A food dehydrator dries food by using a heating element and a fan to remove moisture from food and then replace the moist air in the dehydrator with drier air. A food dehydrator is an excellent tool to create dried, preserved, shelf stable food. However, after drying your jerky, dried fruit or dried vegetables, it is imperative to properly store them for future use and consumption.

The enemies of jerky, dried fruit or dried vegetables are the same enemies of fresh food: moisture, air, heat, sunlight and time. A food dehydrator eliminates moisture from food in order to inhibit the microorganisms that need it to grow, survive and ultimately spoil food. Thus, after dried food is removed from a food dehydrator, and assuming that the dried food will be stored, the following steps should be followed to protect it from its enemies:

• After removing the food from the dehydrator, allow it to cool off before placing it in a storage container. Warm foods can “sweat” a bit while cooling and otherwise leave some moisture in the container.
• Place the dried food in airtight storage containers that have tightly sealing lids. It is best to fill up the storage containers and not leave ample space within. Plastic bags that have twist or tie closures and or zip locks are not recommended versus containers as, over time, they can allow air and moisture into the bags.
• Place the storage containers in a cool and dry place. Avoid placing the containers in sunlight, under artificial light or near heat sources (heat vents, stoves, ovens, microwaves, etc). A darker, cooler place, within a cabinet, cupboard or storage bin is best. It is not required or necessary, but dehydrated food can be placed in a refrigerator or freezer for a longer shelf life.

There is no hard and fast rule for how long dehydrated food will last in storage. That depends on various factors including the food, the food dehydrator used, the drying time, the thickness of the food dehydrated and how the food is stored. For these reasons it is best to leave a small paper note on the storage container that lists the dehydrated food type (jerky, dried fruit or dried vegetable) and the storage date.

Published 7/8/2009 12:00:00 AM

Tags: Dried Fruit, Dried Vegetables, Jerky, Shelf Life