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People who are interested in removing moisture from food including fruits, vegetables and meats to aid in preservation will often use what is known as a food dehydrator. By removing the moisture from particular foods you can inhibit bacteria from growing and causing spoilage. Dehydrators also lessen the weight of food which can extend the shelf life of certain types of food. Dehydrators are very easy to use and once you get familiar with the machine you can start creating terrific dry food recipes including beef jerky, fruit leathers and sweet potato chips.

There are many brands of dehydrators but all are pretty simple to use. You put the produce on a tray, set the temperature and come back when the food is dried. However, there are some useful tips that will make using a dehydrator easier and will save you the hassle making first time mistakes. As with any cooking or food preparation the more you experiment the better you get at it. Try different drying temperatures with various fruits, vegetables and meats to obtain the desired dryness that you want. You may also want to vary how thick or thin you slice the food before arranging it on the drying tray to see how the results differ. When arranging food on a dehydrator tray make sure not to overlap the food since this can cause food to take twice as long to dry.

After drying food it is recommended that you store it in a cool, dark and dry area. When you have a dark and cool storage place the dried foods will last much longer than if you store food in a warm and well lit place. Freezers and refrigerators are ideal places to store dehydrated food and it is also suggested that you label separate foods with name of the product, the date it was dried and the quantity or weight. With proper labeling you can rotate foods easier thereby eliminating waste.

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