Dehydrating food is one of the oldest food preservation methods around. However, safely dehydrating is critical to enjoying dried goods months after harvesting. Whether you want to lighten the weight of your favorite foods for camping and backpacking or preserve fruits and vegetables for later use, drying is an easy and safe option.

Understanding the basic principles behind the dehydrating process is key to its success. Drying or dehydrating removes moisture from food to inhibit the growth of bacteria, mold, and yeast. Moreover, it slows down enzyme activity without deactivating them, ensuring food does not spoil quickly. But did you know that depending on the produce being dried, you may need to pretreat or blanch the items before beginning the drying process? Or that some fruits and vegetables are more suitable for drying than others?

Join University of Illinois Extension’s Nutrition and Wellness Educator, Diane Reinhold, for Yes! You Can: Preserve It Safely - Dehydrating Your Summer Produce. We will cover the basics of safely selecting, dehydrating, and storing fruits and vegetables. It will also discuss the various drying methods and commonly dried foods such as fruits and vegetables in the form of chips or leathers.

Yes! You Can: Preserve It Safely - Dehydrating Your Summer Produce will be held in person on

• Thursday, May 30 from 6-8 p.m. at the Jo Daviess County Extension office at 204 Vine Street, Elizabeth. 
• Thursday, June 6, from 6-8 p.m. at the Winnebago County Extension office at 1040 N 2nd Street, Rockford.

Reserve your seat today by calling one of the offices: Jo Daviess - (815) 858-2273 or Winnebago - (815) 986-4357 or register onlineus online at go.illinois.edu/jsw. If you need reasonable accommodation to participate in this program, please contact our office at (815) 986-4357.