This Kerala woman preserves vegetables, fruits and herbs for a year

Can vegetables and fruits grown in your backyard be preserved and enjoyed all year round? The answer lies in a quiet corner of Kalavoor in Kerala's Alappuzha district, at the Jayapriya House, where P Jaya,a retired panchayat secretary, has turned her passion for food processing into a thriving entrepreneurial venture.

Jaya uses a scientific method called dehydration to process fruits and vegetables, preserving their colour, flavour and nutritional value. Soaking the dehydrated items in water for just 10 minutes restores them to their original form. Under the brand name ‘Veg Bites’, she now sells more than 40 value-added products made from dehydrated produce.

Among her most popular items is a ready-to-cook sambar kit, made with a precise mix of sliced and dehydrated vegetables. There’s also sliced onion, beetroot powder, carrot powder, ripe mango powder, crushed jackfruit seed powder and even sweet treats like candies made from jackfruit, mango, apple, and kiwi. Her tutti frutti, made from papaya and naturally coloured with beetroot, carrot and butterfly pea flower, is a hit with kids and adults alike.

But it is not just fruits and vegetables. Jaya also dehydrates and sells medicinal plants such as life plant, allspice, and Phyllanthus niruri in ready-to-use packets. Everything from jackfruit and mango to tubers and mushrooms can be dehydrated and marketed, she says.

The dehydration process takes about 18 hours and reduces the weight of the produce to one-tenth, making storage and transportation easy. The dehydrated products can be preserved for up to a year.

Jaya’s journey into food processing began with the taste of a banana fig—a gift from a friend during her time as a panchayat secretary. Inspired by the flavour, she pursued formal training in fruit and vegetable processing at Mannuthy Agriculture University. By the time she retired in 2023, she had already charted a course for her second innings as an entrepreneur.

Initially, she considered using a conventional dryer. But during consultations with the District Industries Centre, she realised that a dehydrator was a better option as it removes only the moisture, leaving the nutrients and vibrant colours intact.

Starting small, she used vegetables grown on 70 cents of land near her home. As demand grew, she began sourcing produce from local markets. With the help of machines for washing and slicing, she now supplies her products to supermarkets and restaurants. Once she secures Kerala Grow branding from the Agriculture Department, she aims to launch online sales as well.