Self-Reliance · Food · Preservation
Dehydrating food at home. Remove the water, keep the food.
Temperatures, times, and tests for fruit, vegetables, herbs, fruit leather, and jerky, with the storage rules that decide how long it all keeps. Every number on this page traces to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, USDA, FDA, or a university extension guide that NCHFP recommends.
By Dan Whelan, founder of New World Survival
Researched from government agencies, university extension services, and other published sources. See our sources
FROM THE FIELD
The dried food that gets eaten is the food someone planned a use for. That pattern repeats across gardeners' and homesteaders' accounts: apple and pear slices become everyday snacks, while dried onions, peppers, tomatoes, and squash go straight into soups and stews without soaking. The jars that sit untouched are the ones filled because the harvest was there, not because a meal was waiting. Pick the two or three foods your household already eats, and start there.
The short answer
How to dehydrate food, in one paragraph.
Dry fruits and vegetables at 140°F in a dehydrator, or in an oven that holds that low, until fruit is leathery and pliable and vegetables are brittle. Dry herbs cooler, at 95 to 115°F. Heat meat to 160°F, and poultry to 165°F, before it goes in to dry.
Let everything cool, condition dried fruit in jars for a week, then store it all airtight in a cool, dry, dark place. Plan to use it within 4 months to a year.
| Food | Dry at | Done when | Keeps, stored right |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit | 140°F[9] | Leathery and pliable; a squeezed handful leaves no moisture and springs apart[9] | About a year at 60°F, about six months at 80°F[4] |
| Vegetables | 140°F, most blanched first[10] | Brittle or crisp[10] | About half as long as fruit[4] |
| Herbs | 95 to 115°F; up to 125°F where it is humid[5] | Leaves crumble and stems break when bent[5] | Airtight, cool, dry, and dark to protect color and fragrance[5] |
| Fruit leather | 140°F[6] | No dent when you touch the center[6] | Up to 1 month at room temperature, up to 1 year frozen[6] |
| Jerky | Heat meat to 160°F, poultry to 165°F first, then dry at 130 to 140°F or higher[8] | See our jerky guide | 1 to 2 months, per USDA FSIS[8]; NCHFP advises two weeks at room temperature, then the refrigerator or freezer[7] |
Storage times assume clean, dry, insect-proof containers in a cool, dry, dark place. Warmer storage shortens every one of them.
How it works
Warm air, dry air, moving air.
Bacteria, yeasts, and molds need water. Most fresh food has plenty: FDA notes that most foods have a water activity above 0.95, enough moisture to support their growth.[11] Drying takes that water away.
01
Warmth
Heat drives water out of the food. Extension guidance puts the best drying temperature at 140°F, and warns that hotter air cooks the food instead of drying it, making mold more likely.[10]
02
Low humidity
Dry air takes up water easily. Humid air already holds a lot, so drying slows down, which is why the same batch can take hours longer on a muggy day.[10]
03
Airflow
Moving air carries the damp air away from the food so drier air can replace it. A fan is the main reason a dehydrator works faster than an oven.[10]
Drying stops growth by taking water away. It does not reliably destroy what is already on the food. USDA FSIS notes that pathogenic bacteria are likely to survive the dry heat of a warm oven, which is why meat gets a separate heating step.[8]
It also explains the storage rules. Dried food that picks moisture back up can spoil, so it has to go into clean, dry, airtight containers and stay there.[4]
The safety gate
Five rules that do not bend.
1. Meat and poultry are heated before they dry.
USDA FSIS recommends steaming or roasting meat to 160°F and poultry to 165°F, measured with a food thermometer, before dehydrating it. FSIS also says a dehydrator may not reach temperatures high enough to heat meat to those temperatures, and that most dehydrator instructions do not include this step.[8]
2. Vegetables and meat dry indoors.
NCHFP says vegetables, except vine-dried beans, and meats are not recommended for outdoor drying, and that it is best to dry them indoors under the controlled conditions of an oven or food dehydrator. The sugar and acid in fruit are what make outdoor drying safe for fruit when conditions are right.[2]
