What You Need to Know
Dehydration involves the removal of water from food through evaporation, while freeze-drying involves the removal of water from food by freezing the water and then reducing the surrounding pressure to allow the frozen water to sublimate (change directly from a solid to a gas).
Steps
- 1.
Chuño (Andes): Freeze-drying potatoes for year-round storage
- 2.
Dried Scallops (Cantonese cuisine): Concentrating umami for XO sauce
- 3.
Biltong (South Africa): Air-dried preserved meat
The Science
Primary Reaction
evaporation|sublimation