Compared to the myriads of food preservation methods like canning, freezing and the rest, dehydrating vegetables and fruits comes with distinct benefits.
And just like choosing dried fruits over canned fruits, choosing to dehydrate fruits without using dehydrator also offers enticing operational and health benefits. So why should you opt for natural drying methods over using appliances like dehydrators?
Benefits of consuming dehydrated fruits
Fruits, in general, provide lots of nutrients and vitamins required to maintain a healthy body. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford to eat a variety of fresh fruits every day. This is because not all types of fruits will be available all year round, and it can be inconvenient to visit grocery shops every other day.
Dehydrated fruits, on the other hand, offer a multitude of health benefits along with convenience.
Some of the health benefits of consuming dehydrated fruits are:
- It helps prevent and control diabetes
- Offers more nutrition
- Boosts immune system
- Improves digestive health
- Promotes weight loss
Moreover, preserving dehydrated fruits also becomes easy. Rather than investing in high-end refrigeration systems, you can opt for dried fruits that can last for a long time without the need for refrigeration.
Different ways to dehydrate fruits
Though there are various ways to dehydrate fruits, some methods are usually more successful and efficient than others. For instance, sun drying or air drying fruits offer more benefits than a dehydrator.
Here are the common methods used to dehydrate fruits:
- Air drying
- Sun drying
- Oven drying
- Electric dehydrating
- Dehydrating in microwave ovens
Given the apparent benefits of different methods, why should you dehydrate fruits without using a dehydrator? Why stay back from such a modern tool?
Less investment
Using the solar dry method or any other natural method to dehydrate the fruits will help you save a lot of money. Especially with the solar dehydration method, power is abundant at your disposal.
So you don’t necessarily have to use electricity-powered dehydrators for the process, thereby saving much on cost.
Long-term storage
Compared to the fruits dehydrated using dehydrators, the ones that are harvested naturally tend to last more years. For example, naturally dried fruits last up to five years and vegetables up to ten years or more.
So, with natural methods, you can achieve long-term storage.
Richness of flavor
According to the articles rolled out by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, fruits that are dehydrated by natural methods are usually rich in flavor and contain higher vitamin content than the ones dried using modern tools.
Say bye to equipment
One of the best advantages of choosing to dehydrate fruits without using a dehydrator is you do not have to lug around heavy pieces of equipment.
Natural methods like outdoor drying, sun drying, and air drying usually do not require much equipment. All you will need is a few trays and a pleasant outdoor condition, and you will be all set to dehydrate yummy fruits like apples, cherries, and grapes.
Dehydrating fruits using natural forces like air and sun will be an inexpensive and rewarding method instead of handling dehydrators. So, if you want to consume much more vitamins and fibers, and do it for free, try exploring these natural methods of dehydrating fruits.
Author Bio: Jacqueline Diaz is a passionate and full-time professional blogger. Also she writes on various topics. Gardening is her hobby and loves to travel a lot. She is also very much into learning new ideas that prove useful to one’s personal and business life.