What is Drying?

Drying is one of the oldest preservation methods and can be used on a wide variety of foods, including fruits and vegetables, herbs, meats, seeds and fish. It involves removing moisture content from food, which makes it harder for spoil-causing micro-organisms to grow. Drying is low-cost and can be done using several different types of equipment, such as standard and convection ovens and food dehydrators.

What to Dry
Fruits with low water content, e.g. apples, berries
Vegetables with low water content, e.g. corn, beans, peas
Lean meats, e.g. beef, lamp and venison
Herbs, all types
Fish as part of smoke curing

Not Recommended for Drying
Fruits with high water content, e.g. melons
Vegetables with high water content, e.g. cucumbers, lettuce
Poultry when making jerky

How Do I Dry?

Steps

Explanation

1. Choose your guide

Drying Food Guide

How to Dry Foods at Home Guide

Food Dehydration instructions

Making & Using Dried Foods

2. Select food and recipe

Fruits and Vegetables	Meat	Seeds and Herbs
Fruit Leathers Fruits Vegetable Leathers Vegetables Beans, vine-dried Fruits and Vegetables	Jerky	Pumpkin Seeds Sunflower Seeds Herbs Popcorn

3. Store properly

Recommended storing practices