Place your logo here Home Drying Basics Created by: Kathleen Riggs USU Extension Agent, Iron County 1

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Place your logo here Drying (Dehydration) One of the oldest methods of preserving food Alternative to canning & freezing Simple, safe and easy to learn Can dry food year round No refrigeration needed Takes little space 3

Place your logo here How Drying Preserves Food Removes moisture stops the growth of bacteria, yeasts & molds that normally spoil food Slows down but doesn’t completely inactivate enzymes 4

Place your logo here Temperatures for Drying The ideal temperature for drying or dehydrating foods is 140° F – If higher temperatures are used, food cooks instead of drys Avoid “case hardening” – dried on outside but moisture trapped inside allowing mold growth 5

Place your logo here Climate Controls Low humidity aids drying Utah average relative humidity in Summer is 20% Illinois average relative humidity in Summer is 50-80% Increasing the air flow with fans speeds up the drying process- removes air pockets around food Consecutive days of sunshine Iron Co., UT has over 255 sunny days per year Washington Co., UT has 300 6

Place your logo here Methods for Drying Food Outdoors (Sun & Solar) – Works well in Southern Utah June - September Oven – Need temperature of 160° F and frequent rotation Dehydrator – Easiest method and most efficient but may have smallest capacity 7

Place your logo here Drying Foods Outdoors Sun Drying: – Fruits safe to dry due to high acid and sugar content – Vegetables & meats should not be dried outside They need constant temperature & airflow – Temperature of 85° F or higher for several days with humidity below 60% – Cover to protect against insects/pests 8

Place your logo here Drying Outside, continued Solar Drying- – Need to construct a dryer with panel(s) – Need to stir and turn food several times a day – Need several days of sun in a row Vine Drying- – Beans & Lentils 9

Place your logo here Drying Foods Indoors Methods: – Food dehydrator – Counter-top – Convection Oven – Conventional Oven – Microwave Oven 10

Place your logo here Food Dehydrators These are small electrical appliances for drying foods indoors They contain an electric element for heat, fan & vents for air circulation Some have actual temperature controls but usually dry at 140° F Widely available in stores, catalogs and on-line 11

Place your logo here Common Dehydrator Features Plastic or metal (not wood) Enclosed heating element Counter top design Enclosed thermostat (readings from 85°F- 160°F) Fan or blower 4-10 open mesh trays- made of sturdy, washable plastic UL Seal of Approval 1 year warranty Dial/control for regulating temperature A timer, or auto-shut- off 12

Place your logo here Types of Air Flow Horizontal Air Flow Heating element and fan are located on the side – Major disadvantages: Higher priced Take up a lot of counter space – Major advantages: Different foods can be dried at same time without flavors mixing Equal heat distribution No drips on to trays below Vertical Air Flow Heating element and fan on top or bottom of unit – Major disadvantages: Dries smaller quantities Trays need to be rotated throughout process for equal drying – Major advantages: Smaller units Lower cost 13

Place your logo here Oven Drying If you use your oven: – Dial needs to go down to 140°- 160°F – Leave oven door open 2-6 inches – Best if you place a fan outside oven door to force air movement – Oven cycles on and off- make certain thermostat is accurate at 140°F – (Hint: Most ovens don’t go this low) – Tray size should be 3-4” shorter (front to back); leave 2-3” between racks 14

Place your logo here Oven Drying Slower process than using dehydrators, unless you have a convection range that moves the air Could take twice as long to dry than a dehydrator… oven is not as efficient and uses more energy 15

Place your logo here Room Temperature Drying Method used mainly for herbs & hot peppers – Strung on string or tied in bundles and suspended from overhead racks in air until dry OR – Enclosed in paper bags with openings for air circulation – Herbs can also be dried in the microwave oven 16

Place your logo here The Process 17

Place your logo here Drying Fruit Prepare the Fruit- wash, core and peel if desired Fruits can be halved or sliced and some left whole Thin, uniform, peeled slices dry fastest If fruit is whole, “check” or crack the skin to speed drying 18

Place your logo here Drying Fruit, continued Pre-treatment – Some fruits need to have enzymes inactivated before drying– especially those that oxidize when exposed to air (e.g. bananas, apples, pears) Ascorbic Acid Fruit juice dip Honey dip Syrup blanching Commercial acids 19

Place your logo here Arranging Fruit for Drying Do not over fill – Leave room for air circulation Lay as flat as possible Dry similar fruits together – Avoid mixing strong odors 20

