Dryer Diversification

Drying is one of the oldest methods of food preservation, most likely discovered as solar drying of fruits and grains and, later, drying of meat by fire. With so much history, it has had a chance to diversify over the years, so that today there are many types of dryers and applications.

Drying Basics
Drying involves the removal of water from food (or other substances) by converting water to vapor. This conversion requires energy—the heat of vaporization, about 1,000 BTU/lb of water. Re…