3. Dried food goes into jars cool and fully dry.
Food packed while still warm can sweat, and that moisture can be enough for mold to grow.[10] Condition dried fruit before long storage, and redry anything that shows condensation.[4]
4. Dried food has a storage window, and mold means discard.
NCHFP gives recommended storage times for dried foods of 4 months to 1 year. Food that has taken on moisture but not spoiled should be used right away or redried, and moldy food should be discarded.[4]
5. Start with food you would eat fresh.
Drying keeps the quality you put in. Remove decayed and bruised areas before you start.[10] Dry only mushrooms from the store or your own cultivation; a wild mushroom needs a positive identification first, which our foraging safety guide covers.
Ways to dry
Dehydrator, oven, or the sun.
You can dry food without buying anything. Each method trades speed, control, and what it can safely dry.
Electric dehydrator
The steady choice
A heater, a fan, and open trays in a box, designed to dry foods fast at 140°F. NCHFP recommends an enclosed thermostat from 85 to 160°F and a timer, since batches often finish overnight.[1]
Its one real limit is capacity. NCHFP's rule of thumb is that about twelve square feet of trays dries about a half-bushel of produce.[1]
Kitchen oven
What you already own
An oven works only if it holds a setting as low as 140°F; below that point it cooks the food instead. Prop the door open 2 to 6 inches for air circulation, and a fan near the door helps.[10]
Expect drying to take about twice as long as in a dehydrator, and to use more energy.[10] It is a good way to try drying before you buy anything.
Sun and vine drying
Fruit only, in the right weather
NCHFP says sun drying needs at least 85°F, higher being better, and humidity below 60 percent is best. Birds and insects are drawn to drying fruit, so use two screens.[2]
Vine-dried beans need pasteurizing to kill insects and their eggs. Seal them in a freezer at 0°F or below for at least 48 hours, or heat them in a single layer for 30 minutes in an oven preheated to 160°F.[3]
From the field · Owners who dry outdoors or air-dry in humid regions describe pieces molding before they finish. In muggy weather, the steady heat of a dehydrator or oven is the more reliable choice.
Air drying and microwave
For herbs
Herbs dry well tied in small bundles and hung in a well-ventilated room, and NCHFP notes that indoor drying usually keeps better color and flavor. It does not recommend sun drying for herbs.[5]
A microwave is a fast option for small amounts, following the directions for your microwave.[5]
Choosing a dehydrator
The biggest difference between machines is airflow. Box models blow air across square trays from a fan at the back and dry more evenly; stackables push air through round trays and cost less. Our dehydrator buyer's handbook explains the numbers on the box, and our stackable and shelf comparisons name specific picks.
Step by step
From the counter to the jar.
The same nine steps work for nearly everything you will dry. The fruit and vegetable charts below fill in the details for each food.
-
1. Start with good food
Pick produce at its peak. Wash it in cool water, trim fibrous or woody parts, and cut away any decayed or bruised areas.[10]
-
2. Cut it evenly
Pieces of the same thickness finish at the same time. Most fruit and vegetable slices in the charts below run about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.[9][10]
-
3. Pretreat what needs it
For light-colored fruit, soak slices 10 minutes in one of three solutions. Use 2 1/2 tablespoons of pure ascorbic acid crystals per quart of cold water, 1 teaspoon of citric acid per quart, or equal parts lemon juice and cold water.[9]
Whole fruits with waxy skins, such as grapes, cherries, and firm berries, dry faster once the skins are cracked. Dip them in briskly boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds, then in very cold water.[9]
Most vegetables are blanched. Blanching stops the enzyme action that costs color and flavor during drying and storage, and it shortens drying and rehydration time.[10]
-
4. Load the trays in a single layer
Arrange pieces in one layer, fruit halves pit side up, with room for air to move between them.[9] After blanching, drain vegetables straight onto the tray and wipe the excess water from underneath.[10]
-
5. Dry at 140°F and keep things moving
Where possible, stir the food and turn large pieces over every 3 to 4 hours.[9] Swap trays front to back or top to bottom at the same time, because pieces nearest the fan usually dry first.
