Can You Use an Air Fryer to Dehydrate Food? The Truth Unveiled
Dehydrating food is an easy and useful way to preserve food. This process reduces the moisture content in your food – the perfect environment for bacteria and fungi to grow and decay your food. By doing this, your food can last for a long time without a refrigerator.
Usually, dehydrating food would require a food dehydrator. However, now, an air fryer can save you the cost of a food dehydrator, for you can also conveniently dehydrate your food using your versatile air fryer.
Can An Air Fryer Dehydrate Food?
Normally, a food dehydrator would radiate a light flow of warm air (usually between 150°F and 200°F) from a built-in fan to reduce the water amount in food and dry it out without cooking. Thus, it would circulate dry air within itself to eliminate any remaining moisture that contains bacteria and fungi.
Does the description of this process sound familiar? If it sounds familiar to you, it is because this is how the air fryer, a more common device in every kitchen, works. An air fryer also uses the circulation of air to cook and fry food without the use of oil.
Since you can control the temperature of your air fryer, you can also put it at a lower temperature to let your air fryer replicate the dehydrating process of a food dehydrator. Thus, an air fryer usually dehydrates food faster than a dehydrator, which makes it an ideal substitution for a food dehydrator.
How To Use An Air Fryer To Dehydrate Food?
Some air fryers now come with a dehydrating function and even a set with many different racks used for this function. If you have this kind of air fryer, all you have to do is to prepare your food, put it into the air fryer, and activate this function. Make sure to follow the instruction for the best result
If your air fryer doesn’t come with a dehydrating setting, don’t worry. You still can dehydrate your food with a standard air fryer by the low heat setting and a stream rack following four simple steps below.
- Prepare your food (cut or slice it to your preference).
- Place the food on the steam rack, spread your food evenly so that air can dry them more effectively, and put it into the air fryer.
- Set the temperature at low heat (below or near 112 F/45 C).
- Let your food stay there for 30 minutes to a couple of hours depending on the volume of your food.
Here is a video on how to dehydrate your food using an air fryer for your further information:
Things To Remember When Dehydrating Food With An Air Fryer
Temperature
The low temperature below 112 F/45 C is not strong enough to cook food, it will only dry out the surface of your food and suck the moisture content out. Yet, a higher temperature will cook your food instead of preserving it so remember the temperature.
Thus, this temperature will allow the enzymes to stay in your food, which keeps its nutrition with the dehydrating process.
A stream rack
If your air fryer does not have a dehydrating function, it would usually lack the venting function that directs all the water and moisture stuck inside the air fryer to the outside. The water can absorb the food again, making the dehydrating result unsuccessful.
Placing the food you want to dehydrate on a stream rack can let air circulate more thoroughly not only on the surface of the food but also underneath it. This circulation can eliminate all the moisture on the surface of your food. Hence, remember your useful stream rack.
Can All Air Fryers Dehydrate Food?
You can still dehydrate your food with a standard air fryer. However, if your air fryer cannot withstand long hours of use, it may not be the most ideal dehydrator.
A larger air fryer is also more ideal for this process because you can spread your food more evenly and let it dehydrate more effectively.
Read More:
Cuisinart vs Kitchenaid Food Processor: A Detailed Comparison
Conclusion (Can You Use an Air Fryer to Dehydrate Food?)
Now you have discovered another wonderful function of your air fryer and learn everything you need to know about dehydrating your food with an air fryer. Go apply this knowledge now, make use of your air fryer, and preserve your food in this useful and delicious way!
