Before Purchasing a Food Dehydrator: How to Choose One

There are many benefits to creating dried or dehydrated foods. Dehydrated foods do not spoil easily like fresh foods and as such bacteria is not likely to grow as it would in foods that are highly concentrated with water. Water creates an opportunity for mold and microorganisms. Dried fruits can be made into leathery fruit snacks like fruit roll ups, and without the preservatives, which is a healthy snack alternative. Dried vegetables can be added to soups and casseroles and salads and countless cooking recipes. Dried foods can be rehydrated when ready to use, or they can be kept in its crisp state for added texture. Before purchasing a Food Dehydrator, which is one of the most sophisticated, yet easiest methods to drying fresh foods, there are several things you need to consider.

First, see if your family is interested in dehydrated and dried foods. Purchase some dried apricots or apples and see if your family enjoys snacking on them. Make some trail mixes using various dried fruits you can buy from bulk containers at organic grocery stores. Mix them with some raisins and seeds or nuts and store in little snack size food storage bags. Purchase some dried tomatoes and mushrooms and try using them in sauce or soup. Get a feel for how dried foods incorporate into your recipes and cooking style. Add dried fruits to hot oatmeal and cold cereals and smoothies and dips and yogurt. If you see your family enjoys the taste and texture then you know dried foods would not be wasted in your house and you can approach food dehydration with the knowledge that the foods will be practical and convenient as well as nutritious.

Next, experiment with drying some foods in your oven. You will familiarize yourself with how you need to slice and cut and prepare fruits and vegetables. You will also learn which foods take longer to dehydrate than others. You will learn to judge the doneness of various produce being dehydrated. Dried vegetables will be brittle. Dried fruits will be leathery or bendable. Dried corn and dried peas will shatter if smashed with a mortar. Do not dry onions with fruit if you do not want the fruit to pick up the scent of the onions. Herbs will become brittle when dried. After storing dried foods check that there is no condensation or moisture so you know you have fully dehydrated your fruits and vegetables. Avoid dehydrating meats until you become educated about the process.

Now you are ready to shop for your food dehydrator appliance. Dehydrators come in a variety of sizes and prices and shapes and vary with the amount of trays they have. Look to see how much space you have in your kitchen area to store the machine. Determine how often you would be using it and if you use it only every few months, then maybe you can store it in another location outside your kitchen, such as a spare closet or shelf. Be sure the dimensions of the appliance, or if you like to keep it in the original box, fit where you intend to keep your food dehydrator. Look at your counter top and see that you have enough space to use it, including enough space for the electrical cord. You want to be sure you have easy access and can move and rotate trays if needed. Realize that there will be some noise from the motor and that the unit will be generating some heat. Consider the construction of the heating element and that it is safe and not a fire hazard. Look for a unit with a timer or automatic shut off if you can’t supervise the dehydrating process. Look for a unit that has controls for temperature and other settings that are on the front of your food dehydrator. Airflow is another consideration you must keep in mind when choosing a food dehydrator. Look for a unit with a fan so it can provide even circulation of air. A fan with two speeds is ideal. Using the higher speed setting for the first stage of dehydrating is useful for rapid drying, and then switching to the lower fan speed will help remove the remaining water or moisture at optimal extraction. Determine whether the airflow will move vertically or horizontally. Vertical airflow can easily be blocked by the food trays, so a horizontal flow would be better. The trays should slide easily and the mesh or holes in the tray should be big enough to allow airflow but not so big that food bits would fall through. Look for a unit that would be large enough to handle the kinds of quantities you want to be dehydrating. Also see what the warranty is and if there are any replacement parts or additional pieces that expand the unit, see how much they cost and how they can be ordered. Once you narrow down your choices to two units, then check the internet for product reviews and ask experienced people who dehydrate foods what they think of this potential purchase. Weigh the pros and the cons including of course, price considerations, safety, space, and functionality and durability and you will feel confident you made the best choice you could. Have fun with your new food dehydrator and discovering what a great kitchen appliance it can be!

Food Dehydration Options
http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/dehydrate.html

Emergency Essentials

http://beprepared.com/article.asp?ai=62

Dehydrating, Food Dehydration:
Fruit, Beef Jerky & More
http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/dehydrating_food_dehydration.asp

http://www.food-storage-books.com/food_storage.html

How Food Preservation Works

http://home.howstuffworks.com/food-preservation3.htm

Food Dehydration Books

http://www.living-foods.com/bookstore/dehydrating.html