-
6. Watch the last hours closely
Food dries much more quickly at the end, and vegetables can scorch.[10] Check every tray at the low end of the time range in the charts.
-
7. Test for dryness
Fruit should be leathery and pliable; squeeze a handful, and if no moisture is left on your hand and the pieces spring apart, it is dry.[9] Vegetables should be brittle or crisp.[10] Herbs are done when they crumble and their stems break when bent.[5]
-
8. Cool it, then condition fruit
Let food cool completely before packing it. Then condition dried fruit: pack it loosely in jars for 7 to 10 days, shake the jars daily, and if condensation appears, put the fruit back to dry longer. Conditioning evens out the moisture between pieces, which lowers the risk of mold.[4]
-
9. Package, label, and store
Pack food into clean, dry, insect-proof containers as tightly as you can without crushing it, in amounts you will use at one time, and keep it in a cool, dry, dark place.[4] Write the food and the date on every jar or bag.
Drying fruit
Fruit by fruit, at 140°F.
NCHFP points home preservers to Colorado State University Extension's guide for drying fruit. These times come from it, at 140°F in a dehydrator or oven.[9] Thin slices land at the short end; halves take the longest.
| Fruit | Preparation and pretreatment | Approximate drying time |
|---|---|---|
| Apples | Peel, core, and cut rings or slices 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick; acid dip | 6 to 24 hours |
| Apricots | Halve and pit, leave unpeeled; acid dip | 24 to 36 hours |
| Bananas | Peel and slice thin; citric acid dip | 6 to 10 hours |
| Berries | Firm-skinned berries: boiling-water dip to crack skins | 24 to 36 hours |
| Cherries | Stem and pit; boiling-water dip if whole | 24 to 36 hours |
| Citrus peel | Thin outer peel only; acid dip | 8 to 12 hours |
| Figs | Halve or slice large figs; boiling-water dip if whole | 12 to 24 hours |
| Grapes | Seedless; boiling-water dip if whole, acid dip if halved | 12 to 24 hours |
| Melons | Remove rind and seeds; slice 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick; acid dip | 6 to 10 hours |
| Peaches and nectarines | Peel, pit, halve or slice; citric acid dip | 6 to 36 hours |
| Pears | Core, then slice or halve; citric acid dip | 6 to 10 hours sliced, 24 to 36 hours halved |
| Plums and prunes | Small ones whole with a boiling-water dip, or halved or sliced with an acid dip | 6 to 10 hours sliced, 24 to 36 hours halved |
"Acid dip" means one of the three ascorbic acid, citric acid, or lemon juice solutions in step 3. Dehydrators and convection ovens dry faster than a conventional oven.[9]
Drying vegetables
Blanch, dry, and watch the end.
For vegetables, NCHFP points to Montana State University Extension's guide, which the NCHFP director reviewed. These blanching and drying times come from it.[10] Start timing a water blanch once the water returns to a boil, then dip the vegetables briefly in cold water.
