Why Dehydrating Is Useful

Onions, yellow squash, zucchini and okra
Onions I use in everything. Summer squash I use in casseroles, and I love to fry it up with some potatoes. Zucchini I use in my breads and okra in my soups.

I get asked often why am I so interested in dehydrating food? Is it really that important? So I thought I would take a minute and answer that for you. In this article I am going to share with you why I dehydrate, and what I do with the food I dehydrate. Also I will share with you reasons why dehydrating is worth your time.

Celery and Cantaloupe
Celery I use as a season and also make it into celery salt. Cantaloupe is my go-to snack!

Why do I dehydrate food?

Well I have a few (or maybe more) reasons. So it will be easier to list them, and than explain some further.

Food shortage
Long term storage
Dehydrated food takes up a lot less space
Quick meals
Great for camping or backpacking.
Saves money
If you loose power, your DH food is safe
Have I mentioned shelf life
Buy in bulk
Convenience
Add in veggies and the kids may never know
Sensory Kiddos
Healthy snacks

We all experienced the food shortage of 2020. We never know if there will be another, so it is wise to be prepared.

Long term storage. Canning food will last for years, but food that has been properly dehydrated will last decades. Yes, you read that right. Decades!!

Dehydrated food shrinks down to next to nothing! You would be amazed at how many mega zucchinis I can fit into a quart jar! That reminds me of the old commercial for Tootsie Pops!!

Quick meals- you can make some great meals in a jar or bags. Which is why they are great for camping and backpacking. They weigh next to nothing,

Dehydrating food really saves money. You can buy produce and fruit that has been marked down and dehydrate it. Also you can buy in bulk, and you can make your own spices. Can you say no more icky ingredients and MSG!!

When power goes out you don’t have worry about your dehydrated food, or canned food for that matter!

If you have a child that has sensory issues, you can turn any vegetable or fruit into a powder and season their food with it. Do you have a picky eater. Mix spinach powder in their mac and cheese. Give the mac and cheese a fun name and watch them eat their veggies.

I make my daughter her special smoothies everyday. It is so nice to have the vegetables I need on hand.

In my daughters smoothies I use my dehydrated fruits and veggies. Here I am using spinach.

I cook everything I make from scratch and I am always grabbing something from my dehydrated stash. So convenient!

So is it worth it to dehydrate? Yes, yes.it.is. Also remember, the dehydrator does most of the work for you. So with very little effort on your part, you can have a great stock pile of great food!

If you haven’t dehydrated and want to start. Here is a great dehydrator to start with. If you want to upgrade later on you can.

Here is a video of some of my favorite things that make the chopping and slicing so much easier! These items are truly a must have in my kitchen.