Solar and Electric

• Use a solar dehydrator by filling with sliced food items and keeping the dehydrator in direct sunlight all day long. The Sun naturally extracts the moisture from the food item similar to the way moisture in the air evaporates. Plug an electric food dehydrator into the electrical outlet. Check to see if the thermostat works and the fan blows circulating the air inside the dehydrator.
  
  

Preparation and Cook Time

• Slice the food item with a mandolin to get a uniform size for even dehydration. Place the food items on the trays in the dehydrator allowing enough space for hot air to circulate between and through the trays. Select the amount of time you want the item to dry. Vegetables depending on moisture content will take four to 12 hours to dehydrate. Fruit dehydration takes six to 20 hours and meat requires at least 12 hours for full dehydration.
  
  

Testing Doneness

• Test food for dryness before you shut the dehydrator off. Remove a piece of food from the middle of the dehydrator tray and let it sit until it reaches room temperature. Vegetables when dehydrated are brittle, meats and fruits are pliable. If the food item is the correct texture at room temperature, remove all the items from the dehydrator.
  
  

Packaging and Storage

• Do not package dehydrated food immediately for long-term storage. Let the food item sit for about a week on a linen cloth in a clear-covered container. Dehydrated food still contains moisture. Allow the moisture to spread throughout the food item and then store. Dehydrated food stored without the remaining moisture redistributed causes mold making the food inedible.