A method for drying and storing foods for home use is described. A study of convection and forced‐air dehydrators disclosed that the forced‐air type has the ability to dry faster and is the more efficient dryer at little extra cost. Safe food storage is assured with the use of humidity indicating cards. These cards, which contain a variety of absorbed cobalt chloride solutions, indicate a varied range of relative humidities (8‐80 percent). The card readings were successfully correlated with water activity.