30 Best Foods to Dehydrate

Food dehydration is one of the oldest food preservation techniques. It goes back thousands of years to when the sun was the only tool for drying and dehydrating foods. Raisins are a classic example as grapes were allowed to dry in the sun into the wrinkly shapes we recognize to this day.

Prunes from plums were another example and very soon, sun-fried tomatoes joined the mix in addition to numerous other fruits and vegetables.

But it’s not just about plants. Meats and seafood became part of the sun-drying/dehydration pantry as well. Iconic recipes like jerky came onto the menu, and dried and jerked salmon and even minnows weren’t far behind.

Want to save this post for later? Click Here to Pin It On Pinterest!

Modern Dehydration Methods

There are numerous ways to dehydrate foods. Some require specialized equipment while others can be done in a conventional oven, and there’s always the sun. Even an air-fryer can work.

The method you use depends on your budget and situation. If you’re living off-the-grid, you will probably default to sun drying or air drying in vented and screened hanging baskets. If you have a power source, dehydrators, air fryers, and a conventional oven or toaster oven can do the trick.

All you’re trying to do is patiently remove the moisture from food to leave it dry. Moisture is what breeds bacteria and without moisture, food has a better chance of preventing microbial growth and preserving longer.

Rehydration is a Key Step

Any dehydrated food usually needs to be rehydrated. This can be as simple as soaking it in water or just adding it to a recipe with a liquid or broth base.

Then again, dried fruits can easily be eaten as is. Dried apple slices, for example, are delicious. It all depends on your tastes and what you’re trying to accomplish with your dehydrated foods.

Dehydration Equipment Options

Standard Food Dehydrator

Food dehydrators usually have a heating element and a fan. They typically run at low temperatures and have vented trays to allow for multiple layers or trays for drying and dehydrating. Prices vary depending on the size of the dehydrator.

Freeze Dryers

Freeze dryers combine freezing with dehydration. They’re typically very expensive but are great for foods that can be difficult to dehydrate like meats.

Air Drying

There are hanging round baskets with screens that allow foods to dry mostly in the wind over time. They’re often used to dry herbs and smaller vegetables. The timing always varies depending on the outside temperature and wind.

Air Fryers

Air fryers can be used to dehydrate foods and work fairly quickly. The downside is that foods can go beyond dry to toasted if you don’t pay attention.

Conventional and Toaster Ovens

Conventional ovens and toaster ovens are another dehydrating resource. You typically want a low temperature setting from 100 to 125 degrees F. Like so many of the other drying methods, you need to monitor progress or you’ll burn or toast your dehydrating effort.

Primitive Sun Drying

The oldest method and both free and off-grid. The challenge is insects, rain, and the chill of the night. You need to bring your sun-fried fruits or vegetables indoors at night and either cover your stuff with a screen or cheesecloth to keep the bugs away.

It also takes time depending on sunlight and humidity so you’ll be doing a lot of testing and checking to monitor progress.

Flavor Enhancements

Some foods can be dehydrated in their raw state and taste just fine. Dried apples, apricots and raisins are a good example. In fact, most fruits only need to be sliced thin and dehydrated to deliver a surprising flavor that is actually concentrated by dehydration.

Some vegetables and especially meats and seafood usually require a marination step preceding any dehydration process. The seasoning varies but is commonly based on salt (kosher salt is best), and sometimes other spices and herbs to expand and enhance the flavor.

Common Herbs and Spices Used with Food Dehydration

Salt (Usually Kosher salt)

Salt not only enhances the flavor of many dehydrated foods but provides additional preservative properties.

Pepper (usually used with meats and seafood)

Pepper adds flavor to meats and seafood and bland vegetables. Use it if you like it.

White Sugar and Brown Sugar

Surprisingly, sugar has preservative properties. It also adds flavor to many dehydrated foods.

Dill, Rosemary and Thyme

Aromatic herbs add flavor to anything. If you like them -use them.

We’re going to cover a variety of recipes and various dehydration techniques that will highlight some of these flavor enhancements and dehydration techniques.

It’s All About Hurdling

Hurdling is a food preservation technique that combines processes to enhance flavor and the integrity of any food for long-term storage and preservation. We do it all the time when preserving foods.

