Welcome to the wonderful world of dehydration. You are about to discover one of the oldest methods of preserving food known to civilization. Primitive people dehydrated or dried grasses, herbs, roots, berries, and meats by setting them out in the sun. They learned that dehydration of dried supplies allowed them to exist during the long, bitter winters when food was scarce or literally nonexistent. The light weight and high nutritional value of dried food also enabled early people to travel greater distances to hunt and explore.
Nearly all people of our globe were dehydrating or drying food to some degree from the dawn of civilization. Actually, the earliest written record we know stated that the Phoenicians and other fishing people of the Mediterranean area used to dry their catches in the open air. Sun drying tea leaves was very common among the early Chinese; many other early cultures were also known to have consumed plenty of dried food. For instance, when certain ancient Egyptian tombs were excavated recently, scientists found a variety of dehydrated foods, including wheat grain. These foods were meant to sustain the spirit of the deceased during his journey in the afterlife. As an experiment, some of the centuries-old grains were later re-hydrated. Miraculously, they sprouted, proving that dehydration is truly a viable long-term, natural means of food preservation.
During the ages of exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries, most sailors on long sea voyages ate varieties of dried food in order to stay alive. For example, when Columbus discovered the New World, dehydrated food played an important part in sustaining his crew and in preventing any outbreak of nutritional diseases like scurvy and beriberi. As you may imagine, much of this food was excessively salted and would not be very appetizing to modern tastes. However, to these early explorers, the dehydrated food did provide the sustenance to make long, perilous sea voyages possible.
Centuries ago in our country long before the rise of canning and freezing, American Indians preserved their produce by drying it in the sun. Fruits like apples, pears, and peaches; vegetables like corn; and meat like elk, deer, bear, and buffalo were all dehydrated and stored for the leaner seasons. And when the pilgrims came, the Indians not only greeted them with "How," but they also showed them how to dry food.
The first pioneers likewise relied heavily on drying. Dehydrated food enabled them to endure the harsh conditions as they journeyed hundreds of miles westward across the plains. When Horace Greeley used the now famous statement: "Go west, young man, and grow up with the country." in a New York Tribune editorial, he should have added: "And take along a good supply of dried food." Leathery morsels of dried meat (or jerky) also acted as staples for Jedediah Strong Smith and other far-roaming "mountain men" who braved the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the unexplored Pacific coast.
By 1795, the French had developed the firstdehydrator a device designed to regulate the drying conditions and generally speed up the food-saving process. Although crude in comparison to today's models, the French unit successfully dried fruits and vegetables at a controlled heat temperature of approximately 130°F with a continuous circulating airflow the necessary conditions for any dehydration operation. It was many years before the first true dehydrators were introduced in the United States.
Dehydrated Food in the 20th Century. Dehydrated food really became a major source of the American diet during World War I. When our country actively entered the War in 1917 sending troops and a steady stream of supplies to Europe dried food made up a good portion of nutritional supplies that were shipped abroad. Billboards of the time shouted the slogan: "Food will win the War" and dehydrated food did its share.
Interest in drying food dropped off somewhat after the war as the Roaring '20s, "the era of nonsense," rolled in with its flappers and speakeasies. It rekindled as the Great Depression of the 1930s crashed down upon the nation. Because people couldn't afford, or often find, the supplies needed for canning, many returned to drying to preserve what food they had.
But it wasn't until another world war that dehydrated food made its comeback. The urgent requirements of war supplies and materials set off another surge of drying during World War II. Food was rationed and every bit preserved was a step toward victory. With the rationing of sugar and the disappearance of canning supplies, homemakers relied heavily on drying as their main method of food preservation. The federal government even developed a self help program which made solar dehydrator plans available to citizens so they could dry their "Victory Garden" goods. In addition, many commercial drying plants opened in this country to provide the necessary food for the free world. Dehydrated produce was a practical way to supply overseas troops; it was lightweight, easy to transport, and did not spoil. In fact, dried food continues to be used today by the armed forces as well as in the space program.
With the widespread use of modern refrigeration and freezing appliances in the post WWII era, interest in dehydrating again dwindled. With the postwar prosperity and a general blanket of security covering the country, people no longer felt the need to preserve their own food. Today, however, because of the uncertainties with which we live, dehydrating is once again becoming more and more popular as a method of preserving food.
Dried food takes up much less space than frozen or canned types. For instance, as many as 60 tomatoes can fit into a quart jar after they have been dehydrated. Another advantage of drying is that no electricity is required to keep the food, unlike freezing, and little energy is required to process the food, unlike canning.
Another advantage is the convenience of dehydrated food; you don't have to thaw it out, and you won't have any leftovers. Merely take out what you need, reclose the container, and reconstitute the dehydrated food you have removed.
Dehydrated food can easily be taken on a camping or hiking trip. The small bags of lightweight morsels can be carried on backpacking or canoe camping trips. Dehydrated munching items such as jerky, dried apples, and peaches have been popular with hunters for years, and a few nibbles of these varieties can keep you going all day. These are really tasty, nutritious foods, not just empty calaries.
People in all walks of life can dry many of their favorites in all kinds of weather at home. Today's desire for natural, healthful, and inexpensive methods of food preservation has put dehydration in modern kitchens.
