Place the baking sheet on the grill and close the lid. Allow the worms to roast for four to five hours, shaking the pan every 30 minutes or so to prevent burning.

4. Remove the pan from the grill using potholders. Allow the meal worms to cool and then place them in a sealed container for future use.

Tips & Warnings

• Meal worms can be dried in an oven set to 200 degrees but doing so may cause an unpleasant odor to fill your home.

References

• Freeze dry meal worms