Food Dehydrator
Preserving food is one common option for many looking to keep their harvest lasting. Freeze drying, for many, is too expensive and another option is using a food dehydrator. Adding vegetables, fruits, or meats to a food dehydrator removes a large portion of the moisture and allows the food to be preserved for a certain period. Essentially, the heat and air flow by the dehydrator reduces the water content and, in turn, this reduces bacterial growth from spoiling the food. Additionally, dehydration reduces the weight of any vegetables, or meat by reducing the water content from 80 to 95 percent down to 15 to 20 percent.
The typical food dehydrator contains a heating element, a fan, air vents, and food trays. All of these components work together to remove the moisture from the food inside. Heating causes the moisture to be removed from the food, and the fan moves the moist air out through the vents. A food dehydrator should have a wide range of temperatures for heating, but, typically, fruits and vegetables should be set at 130 degrees Fahrenheit and meats at 155 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature is too high, the foods will harden - and won't be edible for future use.
The Excalibur food dehydrator is one of the more popular and efficient models on the market. While many dehydrators use a round form with stackable tracks, the Excalibur food dehydrator uses rear-mounted equipment that allows parallel air to flow over the vegetables, fruits, or meats inside. Cool air is drawn to the back of the dehydrator with this setup, where it is heated and then distributed evenly over the foods. The warm air removes the moisture from the foods and is pushed out through the front. This way, more moisture is extracted from the food and exits the dehydrator. Warm air often finds its way to the top of a round dehydrator, where the heat source is on the bottom, and stays there.
