Food Drying Reference

The temperature column is a drying range, not a kill step.Drying does not make meat safe — bacteria become more heat-resistant as they dry out. Food-safety guidance adds a separate heating step, commonly 160°F for beef and 165°F for poultry, ideally before drying. See the jerky food-safety guide.

Shaded rows are meat, which requires the separate heating step. Dashes mean the tool set does not carry a time or yield figure for that food.
Food	Drying range	°C	Time (0.25 in)	5 lb yields	Retained
Beef jerky Many home guides suggest heating strips to 160°F in a marinade simmer or oven before dehydrating, then holding the dehydrator in this range to finish drying.	145–155°F	62.8–68.3	3.8–5.6 h	1.25–2 lb	25–40%
Poultry jerky Poultry is generally dried at a higher sustained temperature than red meat or fish.	165–175°F	73.9–79.4	4.7–6.6 h	1.25–1.75 lb	25–35%
Fish jerky Similar range to beef; oily fish may need slightly longer at the low end.	145–155°F	62.8–68.3	2.8–4.7 h	1–1.5 lb	20–30%
Sliced fruit Lower temperatures preserve more color and flavor in fruit leathers and slices.	130–140°F	54.4–60	6–10 h	0.6–1 lb	12–20%
Sliced vegetables Blanching first can shorten drying time and better preserve color.	120–130°F	48.9–54.4	6–10 h	0.25–0.5 lb	5–10%
Leafy herbs Low and slow keeps volatile oils and color from cooking off.	95–115°F	35–46.1	—	0.5–1 lb	10–20%
Sliced mushrooms Thin, even slices dry far more evenly than whole caps.	110–125°F	43.3–51.7	—	0.4–0.6 lb	8–12%
Soaked nuts & seeds Low-temperature drying after soaking helps preserve texture.	105–115°F	40.6–46.1	—	—	—

Reading the table

The ranges tell you what can share a run. Sliced fruit at 130–140°F and vegetables at 120–130°F overlap, so one load works. Beef at 145–155°F and herbs at 95–115°F do not come close — running them together would dry both and ruin the herbs, whose low range exists to keep volatile oils from cooking off.

Yield decides the shopping, not the drying. Five pounds of vegetables gives 0.25–0.5 lb; five pounds of beef gives 1.25–2 lb. Working backwards from a target is the only sensible way to shop, and the mushroom and vegetable rows are where the surprise usually is.

Times assume even 0.25in pieces with airflow around them. Thickness dominates — doubling it roughly doubles the time — and humidity, tray crowding and machine airflow all move the real figure, which is why the finish is judged by the food rather than the clock. None of this table is a food-safety certification; check current guidance from your own national authority before drying meat.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Is the temperature column a food-safety figure?

No, and this is the most important caveat on the page. Those are DRYING ranges. Drying is not a pathogen kill step — meat sits for hours in a range where bacteria survive, and organisms become more heat-resistant as they dry. Food-safety guidance adds a separate heating step, commonly 160°F (71°C) for beef and 165°F (74°C) for poultry, ideally before drying while the meat is still moist.

Which foods can share a dehydrator run?

Those whose published ranges overlap. Sliced fruit (130–140°F) and vegetables (120–130°F) overlap and can share. Beef jerky (145–155°F) and leafy herbs (95–115°F) do not come close — running them together would dry both and ruin the herbs, whose whole point is preserving volatile oils.

Why do vegetables yield so much less than jerky?

Because they start with far more water. Five pounds of sliced vegetables gives 0.25–0.5 lb (5–10% retained), while five pounds of beef gives 1.25–2 lb (25–40%). Planning by fresh weight without that in mind is how people end up with a few ounces from a crate.

Where do these figures come from?

They are computed, not typed in. Each row calls the same temperature, drying-time and yield functions the site's calculators use, and a test asserts the table still equals a fresh call. Times assume a quarter-inch thickness at the midpoint of the published range — real drying varies with humidity, airflow and how crowded the trays are.