Botulism food poisoning is the deadly consequence of improperly canned vegetables. Be sure to follow good directions exactly when preserving vegetables. A food dehydrator is a small electrical appliance for drying foods indoors. It has an electric element for heat and a fan and vents for air circulation. Dehydrators are efficiently designed to dry foods fast at 140 degrees F. Food dehydrators are available from mail-order catalogs, the small appliance section of department stores, natural food stores and seed or garden supply catalogs.
Some models are expandable and additional trays can be purchased later.
About a half-bushel of produce can be dried at one time. Vegetables usually take six to 16 hours to dry. The major disadvantage of a dehydrator is its limited capacity. Wood is not recommended because it is a fire hazard and is difficult to clean. Enclosed heating elements.