A common hurdling technique when dehydrating foods is to start with a marinade followed by the drying process and sometimes water-bath and even pressure canning.

Ultimately, packaging and proper storage takes the foods over the last hurdle to ensure they preserve well and are food-safe.

Lets Start Simple…

The easiest foods to dehydrate are fruits. Most don’t require a lot of prep, although some fruits that oxidize when exposed to air. For example, apples usually require a quick soak in diluted lemon juice or orange juice before dehydration.

For that matter, lemons and oranges can be sliced and go straight to dehydration as well as all berries from blueberries to strawberries and pears, mangoes, peaches, and cherries.

The fruits that don’t take too well to dehydration are the melons, so watermelon, cantaloupe, and honey dew are probably not the best place to start. Try it if you like, but their moisture content tends to be so high that you usually are left with nothing but fiber when the moisture is dehydrated.

Below are basic steps for dehydrating different types of fruits including fleshy fruits like apples, citrus fruits, and berries. Here are the most commonly dehydrated fruits:

And here are some benchmark recipes for how to dehydrate fruits. 

Dehydrated Apple Slices

1. Peel and core the apples and slice into ¼-inch slices.
2. Soak them in water with some lemon juice.
3. Let them dry on a paper towel. If you want, you can sprinkle them with brown sugar.
4. Place them on the dehydrator tray and dehydrate for 6 to 12 hours at 160 degrees F. Check for doneness as you go.
5. Let rest at room temperature for a few hours and then pack in a canning jar. They should be good for up to 6 months.

Dehydrated Orange Slices

1. Slice the oranges ¼ inch thick.
2. Place them on the dehydrator tray.
3. Dehydrate for 2 hours at 135 degrees F.
4. Let rest until room temperature and can in canning jars.
5. Do the same with any other citrus fruit like lemons, limes or grapefruit

Dehydrated Blueberries

• Wash the blueberries under cold water.
• Boil the blueberries in boiling water for 3 minutes and then shock them in a bowl of ice water. You might want to gently crush them to break the skins
• Spread across the dehydrator tray
• Dehydrate for 8 to 18 hours at 135 degrees F.
• Let rest until they come to room temperature and can in canning jars or plastic bags.

From Fruits to Vegetables

The best vegetables to dehydrate are root vegetables like carrots, beets and turnips; mushrooms (technically not a vegetable), cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower, and even asparagus and peas. And oh yeah – tomatoes.

Here are some of the may vegetables that are often dehydrated usually in a food dehydrator:

Vegetables that don’t take well to dehydration include green leafy vegetables and squash. Here again, if you want to give it a try, go for it, but the leafy vegetables tend to crumble into a herby mix and the squash ends up being a bit fibrous.

The process is generally the same beginning with a good wash and rinse under cold running water. Slicing is always recommended, and the general rule is to try and cut any vegetable into equal sized pieces so they dehydrate evenly. Otherwise, you’ll be picking out the smaller pieces while waiting for large cuts to dry.

Blanching is often recommended to preserve color and flavor. Blanching involves dropping the slices into boiling water for a few minutes followed by a shock in a bowl of ice water. It helps to dry the blanched vegetables on paper towels before dehydrating. Blanching is most commonly done with root vegetables.

Dehydration times and temperatures vary and are indicated in the recipes. It helps to let the dehydrated vegetables rest at room temperature before packaging. This will avoid any condensation in your packaging from remaining moisture if the vegetables have had a chance to cool a bit.

Packaging varies from canning jars to plastic bags to plastic containers. That’s up to you but canning jars are best.

Here are some basic benchmark recipes that you can apply to similar types of vegetables:

Dehydrated Carrots

1. Peel and slice the carrots into rounds about 1/8-inch thick.
2. A mandolin slicer can make this easier.
3. Blanch the carrots for 4 minutes in boiling water and then shock them in a bowl of ice water (blanching preserves the color).
4. Allow the carrots to dry on a paper towel for a few minutes.
5. Place the carrots around the dehydrator tray and dehydrate for 8 to 10 hours at a temperature of 125 degrees F.
6. Remove the carrots from the dehydrator and let them rest for a few hours.
7. Place them in canning jars and they should be good for 3 to 6 months.

