Who isn't looking to spend less and save more money? A food dehydrator can be a valuable tool in cutting food costs, extending food supplies and eliminating food waste, over ripening and spoilage. Use a food dehydrator to save money by following these ideas. - Extend food shelf life and reduce waste and spoilage. A food dehydrator is designed to remove a significant amount of water from food. The water content of food is generally very high, typically between 80% to 95% for various fruits and vegetables and 50% to 75% for different meats. Removing moisture from food inhibits various bacteria, yeasts and molds from growing and spoiling it. This makes dehydrated fruits, vegetables and jerky perfect for longer term storage. - Buy foods on sale or in bulk. Buy extra fruits and vegetables while they are in abundance, in season and relatively less expensive. Dehydrate what you don't consume and avoid over ripening or spoilage. - Make your own beef jerky. Store bought beef jerky is very expensive on a per ounce basis. A 3.5 ounce package of jerky can cost about $4.00 or $1.14 per ounce. Instead, make home made beef jerky by buying flank steak or sirloin tip, adding marinade or spices and drying. The food dehydrator calculator shows that a 1 pound piece of meat would make about 8 ounces or a half pound of jerky. If the meat cost $3.78 per pound the jerky cost would be about 47 cents per ounce. - Make your own fruit leather. Likewise, store bought fruit leather or fruit roll ups are very expensive on a per ounce basis. A 5 ounce package of fruit leather can cost about $2.56 or 51 cents per ounce. Instead, make home made fruit leather by pureeing fruit and drying it. One pound of peaches would make about 3.8 ounces of fruit leather. If the peaches cost $1.27 per pound the cost would be about 33 cents per ounce. - Stop buying candy and sweets. Removing water from fruit also decreases the fruit's volume, thus, once dried, the fruit's sugar content becomes more concentrated per serving. This is why dried fruit tastes sweeter than fresh fruit. Make a healthier choice. Eat dried fruit instead of candy, which is full of processed sugars. - Dry your own herbs and spices. Plant an herb garden and dehydrate your own spices in a dehydrator. The cost of the seeds will be tiny compared to the $2 to $4 dollar cost per herb jar at the store. - Go vegetarian. Cut down on your meat and dairy consumption. Reduce your fat and cholesterol intake and increase consumption of fat free fresh and dried fruits and vegetables. A healthier diet and lifestyle cuts down on sick time and costs - Better yet, go on a raw food diet. A raw food diet is one that promotes the consumption of raw foods. Raw foods, including fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts, seeds and herbs, are foods eaten in their natural, unprocessed, uncooked state. Use a dehydrator to warm raw foods. - Make your own hiking and camping food. Dried fruit, fruit leather, trail mix and jerky are great tasting, nutritious, portable and easy to make foods that are excellent for camping and hiking. - Keep emergency food supplies on hand. A food dehydrator is an excellent tool to create non-perishable, shelf stable food. Dehydrated food, stored in airtight containers, can last for multiple years. Be prepared for emergencies and avoid potential tight food supplies and price gouging that can accompany natural or man made disasters.
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