Dehydration is another great option for getting food on your shelf, plus it’s also super convenient, lightweight, and really takes the bulk down on your food to help maximize your space. 

In this episode of the Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn continue their series on preservation methods with an introduction to dehydration. They cover the pros and cons of dehydration, what foods it really works best on, the different types of dehydration, and the basic steps you need to follow in order to get started. 

In this Episode: 

• Grandma Jeanie is recovering after having to go to the ER for pelvic pain caused by pneumonia. 
• Harvest season is still in full swing as Josh and Carolyn continue to make plans to prep for winter. 
• Why would somebody dehydrate and what are the benefits of doing it over other preservation methods? 
• What are the types of food you can dehydrate and what are the nutritional benefits? 
• What foods should not be dehydrated at home and why?
• What are the grades of different electric dehydrators and what features should you look for when buying one? 
• Josh and Carolyn discuss the different types of dehydration methods (electric, solar, and oven). 
• What are the basic steps you need to know before you start dehydrating food? 
• Carolyn provides some tips on how to reconstitute tomatoes and use them to make a great sauce. 
• Carolyn explains her technique for perfecting fruit leather that won’t overdry and is perfect for snacks. 
• Question of the week: a new homesteader tried to water bath can some guava pineapple jam and some jars grew mold and popped open. What went wrong?   

Resources: 

• BCS Two Wheel Tractors 
• Mary Bell’s Complete Dehydrator Cookbook 
• Carolyn's Favorite Dehydrator

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