One of my favourite machines in the kitchen is a dehydrator. It is so easy to use and the possibilities are endless! So what is a dehydrator and why should you use one? A dehydrator is a machine that removes the water out of foods at a very low temperature over a long period of time. The dehydration process removes moisture from the food so that bacteria, yeast and mold cannot grow. The added benefit of dehydrating food is that the process minimally effects the nutritional content of food. In fact, when using an in-home dehydration unit, 3%-5% of the nutritional content is lost compared to the canning method which looses 60%-80% of the nutritional content. Additionally, vitamins A and C, carbohydrates, fiber, potassium, magnesium, selenium and sodium are not altered or lost in the drying process. In the old days, food was dehydrated naturally in the sun to preserve it and it was than stored for long term use. The end result is a highly nutritious, essentially raw food that tastes great and can be stored long term. Here is a quick demonstration of how kale chips are made using a dehydrator.
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