We Preserve Foods the Natural Way

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It's much easier to describe the food-drying process than to explain how to tell when an edible is ready to be packaged. I can only say that most fruits and vegetables will be leathery but not brittle, while a few will actually become crisp and will shatter when struck with a hard tool. Some — cherries, for instance — will still be sticky even when free of moisture. You'll soon learn to judge the feel and appearance of whatever you dry. At the outset, though, you may want to consult a reference work for a description, of "doneness" in specific foods. (Putting Food By includes this information . . . and you might wont to inquire about whether or not your county extension office has on file any of the home drying Instructions formerly offered by the USDA. — Mother)

Your dehydrated stores can be packaged in various ways, depending on your local climate. In a damp coastal area, for instance, I'd use heavy plastic or glass jars, and make sure that both containers and food are perfectly dry before packing. I'd also check for condensation from time to time during any extended storage period.

Here in the dry south-central region of Washington State, net or paper bags (my favorites) are satisfactory containers for dried food. When we've bagged our products, we fold over the tops of the sacks, fasten them with paper clips, mark each parcel in red ink with the name of the item . . . and sometimes add instructions for its use. The packages are then placed on the top shelf of the kitchen cupboard . . . but aren't left there indefinitely without attention.

We take the bags down occasionally, check their contents to see that they're still dry, and sometimes carry part of our store outside or to the oven for a brief reprocessing. This can be done by leaving the food in the sacks and turning them to expose all the edibles to the warm air.

Remember, the only danger that threatens your stock is contact with moisture (which will cause molding and possibly provide a breeding place for bacteria). As long as the fruits, vegetables, or whatever are kept dry, there will be no problems and the edibles will last until next season's produce is available.

Dehydrated foods can be used in a number of ways. You can restore moisture to fruits by soaking them in water (overnight, if the treat is to be eaten for breakfast), or by placing them in a colander over the open top of a steaming teakettle or pan. The reconstituted peaches or whatever can then be used just as if they were fresh or canned. Alternatively, the fruits can be left dry, chopped, or added to cakes, breads, stuffings or salads. They're also fine to eat in place of candy, and are great snacks to tuck into packed lunches or to nibble on while traveling.

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