Drying Techniques

Dried foods must be stored in a special reserved storage facility, be this as small as a cupboard or as large as a farm-silo. The storage facility must have a fixed temperature of 15 degrees Celsius all year round and a relative humidity of 60%. Because many dried foods can get invested by parasites the storage facility must be extremely clean, and dried foods must be checked periodically in order to prevent parasite infestations or even outbreaks of parasites. Use watertight packaging-material/products if the storage facility isn't dry and isn't at a fixed temperature all year round. So adapt the packaging to the environment of storage. The storage facility should be a well-ventilated space. Put dried foods in large bottles and preserving-jars with preferably a cork as shutter, or use a screwing lid with a rubber ring. When a food product has just been dried then immediately put it in the bottles and or preserving-jars under the driest and coldest of circumstances available and shut the lid on as soon as possible.

Fruit

To dry fruit after the cataclysms without the sun can be done easily and best by using an infra red lamp. The fruit to be dried should be laid in small portions on gauze, spanned when needed by a wooden frame so the air can circulate above and under, in a well-ventilated space under the light of an infra red lamp. The benefit of using an infra red lamp over sunlight is that under the influence of the infra red light more nutrients are preserved than when dried under sunlight.

 

Vegetables in general

Infra red light shouldn't be used with vegetables, it will dry them out too quickly. Vegetables are normally dried using just the dry air ventilating around the food. Some vegetables are dried by raising the temperature around them up to 60 to 70 degrees Celsius. In a oven this can be reached easily, or in a pot above a small fire, or in a small room where a fire causes the temperature to rise. Turn the vegetables around once in a while to prevent them drying out too rapidly. Never dry vegetables in the sun.

 

For the leaves of carrot-related vegetables (parsley, celery etc.)

The leaves of these type of plant can be preserved very well for a long time. Remove withered leaves. Dry outdoors in nice sunny weather or in a space with a temperature of 50 degrees Celsius. When the leaves are dry, make a powder of them. Put in tightly shut jars.

 

For carrot-related vegetables (parsley, celery etc.)

Clean the roots of debris well, then wash them. Then cut them in slices and dry in a temperature between 65 and 70 degrees Celsius. For 1 kilo of carrot-related vegetables there should be approximately 140 grams of dried vegetables.

 

For Carrots

Take healthy carrots of a beautiful orange color (with as few root threads as possible). Wash them. Put them in boiling water to blanch them until they are soft. Take them out and let them cool. Then cut them in slices of 3 to 4 mm thickness. Dry them in a temperature at a maximum of 80 degrees Celsius. When blanched the precious Vitamin A will be preserved.

 

Onions

Peel them, wash them and then cut them in slices of 3 to 4 mm thickness. Dry them in a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius.

 

Herbs (dragon, thyme, oregano etc.)

When drying at temperatures too high or incorrectly preserved they will loose their aroma. Wire pieces together into a small parcel. Dry quickly! Dry them in a temperature of 50 to 55 degrees Celsius. When the leaves are touched they fall apart. Preserve them in tightly shut jars.

 

Cabbage

Remove leaves from cabbage. Wash the leaves and remove any veins. Cut the leaves in strips and 'blanch' them for 3 minutes in boiling water. Thereafter they must be laid in cold water to cool. Pour the water off the cold leaves and dry them in a temperature of 65 to 75 degrees Celsius. Before consumption put them in water for 2 hours and then boil for 45 minutes.

 

Peas

Preferably take sweet peas. Blanch them for 3 minutes, then cool them down then in cold water. Pour the water off the peas and dry in a temperature of 65 to 70 degrees Celsius.

 

French beans

Preferably soft ones. Remove the tops and threads. Blanch them for 10 minutes in boiling water. Cool them down by placing in cold water, then pour off the water and dry in 65 degrees Celsius.

 

Mushrooms

They must be fresh without any traces of fungus, aging or parasites! When dried they have lost a lot of their nutrients but the taste and scent will be preserved. Clean them with a knife and rub them with a dry cloth. Remove parts eaten by worms. They must not be washed because then drying will no longer be possible! Cut them in slices of 3 mm thickness. Then lay them on a gauze immediately. Mushrooms can be dried in the sun, in a hothouse or an oven, or a combination of these methods. In the oven never exceed a temperature of 45 degrees Celsius until the mushrooms are entire dry on the edges, then raise the temperature slowly up to 70 degrees Celsius. It is of the utmost importance to store mushrooms in a very dry surroundings. Small mushrooms can be dried on a wire. Mushrooms are dry enough when they make a slight crunchy sound when you pinch them softly. If they are over dry they will fall apart when touched.

 

Medicinal Plants

Use only plants well known. Dry carefully. Dry any poisonous plants separately from the non-poisonous ones. Store poisonous plants separately, in their own facility preferably. and don't allow children in the storage facility. Protect hands by wearing gloves. Dry medicinal plants at a maximum of 35 degrees Celsius. Best is to dry them using an infra red lamp, as by this method you will avoid a high temperature. Medicinal plants dried in the sun they will loose their potency. In general roots of medicinal plants are best be taken out of the ground when they haven't grown into fully leafed plants yet (early spring), then their level of medicinal nutrients is highest. Cut them after washing in cold water into strips along the length of the root. Dry at a maximum of 40 degrees Celsius. Roots are perfectly dried when parts can be broken of with some ease. Small roots can be dried as a whole.

 Offered by Michel.