Dehydrated Products

Drying (dehydrating) food is one of the oldest and easiest methods of food preservation. Dehydration is the process of removing water or moisture from a food product. Removing moisture from foods makes them smaller and lighter. Dehydrated foods are ideal for backpacking, hiking, and camping because they weigh much less than their non-dried counterparts and do not require refrigeration. Drying food is also a way of preserving seasonal foods for later use.

How dehydration preserves foods

Foods can be spoiled by food microorganisms or through enzymatic reactions within the food. Bacteria, yeast, and molds must have a sufficient amount of moisture around them to grow and cause spoilage. Reducing the moisture content of food prevents the growth of these spoilage-causing microorganisms and slows down enzymatic reactions that take place within food. The combination of these events helps to prevent spoilage in dried food.

The basics of food dehydration

Three things are needed to successfully dry food at home: Heat — hot enough to force out moisture (140°F), but not hot enough to cook the food; Dry air — to absorb the released moisture; Air movement — to carry the moisture away.

Dehydrated Onion

Need GOOD Ventilation! – and Super Easy Veggie to Dehydrate! Dehydrated white onion 570 Dehydrating onions can be a tearful job, and please run your range hood vent (if you have one) and place your dehydrator as close to it as possible ... that will help enormously to take the onion odor out of the kitchen and away from your pets sensitive noses and nervous systems – it's poisonous to them!

Onions are a great source of vitamin A, followed by vitamin C. There are trace amounts of Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, vitamin B6, Riboflavin, and Thiamin. Their minerals are: a great source of Potassium, followed by Phosphorus, and Calcium. There are trace amounts of Iron, Zinc, Manganese, Copper, and Selenium too. They contains Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids.

Dehydrated Garlic

Dehydrating garlic is easy when you use Elephant, often called Mammoth Garlic! As the name implies, it's much bigger than regular bulbs, like four times bigger! (See photo at the bottom of this page.) It is milder in taste than its regular counterpart.

It is a great source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin B6, followed by Choline. There are trace amounts of vitamin K, Folate, Niacin, Thiamin, Riboflavin, and Pantothenic Acid. It is a good source of Potassium, Phosphorus, and Calcium, followed by Iron and Manganese. There are trace amounts of Zinc, Copper, and Selenium and contains Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids.