Storing dried food so it lasts

A batch dried correctly can still be ruined in storage, and usually is. The three things working against it are residual moisture, oxygen and light.

Cool before you seal

Warm food in a sealed bag condenses on the inside of the bag, and that water goes straight back into the product. Spread the trays out and let everything reach room temperature first — half an hour, not five minutes.

Conditioning, and why it is worth a week

Even in a good run, some pieces hold slightly more moisture than others. Pack the cooled batch loosely in a sealed jar for five to seven days and shake it once a day. The moisture equalises across the pieces, and if you see any condensation on the glass the batch was not dry enough — back in the machine for an hour.

It is a week of doing nothing that catches the one failure you cannot see.

What to store it in

• Airtight is the whole job: glass jars with a rubber seal, or food-grade pouches heat-sealed.

• Out of direct light. UV bleaches colour and degrades vitamin content, which is exactly what a cabinet was used to protect.

• Cool and dry. A shelf away from the stove beats a cupboard above it.

• Labelled with the date. A year is long enough that nobody remembers.

How long it actually keeps

Stored airtight and away from light, dried fruit keeps for 10 to 12 months and dried vegetables somewhat longer. Meat is different and shorter — treat 2–3 months as the working figure unless it is vacuum-sealed and refrigerated.

None of these are hard expiry dates. They are the point past which colour, aroma and texture start to go, which for anything you are selling is the date that matters.