Editing Food drying

{{Short description|Method of food preservation}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2011}}

[[File:Fish drying in the sun poisson seche Madagascar.jpg|thumb|alt=rows of fish hang from string, drying in the Sun |Flattened [[fish]] drying in the Sun in [[Madagascar]]. Fish are [[food preservation|preserved]] through such traditional methods as drying, [[smoking (cooking)|smoking]], and [[salting (food)|salting]].<ref name = smoke>Grandidier (1899), p. 521</ref>]]
[[Image:Potato - dehydrated and sliced.jpg|right|thumb|A whole potato, sliced pieces (right), and dried sliced pieces (left), 1943]]

'''Food drying''' is a method of [[food preservation]] in which food is [[drying|dried]] (dehydrated or [[desiccation|desiccated]]). Drying inhibits the growth of [[bacteria]], [[yeast]]s, and [[mold]] through the removal of [[water]]. Dehydration has been used widely for this purpose since ancient times; the earliest known practice is 12,000 B.C. by inhabitants of the modern Asian and Middle Eastern regions.<ref name="uog">[http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/nchfp/factsheets/food_pres_hist.html "Historical Origins of Food Preservation".] Accessed June 2011.</ref> Water is traditionally removed through [[evaporation]] by using methods such as air drying, sun drying, smoking or wind drying, although today electric [[food dehydrator]]s or [[freeze-drying]] can be used to speed the drying process and ensure more consistent results.<ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Rahman |editor1-first=M. Shafiur |title=Handbook of Food Preservation |date=2007 |publisher=CRC Press |location=Boca Raton |isbn=9781420017373 |edition=2nd |language=en}}</ref>
[[File:1890 newspaper advertisement showing tin of desiccated cocoanut.jpg|thumb|upright|1890 newspaper advertisement showing tin of dried coconut]]

== Food types ==
[[File:Dried mushrooms.jpg|thumb|A collection of dried mushrooms]]
[[File:Octopus drying under the sun in Greece.jpg|thumb|170px|Sun-drying [[octopus]]]]

Many different foods can be prepared by dehydration. Meat has held a historically significant role. For centuries, much of the European diet depended on dried [[cod]]—known as [[dried and salted cod|salt cod]], [[bacalhau]] (with salt), or [[stockfish]] (without). It formed the main protein source for the [[slavery|slaves]] on the [[West Indies|West Indian]] plantations, and was a major economic force within the [[triangular trade]]. [[Dried fish]] most commonly cod or haddock, known as [[Harðfiskur]], is a delicacy in [[Iceland]], while dried [[reindeer]] meat is a traditional [[Sámi people|Sámi]] [[food]]. Dried meats include [[prosciutto]] ([[Parma ham]]), [[bresaola]], [[biltong]] and [[beef jerky]].

Dried fruits have been consumed historically due to their high sugar content and sweet taste, and a longer [[shelf-life]] from drying.<ref>{{cite book|isbn=978-0805052473|title=The Food Chronology: A Food Lover's Compendium of Events and Anecdotes from Prehistory to the Present|author=Trager, James|publisher=Henry Holt|year=1997}}</ref> [[Fruit]]s may be used and named differently when dried. The plum becomes a [[prune (fruit)|prune]], the grape a [[raisin]]. [[ficus|Fig]]s and [[date palm|date]]s may be transformed into different products that can either be eaten as they are, used in recipes, or rehydrated.

Freeze-dried vegetables are often found in food for backpackers, hunters, and the military. [[Garlic]] and [[onion]] are often dried and stored with their stalks [[Braid#Onion and garlic|braided]]. Edible mushrooms are sometimes dried for preservation or to be used as seasonings.

== Preparation ==
Home drying of vegetables, fruit and meat can be carried out with electrical dehydrators (household appliance) or by sun-drying or by wind.<ref>{{cite web|title=Food Dehydrator reviews|url=http://dehydratorjudge.com/|publisher=www.dehydratorjudge.com|access-date=19 April 2016}}</ref> Preservatives such as [[potassium metabisulfite]], [[butylated hydroxyanisole|BHA]], or [[butylated hydroxytoluene|BHT]] may be used, but are not required. However, dried products without these preservatives may require refrigeration or freezing to ensure safe storage for a long time.

