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A convection oven can be used as a food dehydrator by adjusting the settings and following a few simple steps. First, preheat the oven to the lowest temperature, usually around 140°F (60°C). Next, place the food you want to dehydrate on a baking sheet or rack, ensuring there is enough space for air circulation. Leave the oven door slightly ajar to allow moisture to escape. Depending on the food, it may take several hours to dehydrate completely. Check the food periodically to avoid over-drying. Using a convection oven as a food dehydrator is a convenient and effective way to preserve food.
If you’re looking for a way to preserve perishable food for longer, you have several options, such as canning, smoking, and dehydrating. Dehydrating offers even more choices, including specialized appliances or homemade outdoor dehydrating stations that utilize the sun’s power.
However, if you have a convection oven, there’s no need to go through the trouble of buying or building a special food dehydrator. Your dehydrator is already right in your kitchen!
Why Dehydrate Food in a Convection Oven?
Still not convinced about choosing dehydration as your preferred method of food preservation? Consider this: it’s more versatile than canning or smoking. You can dehydrate a variety of foods, from fruit to meat, and because the moisture is removed, the food becomes less susceptible to mold, mildew, and bugs. Despite the loss of moisture, dehydrated food still retains its delicious flavor.
Moreover, once the food preparation is done, all you have to do is put it in the oven and leave it. There’s no need to slave over a hot stove like when canning. Plus, dehydrated food doesn’t take up much space in your pantry. It’s a win-win situation.
If you choose to dehydrate food in a convection oven, you don’t need any additional materials that you don’t already have. All you need is a sharp knife for food preparation, a cooling rack, an oven, and about 6 to 12 hours where you’ll be home and able to keep an eye on the process.
Is Your Oven a Convection Oven?
Another thing to consider is the type of oven you have. A convection oven is an electric oven that has a fan at the back instead of a metal coil at the bottom. The fan helps circulate hot air, heating the food through convection.
Convection ovens are more efficient at lower temperatures compared to gas and conduction ovens. This makes them perfect for dehydrating since the temperature ranges for dehydrating food are all below 160 degrees Fahrenheit, and the fan ensures even air circulation as the food dries.
So, if your oven has an electric plug and a fan at the back without a coil at the bottom, congratulations! You have a convection oven!
Proper Food Preparation
The first step is to prepare the food. If you’re dehydrating vegetables or fruits, wash them as you would if you were going to eat them immediately or cook with them. This means removing dirt from root vegetables and rinsing the produce in water, or using soap to scrub if desired. If you prefer to remove peels from your fruits and veggies, now is the time to do it.
If you wouldn’t normally eat the vegetable raw, consider steaming it first to enhance its flavor when it comes out of the dehydrator. Feel free to add spices to make it more flavorful.
Preparing Meat for Dehydration
Before dehydrating meat, it is recommended to follow a specific recipe. This involves marinating the meat or applying a dry rub to enhance its flavor before the dehydration process. Additionally, it is important to remove any fat from the meat, as fat does not dehydrate well and can cause the jerky to spoil.
Similar to other cooking methods, it is crucial to ensure that the meat reaches a safe internal temperature. Since the dehydrated meat will be stored on a shelf, it is essential to eliminate any pathogens. Precooking the meat to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit before dehydrating it for four to six hours in the oven can help achieve this. Alternatively, using a higher temperature or a meat probe can also ensure that the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
Thin Slices for Optimal Results
Next, the meat should be sliced into strips that are 1/2 inch wide or smaller. The thinner the slices, the quicker the dehydration process. However, the most important factor is consistency in slicing rather than the exact width. Using a mandolin slicer can help achieve consistent sizes for vegetables and fruits.
If a slicing gadget is not available, taking time to slice the meat evenly can yield similar dehydration rates. This eliminates the need to remove thin slices earlier or leave thicker ones to dry for longer periods.
When making convection oven beef jerky, it is convenient to ask the butcher for thin slices when purchasing the meat.
Setting the Correct Temperature on Your Convection Oven
The temperature for dehydration depends on the type of food. Fruits and vegetables should be set between 120 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, while meat requires a temperature of 140 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
Some ovens are more efficient than others and may have preset options, such as the KitchenAid oven dehydrate mode. However, if the oven does not regulate its temperature well, it may be necessary to crack the door if it becomes too warm or increase the temperature if it becomes too cool. An oven thermometer can provide accurate readings.
Dehydrating the Food
Arrange the sliced food on a drying rack or oven dehydrator trays to ensure even drying. Avoid overlapping the food; it should be in a single layer.
Place the food in the oven and set a timer for a minimum of six hours. Depending on the composition and thickness of the slices, some foods may require up to 12 hours to dehydrate fully. Monitor the oven thermometer and make adjustments as necessary.
You will be able to tell when the food is ready because it will be completely dry to the touch and dry inside if you cut it open. Remove the food from the oven and let it dry for 24 hours before storing it in a sealed container. It should last for a long time on the shelf. Some people who enjoy dehydrating food claim that fruits and vegetables can remain shelf stable for years, but use your own judgment before consuming them.
Is it Worth Getting a Dehydrator?
Dehydrating food in a convection oven is definitely convenient for most people, but if you are really into dehydrating, you might want to consider buying a specialized dehydrator. This is because using a convection oven actually requires more energy than a dehydrator. Additionally, a dehydrator allows for better temperature control if your oven is not reliable.
All in all, investing in a dehydrator may be a good idea if you plan on storing food long-term using this method. You can choose between countertop models or larger versions for bulk dehydrating. Regardless of what you decide, enjoy the process and the delicious final product!
