In the United States, nearly 32% of the food purchased by the average household is wasted, with a total annual loss of Approximately $240 billionAll wasted food is hard on the household budget because the moment rotten food hits a trash can or compost pile, your money goes with it. If you want to eat groceries instead, consider dehydrating before it goes bad.
How to make dehydrated food
Safely dehydrating food is fairly straightforward, according to Brian Mayer, a butcher educator based in Kailua, Hawaii. industrial revolution for centuries.
“It’s part of the way we make food safe to eat before it’s refrigerated and, of course, canned, so it’s completely within reach for most people,” he explains. It’s certainly fun and I think I can personally use it to reduce waste and avoid composting.”
Dehydration of meat, poultry and fish
According to Meyer, the main thing to know when drying raw meat, poultry, or fish is to first reduce the heat to a food-safe temperature specific to that protein before lowering the heat to a suitable level for dehydration. If you need a reference, the U.S. Department of Agriculture List of safe minimum internal temperatures for various foods.
Beyond that, start with the highest quality cut you can get, says Mayer. recommends a thinner cut.
“Slice it as thick or thin as you like and then marinate, usually for up to 24 hours,” he says. The longer you marinate, the more salt in the spice mix will soak into the meat. That means more time for the salt to penetrate your cells and break things down.
[Related: Your food could be better if you salt it at the right time]
Other spices stay on the surface of the meat and don’t undergo molecular changes the way salt does, adds Mayer. You can choose tried-and-true options like barbecue sauce and mustard, or add something you’re unlikely to buy at a store, like Dr. Pepper or red wine and fish sauce. Possible Meat Jerky Flavor Combinations.
When you determine that the meat has marinated long enough, line the strips on a dehydrator rack or oven pan rack. Always make sure you’re sucking as much moisture out of the meat as possible before).
Dehydration of fruits, vegetables, herbs and mushrooms
If you dehydrate fruits, vegetables, herbs, or mushrooms, wash them to remove dirt, dust, or other contaminants and to prevent new contaminants, such as insects, from entering the newly dehydrated goods. It is important to brush your food well. Doing so will prevent food from spoiling.
Then cut everything to the same size to ensure even dehydration across the rack. A mandolin helps keep your cuts consistent.
Colorado State University recommends choosing One of several fruit pretreatment methodsusing crystals of pure ascorbic acid, citric acid, or other similar substances to break down tough skin, prevent discoloration, and kill unhealthy bacteria.
Because home-dried produce may not dehydrate evenly,conditioningLoosely pack in a shaker container daily for a week to help distribute any remaining moisture. National Home Food Preservation Center at the University of Georgia.
For vegetables, cut off the inedible parts such as stems and rotten parts, wash well and dry.different Vegetables dehydrate more easily after blanchingor according to the Food Network, boil briefly and then immerse in an ice bath.
Herbs do the same. Trim any damaged, discolored or inedible parts and thick stems before placing them on the dehydration rack. However, it leaves less room for experimentation with temperature and time with herbs, so set your dehydrator or countertop oven to the lowest possible setting and bake until crumbly. You can also heat for 2-3 minutes, then heat in 30 second intervals until dry.
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If you don’t want to mechanically dry herbs, sage, thyme, rosemary, etc. Hardy herbs can be bundled and air dried indoorsaccording to the Oregon State University Masters Food Preservation Program. While soft herbs like basil and mint can also be bundled and allowed to air dry, OSU hangs them inside paper bags with vents on the top and sides and closes the top. We recommend placing it in a warm place with good air circulation.
Mushroom dehydration is similar to other types of food dehydration, except you don’t have to think about pretreatment. Clean them thoroughly, make sure they are free of bugs, cut off any inedible or hard parts, then cut them into uniform size pieces. Store mushrooms loosely in an airtight container like you would any fruit or vegetable, shaking daily for a week to adjust.
How much food can you dehydrate at one time?
At the peak of the mushroom season, Rob Lubais a plant-based chef, oyster oyster His restaurant in Washington, D.C. says it offers “easy” delivery of 100 pounds of local mushrooms each week. Not all of it looks clean enough to plate, so less attractive items end up dehydrated for use in future recipes.
