How to Dry Garlic in A Dehydrator?

In the processing of garlic powder, garlic slices and other products, the drying process of garlic is a very important step. In order to achieve high efficiency, batch production and stable quality drying effects, many garlic processing factories choose to use dryers. So How to dry garlic in a dehydrator?

Dehydrator is a kind of equipment suitable for large-scale material drying. It evenly distributes the material on the conveyor belt through a multi-layer mesh belt structure, and slowly evaporates the water through hot air circulation under the control of the temperature control system, ultimately achieving the purpose of dehydration and drying.

Working principle:

The dehydrator adopts the principle of hot air penetration drying. The garlic slices are evenly spread on the mesh belt, which is driven by the motor inside the equipment to run smoothly, passing through multiple hot air circulation areas in turn. The hot air blows in from above or below, fully contacts the garlic, and takes away its moisture. The water vapor is discharged in time through the dehumidification system to ensure a stable drying environment.

How to dry garlic in a dehydrator?

When using a dryer to dry garlic, the common process is as follows:

Raw material processing: separate and peel the whole garlic head, and then use a slicer to cut the garlic cloves into 2-4mm thick garlic slices.

Uniform feeding: Use a vibrating feeder or manually spread the garlic slices evenly on the mesh belt of the dehydrator.

Continuous drying: Set the appropriate temperature (usually between 50~65℃), and the drying time is usually 3~8 hours, depending on the thickness of the garlic slices, moisture content and target moisture content. The goal is to reduce the moisture content to below 8%.

Cooling and collecting: The dried garlic slices need to be cooled to prevent moisture resurgence. They can be processed by a cold air blower or natural cooling method and then collected into a silo or packaging system.

Precautions for using the dehydrator:

Control the consistency of slice thickness: Uneven thickness will lead to uneven drying and affect quality.

Preheat the dehydrator equipment: Before each operation, it should be preheated for 10 to 20 minutes in advance to make the internal temperature reach the set value.

Reasonable matching of temperature and time: Too high temperature will easily cause the garlic to turn yellow and bitter; too low temperature will not be dried thoroughly and the efficiency will be low.

Evenly spread the material: Prevent local accumulation, which will affect the airflow penetration and drying uniformity.