Dehydrating food is becoming another favorite way of preserving our harvest. I don’t know that I’ll ever give up canning, but drying has some advantages.
The main advantage is space. Dried foods take up hardly any space at all compared to both freezing and canning. A quart size jar holds a lot of food!
It also is better for the nutritional value of your foods. I hate to admit it, but yes…. canned food does lose more nutrition than dried. (Of course, there are other advantages to home canned food.)
The other is energy. No energy is expended to store dried foods. You do use electricity to run an electric dehydrator, but it is still efficient. If you have a way to dry foods with solar energy, that is even better!
I’ve been canning a long time, and I’m sure I’ll continue. But I’ve been on a mission to learn more…especially since my husband built me a solar dehydrator. (Very big smile!)
Dehydrating Fruit
Fruit
Apples, apricots, strawberries, and more. Super healthy snacks. Pears are the best!! It’s nature’s candy!
Fruit Leather Recipe
This fruit leather recipe isn’t hard to make, but it’s delicious and allows you to avoid excess sugars and dyes from store-bought fruit rollups!
Dehydrating Vegetables
Vegetables
Most vegetables, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, green beans, and more. Have you ever cooked with dried tomatoes? Oh my, it is the bomb (as my son would say)!
Tomatoes
Learn how to dry tomatoes and make homemade tomato powder.
Green Beans
Dehydrating green beans: How to dry green beans. Includes step-by-step directions from picking and blanching to storage.
Zucchini Chips
How to dry zucchini, both chips and diced.
Corn
Dehydrating corn. These are step-by-step directions to create your own dried sweet corn
How to Dry Herbs
Learning how to dry herbs is fun, easy, and economical. Do you grow and cook with your own fresh kitchen herbs?
Carrots
Learn about dehydrating carrots. Includes step-by-step directions.
Dehydrator Reviews & Other Information
Here are reviews on some of the more popular dehydrators available on the market.
Cabela’s Commercial Dehydrator
What did SimplyCanning.com think of Cabela’s Commercial Food Dehydrator?
Nesco Food Dehydrator (and American Harvest Dehydrator)
Nesco Food Dehydrator has been a leading name in food dehydration for more than 30 years, using patented technology proven to dry foods quicker and more evenly.
Ronco Food Dehydrator
Ronco food dehydrator is advertised as a good ‘starter’ unit, but is it really that good?
Magic Chef Food Dehydrator
Magic Chef Food Dehydrator: Learn all about it at SimplyCanning.com.
Excalibur Dehydrator
Excalibur Dehydrator: What’s all the fuss about? If you’re looking for a food dehydrator, take a look and find out!
Handy Tools for Dehydrating
Some tools that make things very easy. You could get by with a good knife, but slicing and dicing will go much quicker with these items. Even and thin is needed for most food items.
How to Choose a Good Dehydrator
What are the differences in types and brands. Round? Square? Fan? No Fan? Cheap? Expensive? Worth it?
Harvest Right Freeze Dryer
A freeze dry to use in your own home…DIY style! Learn how to freeze dry your own recipes and fill your food storage yourself.
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Page last updated: 6/9/2021