Food drying

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rows of fish hang from string, drying in the sun
Flattened fish drying in the sun in Madagascar. Fish are preserved through such traditional methods as drying, smoking and salting.[1]
A whole potato, sliced pieces (right), and dried sliced pieces (left), 1943

Food drying is a method of

freeze-drying can be used to speed the drying process and ensure more consistent results.[3]

1890 newspaper advertisement showing tin of dried coconut

Food types

A collection of dried mushrooms
Sun-drying octopus

Many different foods can be prepared by dehydration. Meat has held a historically significant role. For centuries, much of the European diet depended on dried

beef jerky
.

Dried fruits have been consumed historically due to their high sugar content and sweet taste, and a longer

prune, the grape a raisin. Figs and dates
may be transformed into different products that can either be eaten as they are, used in recipes, or rehydrated.

Freeze-dried vegetables are often found in food for backpackers, hunters, and the military. Garlic and onion are often dried and stored with their stalks braided. Edible mushrooms are sometimes dried for preservation or to be used as seasonings.

Preparation

Home drying of vegetables, fruit and meat can be carried out with electrical dehydrators (household appliance) or by sun-drying or by wind.[5] Preservatives such as potassium metabisulfite, BHA, or BHT may be used, but are not required. However, dried products without these preservatives may require refrigeration or freezing to ensure safe storage for a long time.

Industrial food dehydration is often accomplished by

sublimate directly from the solid to the gaseous phase. Although freeze-drying is more expensive than traditional dehydration techniques, it also mitigates the change in flavor, texture, and nutritional value. In addition, another widely used industrial method of drying of food is convective hot air drying. Industrial hot air dryers are simple and easy to design, construct and maintain. More so, it is very affordable and has been reported to retain most of the nutritional properties of food if dried using appropriate drying conditions.[6]

Hurdle technology is the combination of multiple food preservation methods. Hurdle technology uses low doses of multiple food preservation techniques in order to ensure food is not only safe but is desirable visually and texturally.

Packaging

Packaging ensures effective food preservation. Some methods of packaging that are beneficial to dehydrated food are vacuum sealed, inert gases, or gases that help regulate respiration, biological organisms, and growth of microorganisms.[citation needed]

Other methods

This electric food dehydrator, shown drying mango and papaya slices, has a hot air blower that blows air through food-laden trays.

There are many different methods for drying,[7] each with its own advantages for particular applications. These include:

See also

References

  1. ^ Grandidier (1899), p. 521
  2. ^ "Historical Origins of Food Preservation". Accessed June 2011.
  3. ISBN 9781420017373
    .
  4. ISBN 978-0805052473
    .
  5. ^ "Food Dehydrator reviews". www.dehydratorjudge.com. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  6. PMID 33401820
    .
  7. ^
    PMID 26108354
    .
  8. doi:10.1016/j.tifs.2016.09.012
    . Retrieved 2017-03-25.


External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Food drying.
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