Dehydrating reduces the moisture in food and is an alternative to canning and freezing foods in an effort to preserve them for later use. Drying creates a number of convenience and health-related benefits for individuals as well as for food manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies. Foods can be sun-dried, freeze-dried or spray-dried; each method also comes with distinct advantages. Most foods, including meats, fish, grains, herbs, fruits and vegetables, can be dehydrated. Some foods can be later re-hydrated.
Convenience and Storage
You can easily store dehydrated foods. They do not take up the same amount of space required by foods that are canned or frozen. Convenience is another advantage of dehydrated foods; you can always have a supply of food available. Dehydrated foods, especially fruits, also make great, convenient snacks and are a perfect alternative to pricey and nutritionally poor snack foods available from the supermarket.
In a Pinch
Foods that are dried are available in emergencies such as when refrigerated foods get spoiled in a power outage or when you can't cook due to a problem with your stove.
No Spoiling
Dehydrated foods don't require refrigeration. This means they represent savings in terms of energy costs as well. Dehydrated foods don't spoil. When foods are sufficiently dehydrated, dangerous microorganisms cannot grow on them. This means molds, yeast and bacteria, which need water to grow, won't be a problem on dehydrated food and you need not be concerned with botulism.
Carry and Go
Dried foods are light weight. Dehydration reduces the weight and volume of most foods. This is an important consideration for hikers, campers, astronauts and other long-distance travelers who must carry their food with them. In addition, this makes shipping less expensive for food makers.
Savings and Shelf Life
Dehydrating your own foods brings down your food costs. This means you can buy foods, especially produce, when they are in season at their cheapest cost and dry them for later use. You can store dehydrated foods for up to a year.
Nutrient Rich
Dehydrated food is essentially raw food. That means it retains all its enzymes, vitamins, minerals and general nutritional value that would be lost or damaged by cooking.
References
- University of Missouri Extension: Quality for Keeps: Drying Foods
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: Drying Food
- Virginia Tech: Using Dehydration to Preserve Fruits, Vegetables, and Meats
- Peace Corps: Improved Food Drying and Storage Training Manual
- National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service: Food Dehydration Options
