Drying Temperatures
According to Ann Wigmore and Viktoras Kulvinskas, the best way to preserve the living enzymes and overcome the potential spoilage or bacteria growth, is to set the dehydrator on the highest temperature setting for the first 2-3 hours, then turn it down to less than 120 degrees for the remaining time. During the initial hours the food temperature will not exceed 118 degrees because of the high moisture content in the food. Neither will the air temperature immediately rise to 145 F. It will take several hours to get up that high. Following this procedure will cut the lengthy (30+hours) drying time in half. If you cannot be there to turn the dehydrator down you may set at
a lower temperature up to 120 degrees.
Author’s Note: I’ve been making flax seed crackers since 2001. I have experimented with all kinds of temperatures. If I dehydrated the crackers between 90 and 110 degrees my crackers turned sour since this temperature is perfect for bacteria to thrive.
A few years ago on a cool summer evening I was playing outside in front of my apartment with my children and others from the neighborhood. I was giving away crackers to everyone. The children were running and playing, and crumbs of crackers fell all over the ground and my front porch. After the children retired for the night I cleaned the porch by sweeping the fallen flax seeds unto the roses on both sides of the porch and didn’t even think about it anymore. Next year I discovered the pretty, blue flowers of flax seed plants growing all over the rose bushes. It took me awhile to remember where they came from and I finally understood what does the term “LIVING FOOD” means.