Dehydrating

Dehydrating is a way of preserving and changing the texture of foods by removing water from them. The warm temperature in the dehydrator draws the moisture out of food into the air while the air currents from the fan speed up drying by moving the moist air away from the food. When buying a dehydrator make sure to buy one with a fan and a temperature control.

The longer foods are dried and the higher the temperature that foods are dried at, the more life force and nutrients will be lost. Dehydrate below 115 degrees as enzymes are destroyed above this temperature.

Dehydrated foods, while still alive and raw, are not as healthy as unprocessed whole foods. However, drying foods is a way of preserving them that keeps most of their food enzymes and nutrients intact while preventing mold, yeast and bacteria to grow. Without water, these microorganisms cannot exist and spoil food.

Dehydrated foods can be great for transitioning to a raw diet, providing a link between cooked and raw foods, and providing denser, more filling foods, that will stay with you longer.

Dehydrators have many uses:

• Creating raw recipes: breads, crackers, burgers, patties, cereals, cookies, etc.
• Drying whole or sliced natural plant foods: tomatoes, apples, bananas, apricots, etc.
• Drying sprouted or soaked grains, nuts and seeds for longer storage.
• Heating up foods.
• Marinating vegetable entrees - vegetables will absorb marinade and soften slightly in the dehydrator.

Drying foods is a slow process, often taking up to a day or even longer. The drying time will depend on the type of food, its thickness and how dry you want it to be. Be patient. Do not try to speed up time by turning up the heat - this not only harms valuable nutrients but also the outside will dry faster than the inside and if there is moisture left on the inside mold will be created more quickly there.

After drying allow a cooling period of 30 minutes to an hour to prevent condensation.

Beware of commercially dried foods. These often contain sulfur dioxide, sodium bisulfate, refined sugar and other chemicals, which help to retard spoilage but are harmful to our health.

Dehydrated foods will keep for long periods of time. Depending on the food and the amount it is dried, most foods will keep for a month or longer with proper storage. Store dehydrated foods in an air-tight container or zip-lock bag in the coolest, darkest, driest place you can find. They can be stored well in the refrigerator and most can be frozen for even longer storage.