drying foods jananne finck, ms, rd. nutrition & wellness educator springfield center
TRANSCRIPT
Drying Foods
Jananne Finck, MS, RD.
Nutrition & Wellness Educator
Springfield Center
Drying is New Again
One of the oldest methods of preserving food
Alternative to canning & freezing Simple, safe and easy to learn Can dry year round No refrigeration needed Takes little space
How Drying Preserves
Removes moisture from food so bacteria, yeasts & molds can’t grow and spoil food
Slows down action of enzymes but doesn’t inactivate them
Temperatures for Drying
Optimum temperature for drying food is 140°F
If higher temps are used, food cooks instead of drying
Avoid “case hardening” – dried outside and moisture is trapped inside – mold results
Helps Drying…
Low humidity aids drying Increasing air current speeds up drying,
removes air around food
Ways To Dry Food
Foods can be dried in the sun, but often doesn’t work well in Illinois…need several days of high temp and low humidity
Dry in an oven Dry in food dehydrator
Drying Out-Of-Doors
Sun Drying Dry fruits, high sugar & acid make them safe Don’t dry vegetables or jerky/meat outdoors Need hot, dry, breezy days Temp of 85ºF. or higher, for several days with
humidity below 60% Need to cover, watch materials used and
control for insects and pests
Out-Of-Doors
Solar Drying Need to make a dryer Need to stir and turn food several times a day Need several days…
Vine Drying Dry beans, lentils and soybeans Leave bean pods on vine until beans inside rattle If not dried can dry further in oven or dehydrator
Pasteurization
Freezer Method – seal food in freezer plastic bags. Freeze at 0ºF for at least 48 hours
Oven Method – Place food in single layer on fray or in shallow pan. Place in oven preheated to 160ºF for 30 minutes
Drying Foods Indoors
Food dehydrators Counter-top Convection ovens Conventional ovens
Food Dehydrators
Small electrical appliance for drying foods indoors
Electric element for heat & fat and vents for air circulation
Dry foods fast at 140ºF Buy at department stores, mail-order,
garden supply, internet
Costs?
Costs vary depending on features. Some are expandable & extra trays can be purchased. Twelve square feet of drying space dries about a half-bushel of produce.
Major disadvantage of dehydrator is limited capacity.
Dehydrator Features
Double wall construction of metal or high grade plastic, not wood
Enclosed heating element
Counter top design Enclosed thermostat
from 85ºF-160ºF
Fan or blower 4-10 open mesh trays,
plastic, sturdy, washable
UL seal 1 year guarantee Convenient service Dial for regulating temp A timer, auto- shut off
Types of Dehydrators
Horizontal Air Flow –
Heating element and fan are located on side
Major advantages – reduces flavor mixing so different foods can be dried at once, all trays get equal heat, juices don’t drip into heating element
Vertical Air Flow –
Heating element and fan located at base
Major disadvantage –
if different foods dried, flavors can mix and liquids can drip into heating element
Oven Drying
Slower than dehydrators, unless you have a convection oven, which has a fan
Take 2 times longer to dry in oven than dehydrator…oven not as efficient and uses more energy
Using Your Oven
Dial needs to go down to 140ºF Leave oven door propped oven 2-6 inches Best if you place a fan outside oven door Oven temp varies…so need accurate oven
thermometer to be sure 140 is achieved Trays should clear sides of oven & 3-4”
shorter front to back of oven, 2-3” between racks in oven
Room Drying
Herbs, hot peppers, & nuts in shell are most common air dried foods
Herbs & peppers – strung on string or tied in bundles and suspended from overhead racks in air until dry.
Can enclose in paper bags, with openings for air circulation
Spread nuts in single layer on paper
Drying Fruit
Preparing the Fruit – wash fruit and core, if needed
Fruits can be halved or sliced and some left whole Thin, uniform, peeled slices dry fastest Apples can be cored and sliced - wedges, rings Bananas can be sliced If fruit dried whole, “check” or crack the skin to
speed drying – cranberries – place in boiling then cold water to “check”
Pretreating the Fruit
Sulfuring Sulfite Dip Ascorbic Acid Ascorbic Acid
Mixtures
Fruit Juice Dip Honey Dip Syrup Blanching Steam Blanching
Drying the Fruit
Place fruit in single layer Follow directions given Follow approximate drying times given Watch food as it dries much faster at the
end of drying period
Determining Dryness of Fruit
Most fruit – should have 20% moisture content when dried
Cut several cooled pieces in half…should be no visible moisture and should not be able to squeeze any moisture from fruit
Not be sticky or tacky If piece folded in half, shouldn’t stick to
itself
After Drying…
Cool fruit 30-60 minutes before packaging…don’t pack too soon or moisture buildup could occur…don’t wait too long or could pick up moisture
Conditioning Fruits
Conditioning equalizes the moisture. Pack cooled fruit in plastic or glass jars,
seal and let stand for 7-10 days Shake jars daily to separate pieces and
check for moisture condensation If condensation, return to dehydrator for
more drying…unless has started to mold, then dispose of
Drying Vegetables
Preparing the vegetables Wash, trim, peel, according to directions Uniform pieces Dry as soon as possible after picking
Pretreating Vegetables
Water blanching – follow times given, start counting time as soon as water returns to boil. If takes more than 1 minute to return to boil, are putting in too many vegetables at a time
Steam blanching – Vegetables should be no more than 2 inches deep above boiling water. Cover and steam according to directions given for each vegetable
Cooling Vegetables
Dip briefly in cold water only long enough to stop cooking
Cool to they feel only slightly hot to touch…about 120ºF
Wipe vegetables and place in dehydrator
Determining Dryness of Veggies
Dry vegetables until brittle or “crisp” Some vegetables shatter if hit with
hammer 10% moisture Don’t need conditioning like fruits, as
lower moisture content
Fruit Leathers
Fresh Fruit
Canned or Frozen Fruits
Drying Fruit Leathers
Pour 1/8-inch thick on drying tray Take 6-8 hours to dry in dehydrator, up to 18 in
oven Dry at 140ºF Dry when no indention in center of leather When warm, peel from plastic and roll , cool and
rewrap roll in plastic Keep up to 1 month at room temp, then may
freeze up to 1 year
Jerky
Lean meat like beef, pork, venison or smoked turkey breast
If wild game is used, treat to kill Trichinella parasite by freezing a portion 6 inches or less thick at 0ºF at least 30 days…this doesn’t kill bacteria though
Eliminating E. coli O157:H7 Risk
Heating meat strips in marinade before drying – drying times will be reduced. Check temp of several strips with metal stem-type thermometer to determine 160ºF is reached.
Heating dried jerky strips in oven after drying process is completed. Heat strips 10 minutes in oven preheated to 275ºF. Thicker strips may take longer heating, check temp (160ºF) with thermometer.
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.
Reference
“So Easy To Preserve”
Cooperative Extension Service
The University of Georgia, 4th Edition, 1999.