| Vegetable | Preparation | Blanch: steam / water | Dehydrator time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asparagus | Wash; cut large tips in half | 4 to 5 / 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 min | 4 to 6 hours |
| Green beans | Wash; cut in short pieces or lengthwise | 2 1/2 / 2 min | 8 to 14 hours |
| Beets | Cook, cool, peel; cut 1/8-inch shoestrings | Already cooked | 10 to 12 hours |
| Cabbage | Quarter, core; cut 1/8-inch strips | 2 1/2 to 3 (until wilted) / 1 1/2 to 2 min | 10 to 12 hours |
| Carrots | Crisp, tender carrots; peel; slices or strips 1/8 inch thick | 3 to 3 1/2 / 3 1/2 min | 10 to 12 hours |
| Celery | Trim and wash stalks and leaves; slice | 2 / 2 min | 10 to 16 hours |
| Corn | Tender sweet corn; cut kernels from the cob | No blanching needed | 6 to 8 hours |
| Garlic | Peel and finely chop; strong odor | No blanching needed | 6 to 8 hours |
| Greens (chard, kale, spinach) | Young, tender leaves only; wash well | 2 to 2 1/2 / 1 1/2 min | 8 to 10 hours |
| Mushrooms | Store-bought or cultivated; scrub, slice | No blanching needed | 8 to 10 hours |
| Okra | Slice crosswise 1/8 to 1/4 inch | No blanching needed | 8 to 10 hours |
| Onions | Remove papery skin and ends; slice 1/8 to 1/4 inch | No blanching needed | 3 to 9 hours |
| Peas | Shell | 3 / 2 min | 8 to 10 hours |
| Peppers | Stem, core, remove ribs; cut small pieces | No blanching needed | 8 to 12 hours |
| Potatoes | Peel; 1/4-inch shoestrings or 1/8-inch slices | 6 to 8 / 5 to 6 min | 8 to 12 hours |
| Pumpkin | Seed, peel, cut 1-inch strips, then 1/8-inch pieces | 2 1/2 to 3 / 1 min | 10 to 16 hours |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Wash, trim, cut 1/4-inch slices | 2 1/2 to 3 / 1/2 min | 10 to 12 hours |
| Tomatoes | Loosen skins in steam or boiling water, chill, peel; slice or halve small ones | 3 / 1 min | 10 to 18 hours |
Times vary with the vegetable's starting moisture and your dehydrator; a conventional oven can take up to twice as long.[10]
Some vegetables dry poorly
The same guide rates lettuce and radishes as not recommended, and spinach and other leafy greens as poor. Dried tomatoes pick moisture back up readily, and dried cabbage keeps well only very cold, so dry those in small batches you will use soon.[10]
Rehydrating them later
Cover dried vegetables with cold water and soak until nearly restored, about 1/2 to 2 hours, refrigerating them if they soak longer. In soups and stews, add them dry and let them rehydrate as they cook.[10]
Herbs and fruit leather
The two easiest wins, done right.
Drying herbs
- Harvest: just before the flowers first open, in the early morning after the dew has dried.
- Prepare: rinse in cool water, shake off the excess, and discard bruised, soiled, or imperfect leaves and stems.
- Dry: preheat the dehydrator to 95 to 115°F, or as high as 125°F where humidity is high. Spread herbs in a single layer and check them; they take about 1 to 4 hours.
- Done: leaves are crispy and crumble easily between your fingers.
- Store: airtight, in a cool, dry, dark place to protect color and fragrance.[5]
Growing your own? Our herb gardening guide covers the plants.
Making fruit leather
- Fruit: ripe or slightly overripe. Wash, remove peel, seeds, and stems, and puree.
- Color: add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or 1/8 teaspoon of ascorbic acid for every 2 cups of light-colored fruit.
- Sweetener: for longer storage, corn syrup or honey works best because it prevents crystals.
- Spread: about 1/8 inch thick on a lined tray. Plastic wrap works; waxed paper and aluminum foil do not.
- Dry: at 140°F, about 6 to 8 hours in a dehydrator or up to 18 hours in an oven, until the center shows no dent when touched.
- Store: up to 1 month at room temperature, or tightly wrapped in the freezer for up to 1 year.[6]
From the field · Owners who make fruit leather and jerky often describe reaching for the same fix: a reusable nonstick tray liner, which keeps sticky fruit and drips from gluing to the trays.
Meat and jerky
Jerky, and the step most manuals skip.
Inside a dehydrator or a low oven, evaporating moisture absorbs most of the heat, which is why a dehydrator may not get meat hot enough on its own.[8] That is why the heating step comes before the drying, and why both federal and extension guidance insist on it.
The USDA FSIS method
- Marinate the meat in the refrigerator, and do not save the marinade to reuse.
- Steam or roast meat to 160°F and poultry to 165°F, measured with a food thermometer.
- Dry it in a dehydrator with an adjustable temperature dial that holds at least 130 to 140°F throughout drying.[8]
The NCHFP alternatives
- Before drying: bring the strips and marinade to a boil and boil 5 minutes, then drain and dry at 140°F.
