Most commercial dehydrators have thermostats on the other hand so you can work at lower temps. Use the convection setting if available.
From Garden to Table.
Can you use a convection oven to dehydrate food. Can I use my convection oven for food dehydration. Yes you can use your oven for food dehydration given that your oven has a dehydrator function. Some ovens may not have a dehydrator function but still you can dehydrate with them by setting the parameters manually.
Some convection ovens neither have a dehydrator option nor have the ambient temperature for food dehydration. So the question is can I really use my convection oven as a dehydrator. Yes in fact you can use the oven to dry your food.
The fact is that both a dehydrator and conventional oven-dry most foods in precisely the same way. However a conventional oven and dehydrator both have different benefits. You can use an oven to dehydrate.
Even if you dont own a dehydrator oven drying is a way to preserve food for your pantry and extend your food storage. Even if you dont own a dehydrator or you just dont have room for one in your living circumstances oven drying do not confuse this for the unapproved method of putting goods in jars with. A regular oven can make a great food dehydrator so long as you use it righ.
How to Use an Oven as a Food Dehydrator. Part of the series. From Garden to Table.
In practice this means any food you dry thats going to be rehydrated should be done at temperatures lower than 165F. This is one reason why dehydrators work better than stoves—few of which nowadays operate that low. Most commercial dehydrators have thermostats on the other hand so you can work at lower temps.
As a rule a convection oven is better for drying food as it can maintain the temperature constant more easily. Drying food in the oven doesnt take too many steps. Unlike what many believe drying foods in the oven doesnt take much work.
All you need to do is follow these simple steps. Slice your food into thin strips or slices. Use these tips to help you make use of your oven to dehydrate foods even if you dont have a dehydrator.
If youll be using several pans be sure to position them a few inches apart for even air circulation A regular oven will take 6-10 hours to dehydrate food properly. As a rule of thumb juicier foods take longer than drier food. That being said using an electric oven might seem a little bit expensive.
Can I use an oven as a dehydrator. That what this whole article is about The main takeaway is that you need some kind of fan assisted oven. The efficiency of the fan and how low the temperature of the oven goes will determine how you need to adjust the timing in the recipe Vs using a dehydrator.
If your oven doesnt have such low settings then use the Warm setting. 2 Fruits and Veggies which can be dehydrated easily are. Apples apricots cherries bananas pineapples plums dates.
A dehydrator blows warm air usually between 150F and 200F through racks of herbs fruit beef strips or whatever to dry it out WITHOUT COOKING it. Air has to be able to circulate not just through the food but in and out of the oven. The warm moist air needs to get out so dry air can get in.
Using an Oven to Dry Food When drying food there are many who refuse to invest in a food dehydrator and just use the conventional oven that they already have in their house. Some made the conscious decision to choose an oven over a food dehydrator because it can do. Both a dehydrator and a conventional oven will dehydrate most foods in the same way so what are the benefits of using one over the other.
Lets start with oven dry probably the most accessible form of dehydrating food because pretty much everyone will have an oven. Dehydrating food in the oven is pretty simple but there are some limitations. Dehydration is one of the easiest ways to preserve food.
You dont need to buy special jars preservatives or special equipment. You dont even need to buy a dehydrator. Your oven whether it be.
Drying Fruit in a Convection Oven Preheat the oven to 140 degrees F. If your oven doesnt go as low as 140 degrees set the oven to the lowest setting and leave door slightly ajar. This is not recommended if you have children in the home.
Set your oven to 140 degrees or its lowest setting some ovens wont set below 170. Use the convection setting if available. The convection setting mimics a food dehydrator by circulating heated air in the oven and reducing the drying time needed.
Cut vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Blanch raw vegetables until crisp-tender. Food dehydrators usually have an operating temperature around 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you can get your convection oven to go that low I dont think you would have a problem with accidentally cooking the food. Heat however is only the first step.