We’ve picked products we think you’ll love and may earn commission from links on this page. Drying herbs in air fryer about why you can trust BBC Good Food reviews. Dehydration is a centuries-old preservation method.

If you grow your own produce or often find yourself with a surplus of fruits, vegetables or herbs, dehydrating is the waste-free way to use leftover ingredients. The process of dehydrating concentrates the flavours in food, making them more intense. Fruits in particular take on a rich sweetness making them an ideal alternative to shop-bought snacks. Tomatoes and mushrooms are umami-bombs, and are some of the easiest foods to dehydrate. A little precise preparation is needed when dehydrating. You’ll need to make sure all ingredients are cut to the same size. If they’re a bit higgledy piggledy, this can affect the drying time causing the smaller pieces to dry faster meaning you’ll have to keep opening the dehydrator and disturbing the controlled environment to check on your food.

We tested nine dehydrators, dehydrating a variety of fruits, vegetables and herbs, and made fruit leather to put these models through their paces. How to choose the best food dehydrator? The fan circulates warm air around the trays of food. The process of removing moisture from food dries and preserves it, meaning it’ll have a longer shelf life. Be sure to store all dehydrated foods in an airtight food storage container in a cool, dry place.