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Contents 1 Drying Food Overview 2 Steps to Drying Food 2.1 Pasteurization 2.2 Fruit Conditioning 2.3 Storage 3 Foods Suitable for Drying 3.1 Fruits Suitable for Drying 3.2 Vegetables Suitable for Drying 4 External resources

Drying Food Overview

Ripe foods can be dried as a form of preservation. This could be food you purchase, bartered for, or grew yourself. Drying is particularly useful for long-term preservation/storage, because it diminishes the weight of of input to a much more manageable size. For example, 20 pounds of any of the below will result in roughly .75-2.5 pounds of dried food.

Another method is canning.

Steps to Drying Food

To successfully dry food, you need - air movement, dry air, and heat. If you use the sun as your heat source, this can be done for essentially free.

1. Rinse ripe input (fruits/vegetables above).
2. Cut any bruised and fibrous parts.
3. Remove stems/seeds/pits.
4. Slice. At this point, you can blanche, steam, or dip into lemon juice to prevent browning and shorten drying time as well as killing spoilage organisms.
5. Place on a clean tray with sides (a standard baking sheet will work) and cover with cheesecloth.
6. Place tray outside. (If temperature at noon is greater than 90 degrees and humidity is less than 60%.)
7. If you don't have a breeze, promote circulation with a fan.
8. Dry, turning food once a day, until vegetables are brittle (~8 hours) and fruits are chewy (36-60 hours).

Pasteurization

Heat food in 160 F oven. Remove vegetables after 10 minutes. Fruits after another 5 (for a total of 15).

Fruit Conditioning

You want to evenly distribute the remaining moisture to prevent mold. Place the dried fruit in a container, seal, and store for 8 days. Shake daily to distribute. If you see condensation, repasteurize.

Storage

• Store in a cool, dry, dark place in a dry container (canning jars work great).
• Consume in 3-6 months.

Foods Suitable for Drying

Fruits Suitable for Drying

• Apples.
• Apricots.
• Bananas.
• Cherries
• Citrus Peel
• Coconuts
• Figs
• Grapes
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Pineapples
• Plums
• Rhubarb
• Tomatoes

Vegetables Suitable for Drying

• Snap Beans
• Beets
• Carrots
• Sweet Corn
• Garlic
• Horseradish
• Mushrooms
• Okra
• Onions
• Parsely
• Peas
• Peppers
• Potatoes
• Pumpkin

External resources

More from a cooperative extension pamphlet.