How to Dry Foods: The Most Complete Guide to Drying Foods at Home Paperback – 5 Sept. 2006

very useful.

Bought this book to learn how to dehydrate the apples off my garden tree. Was very pleased to be told on initial reading how simple it would be for a beginner like me, yet the initial chapters proceed to informatively lay out a ton of differing variables which may effect the appearance/flavour and so forth, which left me feeling like it suddenly wasn't very simple after all.Despite listing the ability to avoid additives and preservatives as an advantage to drying your own food the author also heavily favours sulfiting or sulfuring for pretreating fruits to prevent them turning brown upon cutting. As I was looking to preserve fruits specifically to feed my baby and toddler, and wouldn't dream of giving them such a chemical additive as sulphur dioxide I found this massively disappointing. She did however explain other methods such as 'syrup blanching', using ascorbic acid, and steaming for pretreating apples, yet stresses throughout how they contrast to and fail to be as good as sulfuring or sulfiting as methods of preservation. Yet at the same time she failed to state how substantial this difference was (-ie would they keep for 3 months instead of 6? 6 instead of 9?) When I finally read to the section on apples under the heading of 'pretreatment' it only stated sulfiting, sulfuring and steam blanching as options, commenting that "the least effective pretreatment is to steam blanch for 3 to 5 minutes. Steam blanching deteriorates the flavour", leaving you feeling there is no other acceptable option than the proposed chemical ones.Luckily I'd also purchased 'The Dehydrator Bible' at the same time, which doesn't even consider the use of additives or chemicals as suitable options and on consultation of the apple section, explained to pretreat either by dipping into ascorbic acid or simple lemon juice. Therefore I wouldn't recommend even bothering with this book. Just wish this review had existed for me before I wasted my money on it.