Dehydrated Mushrooms

1. Wash the mushrooms and cut them in half.
2. Place them around the dehydrator tray and dehydrate for 8 to 12 hours at 110 degrees F.
3. Check the mushrooms and see if they need more time in the dehydrator. Remove from the dehydrator tray and let rest a few hours.
4. Bag them in a plastic bag or store in a canning jar. They should be good for up to a year.

Sun Dried Tomatoes

You can dehydrate tomatoes in a dehydrator, but we’re going to explore an ancient technique that actually uses the sun. It gets a bit complicated, but if you’re patient, it works. It’s also a good off-grid technique to learn and understand.

What’s critical is the humidity and protecting the drying tomatoes from insects. A piece of cheesecloth over the tomatoes will keep most bugs away, and a hot, sunny day with low humidity will make everything work better. If you live in an area with high humidity, use the dehydrator.

1. Wash the tomatoes and cut them in half. Try to cut equal sized pieces.
2. Sprinkle the tomatoes with some kosher salt.
3. Place them on a baking sheet or tray and cover with one layer of cheesecloth.
4. Place in the sun but bring them indoors at night or in the event or rain.
5. Taste the tomatoes as you go. Sun drying time varies depending on the general temperature, humidity levels and tomato size.
6. When they look and taste done, store them in canning jars or plastic bags but keep them refrigerated or as cool as you can.
7. They should be good for up to 3 months.
8. Another option is to put them into canning jars and fill the jar with olive oil. That will allow you to store them unrefrigerated for up to a year.

Dehydrated Meats

Dehydrating meats starts with jerky. All meats can be jerked, which is basically a marinating process followed by a dehydrating process. Beef jerky is the most popular but venison jerky, buffalo jerky, and other wild game from rabbits to turkeys have been effectively jerked with recipes developed over centuries.

On the other hand. You don’t see a lot of pork jerky, but bacon is an exception. Poultry is rarely jerked with the turkey exception, and maybe that’s because someone liked the idea that turkey rhymes with jerky.

What’s important is to slice any cut or meat or fish thinly in uniform sizes. This gets back to getting everything done at the same time. Thicker cuts always take longer than thin cuts so try to make everything the same size in terms of thickness.

Here are the meats to are usually dehydrated followed by some concept recipes you can generally apply:

• Beef (all cuts and kinds)
• Pork especially pork bellies or bacon
• Poultry from chickens to Cornish hens
• Wild game including venison, buffalo, rabbit, turkey, and duck

Beef Jerky

You can use any cut of beef to make jerky from cheap chuck to prime rib. What’s always important with jerky is a marinating step. The marinade could be as simple as salt and water or you can complicate with seasonings you think you might like.

We’re going to depart from the food dehydrator again and use a conventional oven to make our beef jerky. It all starts with slicing and marinading.

1. Slice the beef into strips about ¼ to 1/8-inch thick.
2. Marinade for 12 hours or overnight using the following recipe.

Here’s a standard recommendation for a beef jerky marinade:

• 1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon unseasoned meat tenderizer (see note)
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

That all gets a little fancy, but at a minimum, marinade the jerky in a cup of salt to a gallon of water for 12 hours.

1. Suspend the beef slices on the wire racks in your oven with a foil-lined pan underneath to catch any drips.
2. Set the oven temperature to 160 degrees F and dehydrate for 2 to 6 hours.
3. It’s often recommended that you leave the oven door open a crack like you would when broiling in the old days. This helps the moisture to escape.
4. Check, touch, and taste the jerky as you go. When it tastes good and seems like jerky, you’re done.
5. Package in a plastic bag or canning jar. Refrigerate if you want, but it will be shelf-stable in a pantry. Shelf-life varies but if done properly, it should be good for up to 3 months.

Venison Jerky

This is very similar to the beef jerky recipe except you’re using venison. The only difference is that the dehydrating time may be shorter because venison tends to be much leaner than beef. Use the same process for beef jerky but check it sooner rather than later because it’s so lean.

