Food Drying

Food Drying

Food drying is one of the oldest methods of preserving food for later use. It can either be an
alternative to canning or freezing, or compliment these methods. Drying foods is simple, safe
and easy to learn. With modern food dehydrators, fruit leathers, banana chips and beef jerky
can all be dried year round at home.

How Drying Preserves Food
Drying removes the moisture from the food so bacteria, yeast and mold cannot grow and spoil
the food. Drying also slows down the action of enzymes (naturally occurring substances which
cause foods to ripen), but does not inactivate them.

Because drying removes moisture, the food becomes smaller and lighter in weight. When the
food is ready for use, the water is added back, and the food returns to its original shape.
Foods can be dried in the sun, in an oven or in a food dehydrator by using the right combination
of warm temperatures, low humidity and air current.

In drying, warm temperatures cause the moisture to evaporate. Low humidity allows moisture to
move quickly from the food to the air. Air current speeds up drying by moving the surrounding
moist air away from the food.

Sun Drying- need temperatures of above 84 degrees with very low humidity. Can be risky because weather is unpredictable. Leaves food exposed to animals/insects- fruits only recommended because of high acid content.

Dehydrator- dries food quickly and efficiently at 140 degrees

Oven drying- ideal for occasional drying of meat jerkies, fruit leathers, banana chips or preserving excess produce like celery or mushrooms. It is slower than dehydrators because it does not have a built in fan for air movement and takes about twice as much time as a dehydrator.

Fruits:
wash and core fruit
cut in half or slice, some can be left whoe
thin, uniform, peeled slices dry the fastest
spray drying trays with nonstick cooking spray before placing fruit on trays
pretreatment of some fruits is required

Vegetables:
Vegetables can also be preserved by drying. Because they contain less acid than fruits, vegetables are dried until they are brittle. At this stage, only 10% moisture remains and no microorganism can grow.

Jerky:
Jerky is a lightweight, dried meat product that is a handy food for backpackers, campers and outdoor sports enthusiasts. It requires no refrigeration. Jerky can be made from almost any lean meat, including beef, pork, venison or smoked turkey breast. (Raw poultry is generally not recommended for use in making jerky because of the texture and flavor of the finished product.)

Raw meats can be contaminated with microorganisms that cause disease. These harmful bacteria can easily multiply on moist, high protein foods like meat and poultry and can cause illness if the products are not handled correctly. If pork or wild game is used to make jerky, the meat should be treated to kill the trichinella parasite before it is sliced and marinated. This parasite causes the disease trichinosis. To treat the meat, freeze a portion that is 6 inches or less thick at 0ºF or below for at least 30 days. Freezing will not eliminate bacteria from the meat.

Get organized

Today's Assignment

Choose a method of organization that works for you and tackle that stack of important papers

Don't know what to keep? How long to keep them? Here are some tips:

Automobile records (titles, registration, repairs)—As long as you own the vehicle(s)
Appointment books—1 to 10 years, depending on your comfort level
ATM slips—Maximum six years if needed for tax purposes
Bank statements—Maximum six years if needed for tax purposes
Credit card statements—Maximum six years if tax-related purchases on statements; otherwise, until annual interest statement is issued by company
Calendars (past)—According to your comfort level and whether you use them for reference or memorabilia
Catalogs and magazines—Until the next issueDividend payment records—Until an annual statement is supplied by company, then just only annual statements
Household inventory and appraisal—As long as currentInsurance policies (auto, homeowners, liability)—As long as the statute of limitations runs in the event of late claims
Insurance policies (disability, medical, life, personal property, umbrella)—As long as you own itInvestments (purchase records)—As long as you own them
Investments (sales records)—Maximum six years for tax purposes
Mortgage or loan discharge—As long as you own, or six years after discharge
Appliances—As long as you own the itemArt, antiques, collectibles—As long as you own the item
Clothing—For the length of the returns period, unless tracking your household budget
Credit card slips—Until your statement comes and you can match purchasesFurniture—As long as you own the item in case repair is needed
Home improvements—As long as you own your home, or six years after sale
Household repairs—For life of warranty, or longer to reference reliability record of service people and their rates
Major purchases—For the life of the itemMedical and tax-related—Maximum of six years
Rent—Your canceled check is sufficient
Utility bills—Your current bill and one previous year's to check billing patterns
Warranties and instructions—For the life of warranty or the item. Stick label with warranty expiration date and service repair number on bottom of appliance. If something breaks down, you've got an easy way to check if the item's still covered without even having to go to your file drawer.
Résumé—As long as it's current
Safe Deposit Box key and inventory—As long as it's current
Tax records (bank statements and canceled checks, certificates of deposit, contracts, charitable contributions, credit statements, income tax returns, lease and loan agreements, loan payment books, pension plan records, pay stubs)—The current year, plus six prior years
Vital Records (Adoption papers, birth & death certificates, citizenship papers, copyrights/patents, marriage certificate, divorce decree, letter of "Last Instructions" to executor or heirs, medical illness and vaccination records, passports, Power of Attorney, Social Security records, Wills)—Permanently

Wanna eat healthier? save money? cook creatively and have a great way to preserve food?

