Food dehydrators remove approximately 75% of the moisture that is naturally found in raw foods. Removing this moisture will help stop the food from deteriorating. Always keep in mind that over dehydration is better than under dehydration. Once you dehydrate the food you must keep it in an airtight moisture proof container like a jar or bags. Always store your dehydrated food in cool dark places like a cupboard or a pantry. Properly dehydrated and stored foods can last as much as 30 years.

Once a food is dehydrated it will become thin and compact but it will retain the natural vitamins and minerals present in the food prior to dehydrating. Many people on raw food diets use dehydrated foods as a primary part of their diet because they do retain a rich concentration of enzymes and nutrition.

With a good food dehydrator you can prepare dried foods at a significant savings over the cost of purchasing them. You can then stock your shelves with dehydrated cranberries, apples, pineapples, banana chips and grapes that will last for many years. Your dehydrator will also make meat jerky from your favorite meats including beef, chicken and pork.

When you begin to consume the dehydrated foods you have prepared you may want to soak them in water to add back some of the moisture. This will not affect the vitamins, nutrition, minerals and enzymes that remain in the dried foods but it will enhance the taste. A food steamer is also a good way to re-hydrate food before you consume it.

Once you begin using a food dehydrator you will wonder why you waited this long.