Food drying

It formed the main protein source for the slaves on the West Indian plantations, and was a major economic force within the triangular trade.

Dried meats include prosciutto (Parma ham), bresaola, biltong and beef jerky.

Home drying of vegetables, fruit and meat can be carried out with electrical dehydrators (household appliance) or by sun-drying or by wind.

However, dried products without these preservatives may require refrigeration or freezing to ensure safe storage for a long time.

In this case, food is flash frozen and put into a reduced-pressure system which causes the water to sublimate directly from the solid to the gaseous phase.

Although freeze-drying is more expensive than traditional dehydration techniques, it also mitigates the change in flavor, texture, and nutritional value.

rows of fish hang from string, drying in the Sun
Flattened fish drying in the Sun in Madagascar . Fish are preserved through such traditional methods as drying, smoking , and salting . [ 1 ]
A whole potato, sliced pieces (right), and dried sliced pieces (left), 1943
1890 newspaper advertisement showing tin of dried coconut
A collection of dried mushrooms
Sun-drying octopus
This electric food dehydrator , shown drying mango and papaya slices, has a hot air blower that blows air through food-laden trays.