This means there is no upper limit to how much food you can dehydrate, as long as you have enough space, heat and time. However, best practice is to place everything in even layers with nothing overlapping the racks of the seat pan to maximize heat and air flow. Rationally speaking, you can dehydrate as much as you can fit in your oven or dehydrator rack. We recommend that you consider a combination of For example, apples and garlic together do not taste very good.
do i need food dryer?
If you have an oven (countertop or otherwise) that can reach low enough temperatures (around 200 degrees Fahrenheit), you don’t need to buy a food dryer.It is also possible to dried in the suntomatoes, apricots, peppers, grapes, or high sugar and acidityThis requires tall racks or screens that allow air to pass over all sides and avoids materials that can stain or contaminate food.But production only: USDA We do not recommend drying the meat in the sun. Because it’s hard to keep everything healthy and hygienic.
That said, dehydrators cost money and take up space, but having one allows you to multitask in your kitchen by dehydrating while you use your oven for other tasks. Food dryers are also purpose-built so you can fine-tune temperature settings, keep heat and dryness constant, and use rack levels to dehydrate more than in a single-rack countertop oven. In case of emergency, you may be able to build your own dehydrator.
But if you really If you don’t have the space for a new kitchen appliance and you don’t want to overfill your oven, Rubba suggests using the heat lost from cooking and baking in your oven to dehydrate your food.
“When the oven cools down, it cools down and dries slowly,” he explains, adding that it’s also a great way to make bread crumbs. [the food] Go outside and dehydrate yourself with something. This is a good way to utilize your remaining energy. “
what to do with dehydrated food
Some items, like dried meat sticks, are probably best served as snacks or dietary supplements.
Dehydrated mushrooms can be vegan jerky, but they can also be re-moistened and used in stocks, stews, or anywhere you would normally use mushrooms.TH Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University Recommend rehydrating mushrooms 15 to 20 minutes in boiling water.
[Related: 4 benefits of eating mushrooms]
Other dry goods can also be reconstituted with water. Generally, 1 cup of dry food should be soaked in 1-3 cups of water for 30-90 minutes. Hydration with fruits and vegetables (Page 7 of the linked PDF).
Slices or pieces of dried pineapple, oranges, kiwi, or other fruit can be eaten as a garnish for drinks or meals, or as a snack. Vegetables can be eaten as is or dried into chips that can be crumbled into other things such as pasta dough or salads or used as toppings. Herbs can be dried and ground into homemade spice mixes. .
Oyster At Oyster’s Bread Service, Rubba’s team makes vegan marigold butter.
Another benefit of dehydrating food is the concentration of flavor that occurs when water is removed. Finalists for the 2023 James Beard Awardssaid that it can lead to “amazing” complexity.
“I boiled a whole pumpkin, smoked it, dried it for a week, and made this giant, hard pumpkin that you can grate on a plate. Skipjack [flake]And at Rubba’s restaurant, “slowly reducing cucumber juice in a dehydrator gives it a wild, spicy flavor you wouldn’t expect from a cucumber.”
How long can dehydrated food be stored
Proper storage is important for the longevity of dehydrated foods. Lubba recommends using an airtight container to loosely pack the dehydrated material and place a silica packet inside to allow any remaining moisture to escape. Clean or check thoroughly. Silica beads are generally non-toxic, but can pose a choking hazard.
Dried fruits, vegetables, and mushrooms are shelf-stable, especially if you live in a humid climate, but they’re better than the pantry because they shouldn’t be exposed to moisture, he explains. stored in.
dried herbs, fruits and vegetables Should last up to 1 year However, it does not keep for long in hotter conditions. According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, most dried fruits can be kept at 60 degrees Fahrenheit for one year and at 80 degrees Fahrenheit for six months, and vegetables can be kept about half as long as fruits.
Properly dried meat doesn’t keep very long, according to the center.It will only last about two weeks at room temperature in an airtight container, but it can be refrigerated or frozen for longer shelf life. , you might end up eating it long before the two weeks are up.
