Dehydrated Foods for Long-Term Storage

One of the best food preservation techniques for creating food storage pantries is dehydration. You must understand the finest foods to dehydrate for long-term storage because not all foods dry well. Certain food components give some foods a longer shelf life. Everything in your preparations for food storage must serve a purpose, and you must be confident that the food will be as good after a year or two as you had planned. 

All types of produce fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts, and seeds dehydrate beautifully. Once dried, these foods can be kept for up to five years in tightly sealed containers. Beginners can easily operate a food dehydrator, making it the ideal activity for novice home preservers who desire food with a lengthy shelf life. A smart, effective approach to keeping fresh food for a long period is to dehydrate it. It enables you to buy in bulk when goods are on sale or in season so that you always have access to wholesome food options, even in the event of an emergency.

assorted nuts and dried fruit background. organic food in wooden bowls, top view

What is Dehydrated Food?

When food is processed, dehydration is a technique that allows a variety of foods to be stored for unlimited lengths of time by removing moisture and preventing the growth of microbes.

Why is Dehydration the Best Long-Term Storage Method?

In other words, dehydrated goods won’t go bad. This is because water is required for the growth of bacteria, yeast, and mold, the major causes of spoiling. Compared to other foods, some are more adapted to dehydration. Foods with reduced fat content and higher acidity seem to be the best candidates for dehydration for long-term storage.

Dehydration’s Advantages for Long-Term Food Storage

As a prepper, we store food as much as possible. Building a food pantry that will supply you and your family with food for a long time is one of the usual objectives.

  1. Prolongs the Shelf Life of Food: The food’s shelf life is increased as the first advantage of dehydrating it. Food is preserved by removing moisture, which promotes the growth of bacteria and other creatures. Without moisture, food won’t rot, and bacteria won’t grow, so there’s no need to worry about it going bad.
  2. Easy Storage: You need shelving or room in a cool room of your home if you store fermented or canned items. Not always is that feasible. It’s a little bit simpler to store dehydrated foods; all you need is a dark place and an airtight container.
  3. Well Maintains Flavor: Some claim that dehydration changes food’s flavor; while this is true to some extent, once rehydrated, food tastes almost exactly as it did at the time of harvest. You want the fruits and veggies you dehydrate to have the finest flavor possible, which is why it’s crucial to choose the best food possible to dry.
  4. Affordable: Compared to other methods of food preservation for long-term storage, dehydration is less expensive. Others rely on you to verify everything, while some feature screens that show the temperature and moisture content within. It costs more to can. The cost of making freeze-dried meals at home is significantly higher.
  5. Little Nutrients Loss: This method of food preservation results in some nutrient loss, but if you dehydrate at a low temperature for a longer period, it preserves up to 90% of them. You should keep all of the nutrients you worked so hard to grow if you spend time creating a garden.

Types of Dehydrating Food

There are several approaches to dehydrating food, but some are more effective than others. This is because contemporary tools have improved the rate of dehydration, decreasing the likelihood that your food would rot.

Solar Drying

Solar drying is a method of drying foods that uses the sun’s heat energy in a customized dehydrator that not only raises the temperature but also enhances air movement. This expedites the drying process and lowers the likelihood of mold or spoilage.

Air Drying

The primary difference is that air drying is typically carried out in the shade. This is because this tactic helps to preserve anything that needs to be shielded from the sun’s rays. It’s perfect for delicate greens and herbs, especially those kept for use in teas or other culinary preparations.

Dehydrated apples chips

Dehydrating the Best Foods for Long-Term Storage

Let’s examine all the items that are the finest to dehydrate for long-term storage. Compared to other foods, these have the longest shelf lives and are the easiest to dry. These are the ones to attempt if you’ve never dehydrated food before.

1. Fruits

One of the most popular dehydrated foods is fruit. Many fruits are excellent for dehydration since they are low in fat and high in acid. Making your dehydrated fruits is preferable because certain store-bought varieties are covered in an extra sugar coating. Before dehydrating, all fruits should be cleaned and dried. 

To reduce the amount of time required for dehydration, the core and seeds of larger fruits like apples and oranges should be removed. How long fruits take to dehydrate depends on their size and water content. To establish the time and temperature for various items, see the guide that comes with your food dehydrator. Fruits that have been dehydrated can be used to make granola, trail mix, or just as a snack. By mixing the fruit and sprinkling it thinly, it can also be turned into fruit leather before being dried.

Fruits that dehydrate best for long-term storage:

  • Apples
  • Bananas
  • Grapes
  • Blueberries
  • Strawberries

2. Vegetables

Similar to fruits, dried vegetables are relatively easy to manufacture and have a variety of tasty uses. Dehydrated vegetables are a terrific idea for making backcountry meals, soups, and snacks. Vegetables, on the other hand, can take longer to dehydrate because their acidity is often lower. Additionally, some vegetables must be blanched or quickly placed in boiling water before being dried. This preserves more of their nutrients as well as their flavor and texture.

Dehydrated Vegetables That Are Ideal for Long-Term Storage:

  • Asparagus
  • Carrots
  • Cucumber
  • Eggplant
  • Broccoli

3. Meat

Given that jerky is a widely consumed food that can be purchased in all stores and gas stations, most people are familiar with dehydrated meats. Although dehydrating is a traditional method of meat preservation, not all meats are suitable. Lean meats should be dried because fat dehydrates poorly and spoils quickly. This is especially valid when using meat from the wild game. Freezing the meat before preparing it for dehydration makes it easier to slice it into thin slices. To ensure a soft texture, always cut the slices against the grain at a thickness of no more than 1/4 inch.

The Ideal Meats to Dehydrate:

  • Lean Beef
  • Turkey
  • Fish
  • Duck
  • Deer

Choosing the best foods to dehydrate for a long time is one of the first stages to properly drying food for storage. Foods that are low in fat and rich in acidity will taste the best in the end because not all foods dry well.