Mastering food preservation: A quick guide to air-drying fruits
By hrseditor // 2024-05-30
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Dehydrating fruits is a great way to preserve food that you grow in your home garden. This method is also a healthy way to make tasty fruit snacks for your family. However, this method can still be used even if you don't have a dehydrator. (h/t to MyRecipes.com) You can either dehydrate fruits and other kinds of foods in the open air or use or an oven.

Open air dehydration

Open-air dehydration or air-drying is best for low-moisture items that don't need the added heat to draw out water. Things like citrus peels and herbs are great for this method. To air-dry food at home, spread the items on a rack over a sheet pan and put in a cool spot out of the way in your kitchen, or inside your turned-off oven. Just make sure you don't accidentally turn it on while they are in there. Citrus peels might take several days to dry out fully, while herbs can take one or two days. The citrus peels are done when they turn hard and snap if you bend them. Meanwhile, herbs will change color and crumble if you rub them between your fingers. If the peels are bendy or the herbs don't crumble, continue to dry them. Store the dried citrus peels and herbs in an airtight container or zipper storage bag in your pantry or the freezer. (Related: Canning, drying and more: The art of food preservation across cultures.)

Oven dehydration

Oven dehydration is ideal for foods with more moisture like vegetable scraps, jerky or water-filled fruit that need some heat to help them along. To oven-dry food, place the items on a rack over a sheet pan. If needed, cut them into slices or smaller pieces. Heat your oven as low as it will go. Most ovens start at 150 F, but 200 F is fine. Place the items in the oven for several hours or overnight, depending on the thickness of the items and how much water they have. When the fruits reach the texture you want, turn the oven off and leave them inside, letting the items and the oven cool to room temperature together. Vegetable scraps for stocks or sauces should be completely hard and fully dehydrated. Meanwhile, fruits and jerky for snacks should be slightly pliable, meaning they're dry but not brittle. Store the dehydrated items in airtight containers in the pantry, fridge or freezer.

Where to buy lab-verified freeze-dried food

The Health Ranger Store is committed to helping you boost your intake of nutrients and providing you with lab-verified products. That’s why we’re proud to introduce these products, all of which are freeze-dried and lab-verified. Loaded with a variety of essential nutrients, Health Ranger Select Freeze-Dried Organic Whole Blueberries are an excellent healthy snack you can enjoy all year round. They have been carefully freeze-dried to preserve the taste, texture and nutrients of fresh blueberries without the use of any harmful chemical preservatives. You can eat them directly or reconstitute them by simply adding water. Health Ranger Select Freeze-Dried Organic Whole Blueberries contain no gluten or GMOs and have undergone extensive lab testing for glyphosate, heavy metals and microbiology. They are also vegan, non-China and certified Kosher and organic. The mangoes used to make our Freeze-Dried Organic Mango Diced are grown in Mexico under strict organic standards. The freeze-drying method preserves taste, texture and nutrients better than any other food preservation method ever invented. Eat Freeze-Dried Organic Mango Diced as a snack, sprinkle onto cereals, or rehydrate them by soaking them in water for a sweet, tropical snack. You can also try Health Ranger Select Freeze-Dried Organic Strawberry Pieces if you're looking for a tasty and healthy snack that you can enjoy all year round. With their crispy texture and natural abundance of vitamin C and other beneficial antioxidants and nutrients, our freeze-dried organic strawberry pieces can add a burst of flavor and nutrition to all your favorite pancakes, pies, salads, and baked goods. They can even be eaten as is for a quick and healthy snack. Health Ranger Select Freeze-Dried Organic Strawberry Pieces contain no gluten or GMOs and are certified Kosher and organic. Go to FoodSupply.news for more tips on other useful food preservation methods. You can also check out Health Ranger Store and Brighteon Store for more clean food supplies for your prepping stockpile. Watch the video below to learn more about the health benefits of blueberries. This video is from the Health Ranger Store channel on Brighteon.com.

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4 Food preservation methods to avoid spoilage and 3 alternatives to refrigeration. Essential survival fuel: Freeze-dried organic kale packed with nutrients. Wild foods you can forage and pickle for long-term storage. Sources include: MyRecipes.com HealthRangerStore.com 1 HealthRangerStore.com 2 HealthRangerStore.com 3 HealthRangerStore.com 4 Brighteon.com
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