Food Drying
<p><b >Drying</b> is a method of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_preservation" title="Food preservation" >food preservation</a> that works by removing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water" title="Water" >water</a> from the food, which inhibits the growth of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microorganism" title="Microorganism" >microorganisms</a>. </p>
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Open air drying using sun and wind has been practiced since ancient times to preserve food.<sup id="cite_ref-uog_1-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dehydrated_food#cite_note-uog-1" >[2]</a></sup> </p>
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A solar or electric <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_dehydrator" title="Food dehydrator" >food dehydrator</a> can greatly speed the drying process and ensure more-consistent results. Water is usually removed by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evaporation" title="Evaporation" >evaporation</a> (air drying, sun drying, smoking or wind drying) but, in the case of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeze-drying" title="Freeze-drying" >freeze-drying</a>, food is first <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frozen_food" title="Frozen food" >frozen</a> and then the water is removed by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sublimation_(chemistry)" title="Sublimation (chemistry)" class="mw-redirect" >sublimation</a>. Bacteria, yeasts and molds need the water in the food to grow, and drying effectively prevents them from surviving in the food.</p>