Industrial food dehydration is often accomplished by [[freeze-drying]]. In this case, food is [[flash freezing|flash frozen]] and put into a reduced-pressure system which causes the water to [[Sublimation (chemistry)|sublimate]] directly from the solid to the gaseous phase. Although freeze-drying is more expensive than traditional dehydration techniques, it also mitigates the change in flavor, texture, and [[Nutritional rating systems|nutritional value]]. In addition, another widely used industrial method of drying of food is convective hot air drying. Industrial hot air dryers are simple and easy to design, construct and maintain. More so, it is very affordable and has been reported to retain most of the nutritional properties of food if dried using appropriate drying conditions.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Modeling the thin-layer drying of fruits and vegetables: A review |date=2016-02-04 |doi=10.1111/1541-4337.12196 |volume=15 |issue=3 |journal=Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety |pages=599–618|last1 = Onwude|first1 = Daniel I.|last2=Hashim |first2=Norhashila |last3=Janius |first3=Rimfiel B. |last4=Nawi |first4=Nazmi Mat |last5=Abdan |first5=Khalina |pmid=33401820 |url=http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/15197/1/Modeling%20the%20thin%E2%80%90layer%20drying%20of%20fruits%20and%20vegetables%20a%20review.pdf |doi-access=free }}</ref>

[[Hurdle technology]] is the combination of multiple food preservation methods. Hurdle technology uses low doses of multiple food preservation techniques in order to ensure food is not only safe but is desirable visually and texturally.

== Packaging ==
Packaging ensures effective food preservation. Some methods of packaging that are beneficial to dehydrated food are vacuum sealed, inert gases, or gases that help regulate respiration, biological organisms, and growth of [[microorganism]]s.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}

== Other methods ==
[[File:Food dehydrator.jpg|thumb|150px|This electric [[food dehydrator]], shown drying mango and papaya slices, has a hot air blower that blows air through food-laden trays.]]
There are many different methods for drying,<ref name="si">{{cite journal|journal=J Sci Food Agric|year=2016|volume=96|issue=6|pages=2055–62|doi= 10.1002/jsfa.7317|title=Comparison of different drying methods on the physical properties, bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of raspberry powders|vauthors=Si X, Chen Q, Bi J, Wu X, Yi J, Zhou L, Li Z |pmid=26108354|bibcode=2016JSFA...96.2055S }}</ref> each with its own advantages for particular applications. These include:
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* [[convection|Convection drying]]
* [[Bed dryer]]s
* [[Drum drying]]
* [[Freeze drying]]
* [[Microwave vacuum drying|Microwave-vacuum drying]]<ref name=si/>
* [[Shelf dryer]]s
* [[Spray drying]]
* [[infrared|Infrared radiation drying]]<ref name=si/>
* [[Combined thermal hybrid drying]]<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://zenodo.org/record/895601 |title=Recent advances of novel thermal combined hot air drying of agricultural crops |date=2016-10-30 |access-date=2017-03-25 |doi=10.1016/j.tifs.2016.09.012 |volume=57 |issue=A |journal=Trends in Food Science & Technology |pages=132–145|last1=Onwude |first1=Daniel I. |last2=Hashim |first2=Norhashila |last3=Chen |first3=Guangnan }}</ref>
* [[Sunlight]]
* Commercial [[food dehydrator]]s
* Household [[oven]]
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== See also ==
{{Portal|Food}}
{{Div col}}
* [[Bouillon cube]]
* [[Curing (food preservation)|Curing]]
* [[Dried fruit]]
* [[Instant noodles]]
* [[Instant soup]]
* [[List of dried foods]]
* [[List of smoked foods]]
* [[Meat extract]]
{{Div col end}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
* Mendonca, Aubrey F., and Norman N. Potter. "Food Preservation." AccessScience, McGraw-Hill Education, 2016.

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Food drying}}
* [http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/dry.html National Center for Home Food Preservation, drying section]

{{Food preservation}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Drying (Food)}}
[[Category:Cooking techniques]]
[[Category:Drying processes]]
[[Category:Food technology]]
[[Category:Dried foods|*]]
[[Category:Garde manger]]

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