Today's Assignment

Learn how to dehydrate fruits and vegetables

For detailed instructions, please visit THIS site

Fall is Apple Season

Today's Assignment

Take advantage of the great prices and availability of apples during the fall season. Make some applesauce for your family- don't forget to can some for later!

For instructions, click HERE.

What to do with leftover pumpkin seeds?

Today's Assignment

Before tossing those holiday pumpkins, extract the seeds ( if your pumpkin is still good) and preserve them by drying or roasting.

Drying Pumpkin Seeds
Drying seeds and roasting seeds are two different processes. To dry, carefully wash pumpkin seeds to remove the clinging fibrous pumpkin tissue. Pumpkin seeds can be dried in the sun, in a dehydrator at 115-120ºF for 1 to 2 hours, or in an oven on warm for 3 to 4 hours. Stir them frequently to avoid scorching.

To roast, take dried pumpkin seeds, toss with oil and/or salt and roast in a preheated oven at 250ºF for 10 to 15 minutes.

This document was extracted from "So Easy to Preserve", 5th ed. 2006. Bulletin 989, Cooperative Extension Service, The University of Georgia, Athens. Revised by Elizabeth L. Andress. Ph.D. and Judy A. Harrison, Ph.D., Extension Foods Specialists.

Vacuum Sealing to preserve food

Today's Assignment

Learn about the vacuum sealing process of preserving food. Consider this as a great way to extend the shelf life of your food supply.

The Less Air, the Longer You Can Save Remove oxygen around food and you radically slow down spoilage and deterioration. FoodSaver home vacuum packaging systems offer a two-step process of removing air and sealing it out, so that your food stays fresh up to five times longer than conventional storage methods.By keeping food fresh you eliminate freezer burn. Meat, chicken, fish, vegetables and fruit will stay fresh in the freezer for months, even years. Make an entire plate of food or vacuum package last night's pizza to eat months later. The taste difference between just-cooked meals and leftovers will be indistinguishable when you vacuum package and freeze.Cheese stays fresh in the refrigerator for months and produce will stay fresh for weeks. Dry goods and snacks won't become stale or tasteless when you vacuum package and store in the pantry.



A full range of FoodSaver accessories let you keep almost all foods fresh longer in the freezer, refrigerator and pantry.Since food lasts longer, you can lower your food bill by buying in bulk or when your favorite foods are in season, and not worry about throwing out wasted food. You can even shop less frequently and still always have fresh food on hand.



With FoodSaver, you will:
Extend the freshness of food.
Eliminate freezer burn.
Keep moist foods from drying out.
Protect dry foods like brown sugar from getting hard.
Keep foods high in fats and oils from going rancid.
Marinate meat and fish in minutes.
Protect collectibles and other non-food items from aging and corrosion.


* Please note: vacuum packaging is not a substitute for canning, refrigeration or freezing

Use the Freezer!!!

Today's Assignment

While grocery shopping, stock up on whatever meat is on sale in your area. Purchase freezer ziplock bags ( size appropriate) to divide meats at home and store in your freezer.

Many people discount the use of their freezer when thinking of preserving food for their 3 month supply. Remember, it does not take a disaster in which we would be without power in order for us to turn to our home food supply for sustenance!!!

Freezing Meat

Generally, freshly slaughtered meat should be chilled for about twenty-four hours before it is frozen. Beef may be aged (chilled at between 33-40 degrees F) for up to seven days. Meat should be used after it has been initially thawed.

Meat should be wrapped in freezer paper, foil or plastic wrap. Ohio State University makes the following recommendations for keeping time:"

• Maintain freezer at 0 degrees F or less.
• Frozen ground meat should be used within 3 months.
• Pork has a short holding time of 6 to 8 months. Beef, lamb, veal and venison last 8 to 12 months. Poultry and other birds last about 12 months."
  
• They also recommend that you thaw frozen meats and poultry in the refrigerator, not at room temperature, to prevent spoilage.