How to Tell When Dehydrated Food Is Done

Always test food after it cools to room temperature; warm food feels softer and moister than it is.

Tests by food

Food	Done when	Source
Fruit	No moisture when cut, doesn't stick to itself when folded; berries rattle	Clemson
Vegetables	Brittle or crisp	Clemson
Herbs	Crispy, crumble easily	Penn State
Jerky	Cracks but doesn't break when bent; no moist spots	NDSU, Ohio State
Fruit leather	No sticky spots; peels cleanly	General practice

Put it back. For jerky that fails the bend test, NDSU suggests refrigerating it overnight in freezer bags, retesting and drying further if needed.