Practical Food to Dry

Fruits like ripe apples, cherries, berries, peaches, apricots, and pears are very practical to dry.

Vegetables that are practical to dry include: peas, green beans, corn, peppers, zucchini, onions, and okra. Combinations of vegetables can be dried at the same time. Vegetables with a strong odor should not be dried at the same time as other vegetables because those with a mild flavor may absorb the strong odor. Remember that vegetables have different drying times, so some will be dry before others.

Mature beans, peas, and soybeans may be fully or partly dried on the vine.

Soup vegetables should always be dried separately. Then you can combine them in different ways so that you will have a vast variety of gourmet soups at your fingertips. Just let your imagination be your guide.

Asparagus and broccoli are better frozen than dried because freezing helps preserve their fresh flavor and texture.

Note: It is a waste of time and energy to dry vegetables such as carrots, turnips, parsnips  rutabagas, and potatoes, because they are better stored fresh than dried. They can be kept for several months in a cool, dry basement or cellar.

Fresh herbs of all types are suitable for drying. The parts of the plant to dry vary, but leaves, seeds, or blossoms usually give the best results. Herbs should always be dried separately. You can combine them in different ways so that you will have a vast variety of your own blends.

Salad seasoning ingredients should be dried separately, then mixed and stored together for delightful blends.

Lean meats such as beef can be dried for jerky. 

It is not recommended to dry at home eggs, fish, poultry, and meat (except beef jerky) because of Salmonella and Staphylococcus bacteria, which thrive on these foods. Salmonella and Staphylococcus bacteria can survive and grow at low temperatures used to dry meat and dairy products. These bacteria grow very rapidly in meat and poultry products because all the nutrient needs of these pathogenic or disease producing bacteria are supplied by meats, eggs, and dairy products. 

The growth of the pathogenic bacteria will stop when 60 percent ERH is reached, but when water is added to the product, the bacteria will grow again. The poisonous toxin produced by Staphylococcus is not destroyed by cooking the food.