Place your logo here Determining Dryness of Fruit Drying fruit can take anywhere from 6 hours for thin or small pieces or hours for larger juicy fruits such as peach or apricot halves. Dried fruit will feel leathery; won’t stick to itself Cut fruit should have no visible moisture inside though it may be soft 21

Place your logo here After Drying Fruit… Cool fruit minutes before packaging… don’t pack too soon or moisture buildup could occur… Don’t wait too long or the fruit could pick up moisture from the air 22

Place your logo here Conditioning Fruit Conditioning is used to equalize moisture – Pack cooled fruit in plastic bag or glass jar – Seal and let stand for 7-10 days – Shake jars daily to separate pieces and check for moisture (condensation on sides of bag/jar) – If there is condensation, return fruit to dehydrator for more drying or place in freezer There is a chance mold will have already started growing in too-moist fruit- Discard if you find mold. 23

Place your logo here Fruit Leathers Made from pureed fruit – Can use fresh/frozen fruit or canned fruit May add sugar, honey, or lemon juice for flavor and color retention May add coconut or nuts Dry on special drying tray that comes with dehydrator Dry until pliable; no wet spots; not crispy 24

Place your logo here Drying Vegetables Prepare the vegetables – Wash, trim, and peel – Cut uniform pieces or leave whole – Dry as soon as possible after harvesting 25

Place your logo here Pre-treating Vegetables Water blanching– – Follow recommended times – Do not over-fill basket or pan – Start timing when water returns to boil after placing vegetables in basket Steam blanching- – Place in basket above boiling water (no more than 2 inches higher) – Cover pan/pot and begin timing 26

Place your logo here Cooling Vegetables Dip briefly in cold water only long enough to stop cooking Cool until they are only slightly hot to touch– about 120° F Wipe and spread vegetables out on racks for drying 27

Place your logo here Determining Dryness of Veggies Dry vegetables until brittle or “crisp” Some vegetables shatter if hit hard Low moisture (10%) Cool, place in bags or jars and seal – Should store up to 1 year if in a cool dark place in jars with air-tight lids 28

Place your logo here Jerky Use lean meat (cuts of beef, pork, venison, or smoked turkey breast) If wild game is used, freeze meat for 30 days to kill Trichinella parasite – If you are raising your own meat, make certain slaughtered animals do not eat any carcasses of mice, etc. (mostly hogs) 29

Place your logo here Eliminating Illness Causing Bacteria Dip meat strips in boiling marinade 15 seconds before drying– dry as usual Check temperature of several strips- 160° F is desired temperature Heat dried jerky strips in oven after drying process is completed. Heat 10 minutes in oven pre-heated to 275° F. Thicker strips may take longer. Test internal temp ° F is target 30

Place your logo here Determining Dryness of Jerky Jerky should bend and “crack” but not break There should be no surface moisture or visible moisture when cut open Will be somewhat chewy 31

Place your logo here Storing Jerky Properly dried jerky keeps at room temp for 2 weeks in sealed container. For best results, to increase shelf life and maintain best flavor and quality, refrigerate or freeze jerky and take out as needed 32

Place your logo here Nutritional Value of Dried Foods Fresh produce provides calories, fiber, minerals and vitamins. Changes that can be expected in home-dried food are: – Calories: No change – Fiber: No change – Minerals: Minimal loss – Vitamins: Greater loss during dehydration process (more susceptible to heat, air and light) 33

Place your logo here Yields Because drying removes moisture, the food shrinks and decreases in size and weight. When water is added to the dried product, it returns to its original size 25 lbs. apples =4 lbs. dried 25 lbs. onions =3 lbs. dried = 34

Place your logo here References “So Easy to Preserve”- University of Georgia Drying Food, University of Illinois Extension Food Preservation: Dehydration- New Mexico State University Home Drying of Food, Utah State University Extension Download: FN-330.pdf FN-330.pdf 35

Place your logo here © Utah State Univ. Extension Utah State University is committed to providing an environment free from harassment and other forms of illegal discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age (40 and older), disability, and veteran’s status. USU’s policy also prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in employment and academic related practices and decisions. Utah State University employees and students cannot, because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or veteran’s status, refuse to hire; discharge; promote; demote; terminate; discriminate in compensation; or discriminate regarding terms, privileges, or conditions of employment, against any person otherwise qualified. Employees and students also cannot discriminate in the classroom, residence halls, or in on/off campus, USU-sponsored events and activities. This publication is issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Noelle E. Cockett, Vice President for Extension and Agriculture, Utah State University. Author: Kathleen Riggs USU Cooperative Extension. August