A major
problem
in drying foods at home is determining if and when the food item is
dry.
Judging when food is dry requires experience, but keep in mind that it
is better to overdry than to underdry.
Don't
be surprised to find a variety of suggestions for drying methods,
temperatures,
and lengths of time. When in doubt, continue drying for an additional
15
to 30 minutes, than check for doneness. Allow the product to cool
before
testing.
The length of time needed for drying will depend on the size and
number of pieces dried at one time. Drying fruit can take anywhere from
6 hours for very thin or small pieces such as apple slices or grapes to
10 hours for larger juicy fruits such as peach or apricot halves.
Temperature
and humidity will also affect the drying time.
The drying process is simply
not as precise as canning and freezing because it involves so many
different
factors. Vegetables must be dried to about 5 percent water content and
fruits to 15 to 20 percent water content. Dried fruits are stable at a
higher moisture content than dried vegetables because the concentrated
natural sugars and acids in the dried fruit function as preservatives.
After foods are
dried, allow 30 minutes to one hour cooling time. In general vegetables
are dry when they are brittle, fruits when they feel like leather. Too
long a cooling period allows moisture from the air to re-enter the food.
VEGETABLES
To determine if
vegetables are dry, remove some pieces near the end of the drying
process.
This time will usually be after a minimum of 6 to 8 hours. Cool the
pieces
to room temperature. Vegetables are sufficiently dried when they are
hard
and brittle or tough and leathery, depending on the vegetable. Edges
will
be sharp. Beans, corn and peas are hard and will shatter when hit with
a hammer. Leafy thin vegetables should be brittle. Larger chunks or
slices
of vegetables should be leather.
FRUITS
To determine if
fruits are dry, remove a piece of fruit during the end of the drying
period.
Cool to room temperature. Fruits are adequately dried when moisture
cannot
be squeezed from them. Most fruits will feel leathery and pliable when
properly dried. It should have no pockets of moisture.
FRUIT LEATHERS
Fruit leathers may
be slightly sticky to the touch but separate easily from the plastic
wrap.
For long term storage, dry leathers until they are no longer sticky.
HERBS
Herbs are dried
when brittle. Leaves shatter when rubbed together.
MEATS
Meats should be
extremely dry unless they are to be refrigerated or frozen for
long-term
storage. Meat is sufficiently dried when it is dark in color, fibrous,
and forms sharp points when broken.
