Dehydrating foods is one way to preserve fresh foods so they will last until the next harvest. Humans have dehydrated food for much of recorded history; archeologists have found foods that were believed to be dehydrated over 4,000 years ago. Dehydrating is easy to do at home, and can be the basic for some fun foods, like fruit leathers, vegetable chips and meat jerky.
Low Cost
Dehydrating foods at home is inexpensive. Foods can be dried in the oven or out in the sun, or you can purchase a commercial dehydrator, which is specifically designed to maintain the correct temperature and air flow. Dehydrated foods take up less storage space without the water, so you'll need fewer containers to store the same amount of food. You can save money when you buy produce in season and dehydrate it for later use.
Nutrition
The nutritional value of foods is affected to some extent by dehydration. Vitamin C is diminished, but most of the other vitamins are retained, and mineral content remains the same. Most of the beneficial phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables remain intact, as well. Some phytochemicals, such as lycopene and polyphenols, are more concentrated after processing. Dried foods are more nutrient- and calorie-dense by volume until you reconstitute them. Ten raisins have the same calories as 10 grapes, but 1 cup of grapes has about 60 calories, while 1 cup of dried raisins has over 400.
Easy to Carry
Dehydrated foods can be carried in your bag or purse. Small dried fruits such as raisins, blueberries and apricots can be mixed with dry cereal or nuts and put into plastic bags for travel. Dehydrated foods take up less space, so they're convenient for camping trips and vacations when you want to bring your own foods.
Food Safety
Dehydrated foods don't carry the risk of botulism contamination that wet canned foods do, and dried meats are safe as long as they are dried at the right temperature for a sufficient amount of time. Dehydrated foods should be kept in cool, dark spaces. Foods that are not dried sufficiently may become contaminated with mold, and must be discarded.
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