Excalibur, L'Equip, and Back-to-Basics food dehydrators are available here at rock-bottom low prices. Excalibur dehydrators ship free with free accessories. Food dehydration is one of the fastest and easiest ways to preserve foods from the garden and orchard. You will love the taste and nutrition in every bite of dried fruit and jerky made in your own quality Excalibur, L'Equip, or Back to Basics Dehydrator. These electric food dehydrators are highly recommended by CanningPantry.com for preserving the season's harvest.
Food drying is one of the oldest methods of preserving food for later use. With a modern food dehydrator, drying food is simple, safe and easy to learn. Dried food is great in traditional cooking recipes and can save you a lot of time during meal preparation. Dried foods are also ideal for camping and backpacking as they take up little weight or space and do not require refrigeration. Fruit leathers make wonderful snacks, loved by kids for its good taste, and moms for its nutrition. Note: Excalibur dehydrators and L'Equip dehydrators always ship free via UPS Ground!
Drying removes the moisture from the food so that bacteria, yeasts and molds cannot grow and spoil the food. It also slows down the action of enzymes, 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.
The optimum temperature for drying food is 140°F. If higher temperatures are used, the food will cook instead of drying. When the food cooks on the outside and the moisture cannot escape, "case hardening" can occur. The food will eventually mold. Thus, the drying process should never be hurried by raising the drying temperature.
Low humidity aids the drying process. Food contains a lot of water. To dry food, the water must move from the food to the surrounding air. If the surrounding air is humid, then drying will be slowed down.
Increasing the air current speeds up drying by moving the surrounding moist air away from the food.
To speed the drying time, increase the airflow. 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. Excalibur dehydrators have an adjustable thermostat and heavy-duty fan to ensure the correct drying conditions.