- After drying: heat strips cut 1/4 inch thick or less for 10 minutes in an oven preheated to 275°F; thicker strips may need longer.[7]
Ground meat takes extra care. NCHFP notes that disease-causing microorganisms are more difficult to eliminate in ground meat than in whole strips.[7] Wild game does too: FSIS notes that venison can be heavily contaminated with fecal bacteria, and that deer carcasses are typically held at ambient temperatures rather than chilled quickly.[8]
Our jerky making guide walks through cuts, marinades, and the full process from start to finish.
Storage and shelf life
Drying is half the job. Storage is the other half.
The same jar of apples can last a year or go moldy in a month. The difference is almost always moisture, heat, and light.
Containers
Home canning jars, plastic freezer containers, and freezer bags all work, packed tight without crushing. NCHFP also calls vacuum packaging a good option.[4] Our vacuum sealing guide covers how to do it well.
Where to keep it
Cool, dry, and dark. Higher temperatures shorten storage life, so a basement shelf beats a cabinet next to the stove.[4]
Checking on it
Food packed bone dry can still reabsorb moisture, so check it often; glass jars make condensation easy to spot.[4] Eat the oldest jars first, the habit our food rotation guide builds.
From the field · Long-time owners describe the same switch, from plastic bags to glass jars, which keep dried food crisp longer and show condensation at a glance. Brittle pieces like dried vegetables can also poke through thin bags.
| Food | How long it keeps | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Dried foods in general | 4 months to 1 year | NCHFP[4] |
| Most dried fruit | About 1 year at 60°F; about 6 months at 80°F | NCHFP[4] |
| Dried vegetables | About half as long as fruit | NCHFP[4] |
| Fruit leather | Up to 1 month at room temperature; up to 1 year frozen | NCHFP[6] |
| Home-dried jerky | 1 to 2 months (USDA FSIS); NCHFP advises two weeks at room temperature in a sealed container, refrigerated or frozen beyond that | FSIS[8], NCHFP[7] |
Troubleshooting
When a batch goes sideways.
Nearly every problem traces back to heat, airflow, slice thickness, or moisture after drying. Here is what each one looks like and what to do.
| What you see | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Some trays done, others still wet | Food nearest the fan dries first | Swap trays and turn large pieces every 3 to 4 hours[9] |
| Drying takes far longer than the chart | Humid air, thick or uneven slices, crowded trays, or an oven with no airflow | Cut thinner and even, load one layer, prop the oven door 2 to 6 inches[10] |
| Light fruit turned brown | No pretreatment | Use an ascorbic acid, citric acid, or lemon juice dip next time[9] |
| Scorched vegetables | The last hours dry much faster | Check closely near the end of the time range[10] |
| Moisture beads in the conditioning jar | The fruit is not dry enough | Return it to the trays and dry longer[4] |
| Leather tacky or dented in the middle | Not done | Keep drying until the center shows no dent[6] |
| Faded, weak-smelling herbs | Dried in the sun, or stored in light and heat | Dry indoors at 95 to 115°F and store dark[5] |
| Insects in vine-dried beans | Eggs laid while drying outdoors | Pasteurize in the freezer or oven before storage[3] |
| Mold in a stored jar | Moisture got in, or the food was underdried | Discard it[4] |
Where it fits
A pantry that does not need the freezer.
Dehydrating is tier five of our Preservation Hierarchy: light, compact food that needs no refrigeration and keeps for months. It suits fruit, herbs, and garden vegetables especially well, and it pairs with canning rather than replacing it.
Before the outage, not during it
An electric dehydrator is a grid appliance that runs for hours. The jars you filled last summer are what carry you through a power outage, because they never depended on the freezer staying cold.
Drying and freeze-drying are different
A home freeze dryer removes water by freezing food under a vacuum, not with warm air. It is a different machine and a much larger purchase, covered in our freeze-drying guide.
Dehydrating garden produce
Turning a harvest that ripens all at once into food that keeps.
Jerky making
Cuts, marinades, and the heating step, start to finish.
