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WSU Thurston County

720 Sleater Kinney RD SE

Suite Y

Lacey WA  98503

360-786-5445

360-455-1575 (fax)

Washington State University ExtensionThurston Counyt

Thurston County Extension

Food Safety: Food Preserving

Quality of Dried Foods Depends on Care Taken

The Olympian, November 4, 1998

 

The Northwest is a virtual cornucopia of choice for drying fruits and vegetables: peppers, herbs, onions, beets, tomatoes, broccoli, peas, potatoes, apricots, apples, blackberries, blueberries, peaches, pears, grapes, plums, and cranberries.

 

High quality electric dehydrators are moderately priced, easy to use, and consistently produce high quality products.  If you're interested in learning more about drying, call WSU Cooperative Extension and request a special publication titled Drying Fruits and Vegetables.  It's been written especially for the Northwest and is available for$1.00.

 

QUESTION:  How long does it take to dry vegetables?

 

ANSWER:  Precise drying times are difficult to predict.  Lots of things affect the length of drying times: these include the type of food, size and moisture content of pieces, use of pretreatment methods, dryer type, dryer temperature, relative humidity, and the amount of air that is moving in your electric dehydrator.  Usually, it takes 6 to 12 hours to adequately dry vegetables using electric equipment.  Your instructions for the dehydration unit should give you some guidelines.

 

But, ultimately you determine doneness by testing the product.  Vegetables are generally brittle while fruits are usually tough, leathery, and pliable when drying is complete.  There are specific guidelines for a variety of fruits and vegetables available in instruction manuals.

 

QUESTION:  I've heard that dried fruits and vegetables are not as  nutritious.   Is this true?

 

ANSWER:  Home drying methods do decrease vitamin C content.  Vitamin C is very sensitive to heat and light.  Especially high losses of vitamin C occurs with long drying times such as those for green beans and tomato puree.

  • Dry foods as quickly as possible without raising the dehydrator temperature above 160 degrees F.

  • Avoid overloading the dryer

  • Maintain good air circulation

  • Dry Foods when the relative humidity is low

  • Store foods in a cool, dark, dry place.

QUESTION:  Why do some dried foods mold during storage?

 

ANSWER:  There are invisible mold spores all around us in the air.  Like bacteria, mold does need a certain amount of water for growth.  Mold growth during storage could have several causes.  First, the food may have been dried insufficiently.  Did you follow processing directions carefully?  Did you use a temperature controlled dehydrator with a fan?

 

It's also possible that the packaging you chose for storage did not keep moisture from the air from contacting the dried food.

 

When foods are moldy, they should always be discarded.  Some mold can product harmful chemicals during storage at room temperature.

 

Next time, prevent mold growth by drying completely and using airtight packaging.

 

B. Susie Craig

Area Faculty

WSU Cooperative Extension Thurston County

Return to Food Safety Article Index

 

 

WSU Extension programs and employment are available to all without discrimination.  Evidence of noncompliance may be reported through your local Extension Office.   Cooperating agencies: Washington State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the county of Thurston.

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Last updated January 22, 2001