Every important facet of home food dehydrating is covered in this handy reference volume, which provides directions for making dozens of thrifty, healthy, do-it-yourself meals and covenience foods. Starting with a reminder of the "whys" of dehydrating foods, the book inspires its readers forward through chapters that carefully explain the various methods used to dehydrate and preserve foods. Pre-treatments and preparation of fruits, vegetables, herbs and meats are outlined in orderly detail, followed by useful dryness testing information and guidance on labeling, packaging and optimum storage conditions. The ABCs of Home Food Dehydration is a basic text for the industry - a book that belongs in every kitchen and food storage library! A rehydration section, with food items listed in alphabetical order, gives quick and easy reference and recipes when it's "time to put back the water" and to make the food table-ready. The second half of the book is filled with delicious recipes for using dehydrated foods - recipes that are simple to prepare and delicious to eat. A wide variety of foods are covered: apples, apricots, asparagus, chicken, coconut, comfrey, fish, fruit leather, granola, jerky, noodles, onions, papaya, peppers, persimmons, rhubarb, sage, squash, turkey, yogurt, and dozens of other foods. The list is comprehensive and the results are great!