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Dehydrating food is a smart, efficient way to preserve fresh food for a long time. It allows you to stock up on items when they’re on sale or in season so that you have healthy, nutritious food options on hand at all times, even in the case of disaster. Whether you are dehydrating food for storage and survival prep or you’re trying to save money on groceries and/or minimize food waste, you may be wondering: what are the best foods to dehydrate for long term storage in your food dehydrator?
Throughout this article, we’ll share the best foods to dehydrate for long term storage, steps for dehydrating, ideas for using dehydrated foods and tips for storing your dehydrated food so it lasts a long time.
Simply put, dehydrated foods will not spoil. This is because bacteria, yeast and mold, the common causes of spoilage, need water in order to grow.
Some foods are better suited to dehydration than others. The best foods to dehydrate for long term storage tend to be ones with lower fat content and higher acidity.
Check out the video below for more on why dehydration is great for food preservation.
Now, let’s break down what foods you should be dehydrating for long term storage.
Fruits are one of the most popular dehydrated foods. Many fruits have a low fat and high acid content making them ideal for dehydration. However, some store-bought dehydrated fruits are coated in an additional sugar glaze, so you’re better off making your own.
All fruits should be washed and dried before dehydrating. Larger fruits like apples and oranges should have the core and seeds removed, then be sliced thinly to shorten dehydrating time.
The size and water content of the fruit will determine how long they take to dehydrate. Use the guide that came with your food dehydrator, to determine the time and temperature for varying foods.
Dehydrated fruits can be used in granolas and trail mixes or just to snack on. They can also be made into fruit leather by blending the fruit and spreading it out thinly before dehydrating.
The best fruits to dehydrate for long term storage are:
Just like fruits, dehydrated vegetables have a lot of delicious uses and are very inexpensive to make.Dehydrated vegetables are great to have on hand for snacking, adding to soups or creating backpacking meals.
However, since veggies typically have a lower acidity, they can take longer to dehydrate. Additionally, some vegetables need to be blanched, or dropped in boiling water briefly, before they can be dehydrated. This helps retain their flavor, texture and more of their nutrients.
The best vegetables to dehydrate for long term storage are:
Nuts and seeds are a go-to healthy snack or meal add-in for many people. But did you know that nuts and seeds that are soaked and dehydrated are better for you than the classic roasted varieties?
Soaked nuts and seeds are easier to digest and their nutrients are better absorbed by the body. Then, they can be dehydrated to make them crunchy and enjoyable to snack on. Check out the following quick video on soaking and dehydrating nuts.
Dehydrated nuts and seeds can be stored for snacking, adding to trail mixes, granola or baked goods and can even be used to make nut butters or energy balls!
The best nuts and seeds to dehydrate for long term storage are:
By dehydrating your own herbs, instead of buying them at the store, you can be sure that they are fresh and that you know exactly where they came from.
Growing your own or buying a large volume of fresh herbs when they’re at their peak of ripeness will ensure that you have an excellent store of dried herbs to use in cooking, baking or steeping in tea for a number of years.
Herbs typically require only a few hours to dehydrate, so you can do a number of batches in one day. Sturdier herbs such as rosemary will dehydrate quickly, while tender herbs like mint will take slightly longer.
Dehydrated herbs can be used in cooking, baking or steeping in tea. Just remember that dried herbs tend to be stronger than fresh ones, so adjust your recipes accordingly.
The best herbs to dehydrate for long term storage are:
Roots such as ginger or turmeric are excellent for harvesting and dehydrating for long term storage. They can be used in teas, baking and cooking.
Once you dig up the root, be sure to thoroughly clean it and slice it thinly. Due to their moisture content, roots can take quite a while to dehydrate properly.
The best herbs to dehydrate for long term storage are:
Okay, so now that we covered what foods can be dehydrated for long term storage, the next question is: how do you make sure your food keeps well? If you’re dehydrating food for survival, you want to know that your food will still be edible when disaster strikes!
For the longest storage life, you should store dehydrated food in vacuum sealed packaging or in airtight, food-safe metal or glass containers. This helps retain the vitamins and nutrients in the food for the long term. Dehydrated food should be stored in cool, dry, dark areas.
Here are a few dehydrating food storage items to consider:
For more resources for long term food storage, check out this Food Storage Resource List.
Among the best foods to dehydrate for long term storage in your dehydrator, there are many fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs and roots to choose from!
You can grow your own food in a backyard garden or purchase it in bulk at the store. Then, when you’ve prepared, dehydrated and stored it properly, you’ll have snacks to munch on and a stock of survival rations stored away for years to come.
Comment below to let us know what your favorite food to dehydrate for long term storage is or if you have any questions!