At what temp it stops being raw? I heard people say from body temp to 45c, and saw some recipes in the site which require even higher temps then that, so I’m confused..

Jah Bless,
Ras Saadon.

Really, there are a lot of mixed opinions. Most commonly people agree that 118 F is the temperature, but I believe it is more around 100 or 110.

A lot of people dehydrate at 145 using an Excalibur dehydrator because the temperature on the surface of the food will be 20-25 degrees less, and the internal temp will be even less. This is because of the moisture of the food. This is considered much safer and lessens the chance of bacteria forming. This is only recommended for the Excalibur.

I’ve heard recently the some enzymes are active until 150 degrees. It really depends on the food and its unique chemical makeup. :)

Achin – i think i read somewhere that you can use 145 for the first hour only to get the moisture out – it doesn’t heat anything that quickly in the first hour. After the hour, you should turn the heat down to 118 or under to be sure not to kill the enzymes. But, everyone in the raw food world seems to be divided about this very subject… So, i guess it’s what you feel is right and what your comfortable with. I dehydrate at 110 most of the time – sometimes i turn to 145 for the first hour, but not often.

For things with a high water content, I dehydrate at 145 for an hour then turn it down to 115. (seems 90-120 are temps I’ve seen in recipes)

Different Enzymes denature at different temperatures. I don’t know which enzymes and at which temperature… But, 118F is a general rule, I guess.

Confused? Join the crowd. I have two Excalibur and I go by what they suggest. Start out at 145 for 2-3 hours and down to 115 until done.

carrie6292: You’re right, I forgot to include that part. Gabriel Cousens recommends dehydrating at 145 for up to 3 hours, then turning it down to 115. Thanks for the clarification! :)

Enzymes denature (die) at 60°C, 140°F

Phew, that Degree in biology has finally paid off… it wasn’t going to get me a job in the field, I can tell you that! ;)

MsDerious I learned that different enzymes denature at different temperatures… and it depends on that enzyme. So after reading your post… do I understand that ALL enzymes are denatured by 140F (even if some of those denatured sooner)? I hope that made sense.

I also dehydrate at 145 for the first hour. Safer in terms of bacterial growth. I will also add warmed water to my blender when making raw soups. Again, the temp of the finished soup is probably 100 degrees, but it’s so much nicer than refrigerator cold and uses less electricity and time that popping the soup in the dehydrator.