Drying and Dehydrating

Drying is the oldest preservation method and still one of the most useful. Herbs dried properly retain more flavour than most commercial jars. Chillies, tomatoes, apple rings, mushrooms, courgette chips — all store for a year in airtight containers and rehydrate in minutes. The key is low, steady heat and good airflow. Too hot and you cook the crop; too cool and it moulds before it dries.

An electric dehydrator gives consistent results and is worth the investment if you grow serious quantities. Set it to 50°C for herbs, 55–60°C for fruit and vegetables. Slice produce thinly and evenly — 3–5mm for apples, courgettes and tomatoes. Drying times vary from four hours for basil to sixteen hours for thick tomato slices. The test is tactile: no moisture when you squeeze, leathery but not brittle for fruit, crisp for vegetables.

You can dry without machinery. Herbs bundle and hang in a warm, dark, airy room; they are ready in one to two weeks when leaves crumble easily. Sliced produce spreads on racks in an airing cupboard, low oven (50°C, door ajar) or sunny conservatory with good cross-ventilation. Turn pieces daily. Store everything in glass jars; check after one week and if condensation appears, dry for another few hours.