Salmon Jerky

Fatty fish like salmon lend themselves to dehydration quite well. Lean fish like walleye would crumble to dust but the fat in salmon helps to maintain the integrity of the dehydrated fish. Here’s the recipe:

1. Skin and filet the salmon and cut into equal sized strips about ¼-inch thick.
2. Arrange the salmon strips around the dehydrator tray and dehydrate for 2 to 4 hours at 150 degrees F.
3. Check and taste for doneness from time to time and when it tastes right, package it plastic bags or a plastic container.
4. Refrigerate or keep it cool if possible. It should be good for up to a month.

Turkey Jerky

If it rhymes – make it. Here’s the turkey jerky recipe. What’s important to think about is using the drumsticks and thighs. They’re higher in fat and will result in a better flavor and chew.

1. Cut the drumsticks and thighs into equal sized pieces about ¼-inch thick.
2. Sprinkle some seasoned salt or kosher salt over the pieces and place around the dehydrator tray.
3. Dehydrate for 2 to 4 hours at 150 degrees F.
4. Check for doneness and package in a canning jar or plastic container.
5. Refrigerate or keep cool and it should be good for 1 to 2 months.

Bacon Bits

Who doesn’t love bacon bits? You can put them on anything. Here’s how to make them:

1. Cut strips of bacon in half and cook them in a conventional pan on the stove.
2. Drain the bacon on paper towels and move to the dehydrator tray and dehydrate for 6 to 8 hours at 160 degrees F.
3. Removed the bacon to paper towels on a plate and let them cool and rest at room temperature.
4. Crumble the bits with your hands or a chopping with a knife and store in canning jars.
5. They keep best if refrigerated or in a cool, dark place. Figure a shelf-life up to 3 months.

Powdered Meats

This is another example of hurdling as a meat is marinated, dehydrated and then a final step to pulverize the dried meat to turn it into a powder. The meat powder can then be added to soups or stews to add protein and flavor to a meal.

The simple fact is that dehydrating and powdering things not only extends shelf-life but makes it easy to add flavor and nutrients to any recipe. If you have ever dehydrated more than you need – powder it!

The one thing to keep in mind when dehydrating meats is to trim the fat.  Fat doesn’t dehydrated very well and can make your meat powder rancid.

Here’s a list of the meats that can be powdered and the best cuts:

• Bacon (get it as dry as possible, there’s a lot of fat in bacon.)
• Lean beef (the leaner the better)
• Turkey and chicken (especially the breast and wings)
• Wild game (which tends to be naturally lean)

Powdered Beef

You can powder any cut of beef. The key is to freeze it a bit and then slice it as thin as possible. You can use a knife or a mandolin. You can also use a conventional oven rather than a food dehydrator.

1. Freeze the beef until a bit hard and firm.
2. Slice into 1/4 -inch slices
3. Salt with Kosher salt
4. Suspend the beef strips from the long bars of an oven rack.

1. Turn the oven to 160 degrees F and let the beef strips dry for 4 to 8 hours.
2. Check them from time to time. You want them really crispy and dry.
3. Place the beef strips in a food processor and pulverize them. You can also do this by hand if off-grid in a mortar and pestle. Just work it until you have a powder.
4. Let the powdered beef rest for an hour and then store in canning jars.

Shelf-life is good for about 2 years.

Powdered Bacon

Powdered bacon adds incredible flavor to anything. Just go back to the bacon bits recipe and follow the process and put the bacon bits into a food processor or mortar and pestle and grind into a powder. Add it to anything and it will always taste better. Even ice cream.

Packaging Your Dehydrated Foods

It all depends on the stuff. Canning jars are a good place to start but plastic bags and plastic containers with lids also make sense. Some of it has to do with what you have on hand, but the finished product will often be best preserved in a package that simply preserves it.

Storing Your Dehydrated Foods

A refrigerator is the best storage solution or a root cellar. A cool, dark pantry is another option. Do what you can to keep them out of the sun or temperature fluctuations.

Shelf-Life of Dehydrated Foods

It varies but figure you will have a shelf-life of 3 months to a year with most home-dehydrated foods.

A Standard Caution

Take note of the appearance, smell and taste of any food you preserve. If it looks bad, smells bad or tastes bad – toss it.

Like this post? Don’t Forget to Pin It On Pinterest!

You May Also Like: