Drying Is The Best Method Of Home Preservation

When drying products , water is removed, that is, the product is dehydrated . It is best to carry out this process with forced circulation of the drying agent - air, in a simple way. The air, in turn, should be dry and warm. This preservation method ensures long-term storage of the product without losing its taste properties. Processed products have increased resistance to the development of microorganisms and bacteria.

When using modern drying devices, products can be dried in automatic or semi-automatic modes. Before placing the products in the dryer, they must be pre-prepared and processed. After placing the batch, all that is required is to set the required temperature regime, depending on the product .

Drying products is the cheapest and easiest way of home preservation . There are no costs for jars, lids, vinegar, sugar, salt, various seasonings and other ingredients. Also, self-dried products will cost you much cheaper than store-bought ones.

Dried products are characterized by a rather long shelf life, while other preservation after opening the can remains suitable for consumption for a short time and often requires storage in the refrigerator. For long-term storage of dried products , only a dry, dark place is needed. All taste and nutritional properties will be preserved. Dried products are especially useful for children. After all, drying preserves most of the useful substances and vitamins.

An additional advantage of home drying of products is high quality and naturalness. You can be sure that fruits and vegetables prepared by your own hands do not contain preservatives and other chemical additives. But purchased dried products most often contain some substances that improve their color, taste and storage.

Knowing how to dry vegetables and fruits, you can always make the necessary amount of preparations for the winter. You can also dry meat and fish. Then you will have a supply of not only vitamins in the form of fruits, but also protein.

Dried products take up much less space than fresh or canned foods . By the way, the weight of such products is also lower. For example, a 0.25 liter jar holds 20 dried tomatoes or 25 dried peppers.

Also, dried products are very convenient to take with you on the road or on a hike - they will be able to be preserved for a longer period of time than fresh products , without special conditions. Again, size and weight are an indisputable plus.

During drying , as already mentioned, most of the nutrients, vitamins and minerals are preserved. Another thing is the more common conservation methods (read about  conservation methods in the article - http://harchi.info/articles/yak-zberegty-produkty-nadovgo-konservaciya), in which most of the useful substances are destroyed after intensive heat treatment. Even frozen foods contain fewer nutrients and minerals.

When preserving products by drying

• Vitamin A is preserved. Carrots and sweet peppers are the richest in it. After drying , these products are placed in a dark place to prevent its destruction.

• Vitamin C is almost completely preserved. Its partial losses are associated with slicing of products during preliminary preparation. Vitamins are oxidized by oxygen from the air. To prevent a decrease in the level of vitamin C in already dried products , it is worth storing them in an airtight package.

• The nutritional value of food is preserved . They become sweeter due to the concentration of sugar. For example, an apricot after drying becomes more caloric by 188 kcal (from 44 to 232 kcal).

In order to keep the number of bacteria and microorganisms at an acceptable level, it is necessary to observe the rules of hygiene both during the preparation of products and during drying itself . Otherwise, all the work may turn out to be useless, and the products will spoil. Moreover, containers for storing dried products should also be well washed and dried.

Before drying , it is advisable to pre-treat the products . So they will preserve their taste and aroma better. To do this, the products are marinated, blanched, soaked in a solution of citric acid. This prevents the development of microorganisms present in the products . And after removing moisture in the drying process, the possibility of their activity is completely eliminated.

The list of products suitable for drying is very large. Most often, this method is used for preservation of fruits and berries, vegetables, medicinal herbs, as well as meat and fish. In principle, the drying method is suitable for any products that contain moisture. Do you love homemade pasta and noodles? Prepare more product in advance and dry. And what to do with stale seeds or crackers? That's right, also dry.

For all products , the drying time is different and can range from several hours to several days. Depending on the moisture content of the product and drying conditions . Also, the drying speed depends on the equipment and technology used. For example, drying in the open air with constant decomposition of the cut product will require much more time than drying in the oven. Optimally, finally dried products should be dense and hard, not sticky, but not brittle either.

Dried products should be stored in a dry, dark place. The container must be dry and airtight. The shelf life of dried products is quite long. But, basically, all the blanks are stored until the next harvest - for a year. Although, if necessary, dried products can be stored longer.

Harvesting fruits and vegetables by drying is undoubtedly an excellent method of home preservation . And it is not important how exactly you will dry the products . Maybe just spread it out or hang it, cut into slices or rings, and maybe make your own dehydrator or buy one from the store. The main thing is that as a result you will get a natural, useful and nutritious product .