How to Use a Dehydrator
Before you start dehydrating you should know the difference between air
temperature and food temperature. You see, when you first start
dehydrating something, evaporation keeps the food in the dehydrator
COOLER than the temperature of the air in the dehydrator. In general,
food will be around 20° F cooler.
I recommend
setting your dehydrator at a higher temperature for a few hours then
turning it down. This helps avoid fermentation and reduces the time
food is in the dehydrator - the longer you leave something in a
dehydrator the greater the risk that enzymes can be destroyed or mold
can grow, even at lower temperatures.
Temperatures
and times also vary geographically. You need to experiment see what
works best for you and where you live. Some humid areas need higher
temperatures. Dry, hot arid areas may need lower!
Personally, I
start at 115-125° F depending on thickness and moisture content, and
then turn the thermostat down to 105-110° F until the recipe is as dry
as I want.