How to Use a Warming Tray for Dehydrating Food

A warming tray will dehydrate fruits, vegetables and meats.

Dehydrating removes all moisture from food, thus preventing bacterial growth and decay. Food dehydration has been used for thousands of years; it is most commonly done today with a food dehydrator. However, if you do not have a food dehydrator on hand, you can use a warming tray. Warming trays are intended to keep foods and drinks warm over a period of time. You can use a warming tray to dehydrate food in less than a day's time.

Things You'll Need

• Knife
• Waxed paper
• Spatula
• Airtight container

Instructions

1. Slice the food you want to dehydrate into pieces no more than 1/8-inch thick. Thicker slices will not properly dehydrate on a warming tray.

2. Lay a sheet of wax paper over the warming tray to keep the food from sticking to its surface.

3. Arrange the food slices on the covered warming tray in an even layer. Do not stack the slices atop each other, as they will stick together and not dry evenly.

4. Turn the warming tray on and leave the food to dehydrate for six hours.

5. Flip the slices over with a spatula at the end of the six-hour period. Allow the food to dehydrate for an additional six hours.

6. Check the food to see if it is fully dehydrated. If not, flip it and leave it for another six hours. If the food is dehydrated, remove it from the wax paper and store it in an airtight container.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not cover the food as it dehydrates. Doing so will contain moisture and interfere with the process.

References

• "Cooking Basics for Dummies"; Bryan Miller, Marie Rama and Eve Adamson; 2011
• "Dehydrating Food: A Beginner's Guide"; Jay Bills and Shirley Bills; 2010