How do you dry meat?

Answer 1

There are many books covering the subject of drying fruit and we will not attempt to write one here.

Several drying methods exist and the object of all of them is to remove moisture from the fruit to extend the usable shelf life and improve portability.

• The oldest method is letting the fruit dry naturally in the sun. As it dries, the fruit will need to be protected from animals, insects and dust.
• The newest and most expensive is freeze-drying. There is now a model available for home kitchens, but the equipment cost is high.
• Between those two are food dehydrators which use fans and/or heated air.

The thinner the piece of fruit, the faster the drying cycle which yields better results. Many sliced fruits will exhibit enzymatic browning which does affect flavor and may need some type of treatment (citric acid, sugar, sulfites, blanching, etc) to prevent that.

After the fruit is dried, proper storage is critical for shelf life and flavor retention. It should be stored in an air tight container in a cool place and not be exposed to light.

Answer 2

If you live in a very hot hot climate, I bet you can leave them outside to dry (will take several days, or put them in your oven on a low temperature, or buy them at the store, or eat them fresh (I would do that).

Answer 3

If you live in hot and arid area, it is easy, split each in half, then remove the pit. place them nicely in a tray and let the sun beam dry them out gently. Otherwise if you live in rainy or cold region, turn on your oven and let it warm up enough that when you open the door you can feel a nice hot air touching your face. so it is not hot at all, then turn the oven off and instead of sun beam the warmth of the oven does the job. Just make sure it is off.

Answer 4

If you have a low setting on your oven, then yes. I cannot set my oven any lower than 250 degrees F. Therefore I use a dehydrator.

My old oven had a pilot light that was PERFECT for drying foods. Between the pilot light and the lightbulb, the temperature was perfect for drying fruits and vegetables. If the oven is not hot enough, it could mold before it dries.

You are better off buying or building a dehydrator.

I made mine lining a box ( that I built ) using aluminum sheeting. For heat, I use 2 light bulbs ( a 100 watts and a 50 watt. Using two 100 watt bulbs was too hot. ) and the fan from a broken computer ! Put a small vent in the door for moisture to escape ( picked up a small plastic adjustable floor vent at the hardware store ) and I drilled a hole for a thermometer to watch the temp.

Works GREAT !

Answer 5

There are a number of ways to dry fruit. Basically, the fruit needs to be fairly even in thickness, then spread out in a single layer in such a way that warm dry air circulates freely. The length of time needed to dry fruit depends on the type of fruit. Electric food driers are available that take up a relatively small space, with multiple racks. Otherwise, whole or sliced fruit can be spread on racks or layers of netting or cheesecloth, then covered lightly with more netting or cheesecloth to protect from insects and dust. It can be left outdoors in the shade in dry weather, or on racks in a protected place. I have known people to spread fruit on the surface beneath the rear window of a car, to dry in the intense summer sun!

Answer 6

you canleave them in a sunny spot or blow on them....

Answer 7

See the Related Link below.