Vegetable Dehydrator Machine

Before purchasing one vegetable dehydrator machine, it’s essential to confirm the following questions.

Heating Method: Determine the type of heating method that best suits your needs, such as electric, natural gas, coal, or steam, thermal oil .

Product Specifications: Identify the types of products you will be drying and their approximate sizes to ensure the dryer can accommodate them.

Weight and Output: Assess the product weight, including single weight and the desired hourly output to align with your production requirements.

Moisture Content: Understand the initial moisture content of your products before drying and establish the target moisture requirements after drying to ensure optimal performance.

By confirming these parameters, you can select the right dehydrator machine that meets your specific needs.

Food dehydrator machines are primarily used for drying a wide range of products to enhance their economic value and increase earnings. Key applications include:

Agricultural Products: Dehydrator machines are used for fruits (like jujube, lychee, and longan), vegetables (such as peppers and edible fungi), and grains (including rice and corn) to prolong shelf life and improve preservation.

Meat Products: The dehydrator machine helps in drying various meats, including beef jerky and cured meats, which removes moisture and helps in preservation while extending their shelf life.

Seafood: Drying seafood such as fish, shrimp, and squid not only preserves these products but also enhances their flavor and texture.

Medicinal Materials: Drying Chinese medicinal herbs like honeysuckle, ginseng, and star anise is crucial for maintaining their potency and shelf life.

Dried Flowers & Forage: Flowers (like roses and chrysanthemums) and forage are dried to retain their properties for use in various applications.

Industrial Uses: Dryers are also employed in industrial applications for drying chemical products, sludge, paper products, and other materials.

Overall, the drying process helps in moisture evaporation, thereby ensuring preservation, preventing spoilage, and extending the usability of various products across different industries.

The shiitake mushrooms can only be dried when the temperature in the drying room rises to 35℃. Two wet-bulb thermometers should be hung near the windows in the room. When drying, the temperature must be low first and then gradually increased. Usually, the temperature increases by 1-3℃ per hour, and the maximum temperature should be controlled at 80-85℃. It is generally required to bake at 35-40℃ for 6 hours → bake at 40-60℃ for 8-10 hours → bake at 60℃ for 2 hours.

The higher the moisture content of shiitake mushrooms, the longer it needs to be baked at low temperatures. If the temperature rises suddenly at the beginning of baking, it will inevitably cause the tissue to lose water too quickly, which will easily cause the shiitake mushroom cap to deform and become irregular, the gills to overlap, the cap to crack, the color to turn black, and the activity of the enzyme to be destroyed, so that the shiitake mushrooms lose their original fragrance. After the shiitake mushrooms are sent to the drying room, they should be baked continuously until they are dry. The heating cannot be interrupted, and the temperature cannot fluctuate, otherwise, the color of the shiitake mushrooms will turn black and the quality will decrease.

Dehumidification In the process of baking shiitake mushrooms, in addition to strictly controlling the heating temperature, timely dehumidification is also an important link. Dehumidification holes must be set on the upper part of the drying room. The general principle of dehumidification is: in the early stage of baking shiitake mushrooms when the temperature of the drying room is 35-40℃, all dehumidification holes or exhaust fans should be opened; when the temperature rises to 40-60℃, dehumidification for 3-4 hours is sufficient. After 60℃, all dehumidification holes can be closed and dehumidification is not required. Excessive dehumidification can easily make the shiitake mushrooms pale white. If the baked shiitake mushrooms have a water-soaked yellow color, it means that the dehumidification is not good, or the furnace temperature is not enough, especially when the heat is stopped in the middle, it is more likely to cause this phenomenon.

When baking for 16-18 hours, the door of the drying room can be opened to check whether the dryness of the shiitake mushrooms is qualified. When checking, press the junction of the cap and the stem with your fingers. If only traces are present, it means that the drying is qualified; if it feels soft and the gills are also soft, it is necessary to continue drying. The characteristics of qualified dried products are: they have the special fragrance of shiitake mushrooms; the gills are yellow, upright, complete, and not falling; the water content of the mushroom body does not exceed 13%; the shiitake mushrooms maintain their original shape, the cap is round and flat, and the natural color is maintained.

The dehydrating processes for these products vary slightly in temperature and time, but generally follow structured guidelines to ensure quality:

Date Dehydrating:

Process:

Start at 45-50°C with 50% humidity.

Increase to 68-70°C with good ventilation and dehumidification.

Final baking at 55-70°C for 15-20 hours until moisture content reaches 15%.

Note: Allow cooling before stacking to prevent fermentation.

Mushroom Dehydrating:

Parameters:

Bake at 35-40°C for 6 hours.

Increase to 40-60°C for 8-10 hours.

Finish at 60°C for 2 hours.

Dehumidification:

Open holes fully at 35-40°C.

Dehumidify for 3-4 hours at 40-60°C.

Close dehumidification after reaching 60°C.

Sweet Potato Dehydrating:

Parameters:

Bake at 65°C for 15-18 hours (humidity 10%).

Expect about 25kg of dry product from 100kg of fresh potatoes.

Note: Timing may be adjusted based on moisture content and cargo volume.

Flower/Herbal Medicine Dehydrating:

Parameters:

Dry at 25-35°C for 3-4 hours.

Increase to 55-65°C for 18-19 hours until moisture content is 8-12%.

Note: Spread in layers of 8-10 cm thick, then cool to 40°C before transfer.

By following these guidelines, optimal quality and preservation of these products can be achieved during the drying process.