Drying is a method of food preservation that works by removing water from food. This reduction in water inhibits the growth of microorganisms and minimizes some natural food decay. In ancient times the sun and wind would have naturally dried foods. Evidence shows that Middle East and oriental cultures actively dried foods as early as 12,000 B.C. in the hot sun. Later cultures left more evidence and each would have methods and materials to reflect their food supplies—fish, wild game, or domestic animal flesh. Vegetables and fruits were also dried from the earliest times. The ancient Romans were particularly fond of any dried fruit they could make. In the Middle Ages purposely built “still houses” were created to dry fruits, vegetables and herbs in areas that did not have enough strong sunlight for drying. A fire was used to create the heat needed to dry foods and in some cases smoking them as well. 2 The early traditional methods to dry foods included sun drying, wind drying, and drying over a fire. Most likely the earliest dried foods were simply fruits that naturally dried on the vine. For example, grapes will become natural raisins after drying in the sun. Humans wanting to leave nothing to waste probably ate these and noticed that they were quite good to eat. It is probably a similar eureka moment when a fishing culture left their catch to hang on a line. The sun and wind dried the fish so that it didn’t spoil. Dried fish certainly didn’t taste as good as raisins, but it was lighter and equally nutritious. It is no doubt that some of the most ancient cultures understood drying could preserve foods. They then would apply this knowledge to drying game meats and drying simple grains or legumes. 3 Modern foods are dried because they are safe from pathogens, convenient and have a long shelf life. Examples are milk powder and egg powder. The key to safety is to have a moisture content below the level at which molds can grow. The crudest drying techniques may leave 20‐30% moisture. Better processes leave only 10‐15%. It is …