Food preservation methods
Drying, canning, freezing, and fermenting compared side by side.
Water-bath canning
The other half of a fruit harvest: jams, tomatoes, and pickles.
All preservation guides
Every method in the food preservation cluster, in one place.
Dehydrator buyer's handbook
Airflow, thermostats, and drying area, before you buy a machine.
Questions people ask
Before your first batch.
What temperature do you dehydrate food at?
Dry most fruits and vegetables at 140°F. Dry herbs cooler, at 95 to 115°F, or up to 125°F in humid weather. Meat and poultry need to be heated to 160°F and 165°F before drying, then dried at 130 to 140°F or higher.
How long does it take to dehydrate food?
At 140°F, fruit takes about 6 hours for thin apple slices up to 36 hours for peach halves. Most vegetables take 3 to 18 hours, herbs 1 to 4 hours, and fruit leather 6 to 8 hours in a dehydrator. An oven can take about twice as long.
How do you know when dehydrated food is done?
Fruit is leathery and pliable, and a squeezed handful leaves no moisture on your hand and springs apart. Vegetables are brittle or crisp. Herbs crumble and their stems break when bent, and fruit leather shows no dent when you touch the center.
How long does dehydrated food last?
NCHFP gives 4 months to 1 year for dried foods stored in airtight containers in a cool, dry, dark place. Most dried fruit keeps about a year at 60°F and about six months at 80°F, and vegetables keep about half as long as fruit.
Can you dehydrate food in the oven?
Yes, if your oven holds a setting as low as 140°F. Prop the door open 2 to 6 inches so moist air can escape, and expect drying to take about twice as long as in a dehydrator.
Do you have to blanch vegetables before dehydrating?
Most of them, yes. Blanching stops the enzyme action that costs color and flavor during drying and storage, and it shortens drying and rehydration time. Corn, garlic, mushrooms, okra, onions, and peppers need no blanching.
Is jerky from a dehydrator alone safe?
Not reliably. USDA FSIS says a dehydrator may not get meat hot enough, and recommends heating meat to 160°F and poultry to 165°F, measured with a food thermometer, before drying it.
Where this comes from
Sources
- National Center for Home Food Preservation. "Food Dehydrators." Accessed October 22, 2026. nchfp.uga.edu
- National Center for Home Food Preservation. "Sun Drying." Accessed October 22, 2026. nchfp.uga.edu
- National Center for Home Food Preservation. "Vine Drying." Accessed October 22, 2026. nchfp.uga.edu
- National Center for Home Food Preservation. "Packaging and Storing Dried Foods." Accessed October 22, 2026. nchfp.uga.edu
- National Center for Home Food Preservation. "Herbs." Accessed October 22, 2026. nchfp.uga.edu
- National Center for Home Food Preservation. "Fruit Leathers." Accessed October 22, 2026. nchfp.uga.edu
- National Center for Home Food Preservation. "Jerky." Accessed October 22, 2026. nchfp.uga.edu
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. "Jerky and Food Safety." Accessed October 22, 2026. fsis.usda.gov
- Kendall, P., and J. Sofos. "Drying Fruits." Colorado State University Extension, reviewed August 2025. Linked from NCHFP. Accessed October 22, 2026. extension.colostate.edu
- Paul, L., S. Friedrich, and P. Enkerud. "Drying Vegetables." MontGuide MT200907HR, Montana State University Extension, revised 2017, reviewed by the NCHFP director. Linked from NCHFP. Accessed October 22, 2026. montana.edu
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "Water Activity (aw) in Foods." Inspection Technical Guide. Accessed October 22, 2026. fda.gov
Continue reading
What’s next
Resources
Trusted Food Resources
The outside sources behind this page, from NCHFP and USDA to state extension hotlines you can call with a preserving question.
Avocations
Food Preservation as a Practice
Canning, drying, fermenting, and curing as a seasonal habit that links the garden and the kitchen to a pantry that lasts.
Food
Food Preservation Methods Compared
Ten home preservation methods side by side: what each costs, what it keeps, how long it lasts, and which foods each one suits.