Dehydrating

Dehydrating (drying) is one of the oldest and most natural techniques of preserving, in which most of the moisture is removed from a product. Since the microorganisms that cause spoilage need water to live and multiply, a product deprived of moisture can keep for a very long time without spoiling.

Besides long keeping, dehydrating has another valuable effect: by removing water, it concentrates the flavour, aroma, and nutrients in a smaller volume. So a dried tomato, plum, or mushroom has a much more intense, richer flavour than fresh. The most varied products are dried: fruit and berries (raisins, dried apricots, prunes, apples), vegetables, mushrooms, aromatic herbs and spices, and also meat (jerky) and fish. The methods of drying vary: naturally in the sun and air, in an oven at a low temperature, in a special device — a dehydrator — and also the modern freeze-drying (freezing in a vacuum). In modern and molecular cuisine, dehydrating creates crisp textures — crisps, tuiles, powders. Dehydrating is an example of ancient wisdom that allows the harvest to be kept for years and at the same time opens new facets of a product's flavour. It is a simple, healthy, and effective technique.