Food dehydrator? What's the best?
tropicals9b
13 years ago
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arley_gw
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Food Dehydrators
Comments (16)I've used different methods for drying - some foods are better suited to one over the other. Most herbs are easy, and for me, I dry them in a sunny window, to which I have 2 window screens tied - butterfly fashion - together - and with good sun exposure can expect to be done in 2 days. This includes dried onion/garlic scapes, thyme, mints, etc. I also put harvested onions and garlic there for a few days to start them - then hang inside or braided together, and placed in a dry area - near the ceiling for longer storage. This year, we had a lot of foggy/smoggy summer weather, so invested in my Excaliber - works great. I did a lot of cherry type tomatoes and felt they were dried sufficiently to go in a sealed jar in the pantry. No signs of mold. The dehydrator also worked great for helping to get a good rise from my sourdough breads. The toughest things so far to dry - are peppers. They want to curl over and create perfect tight areas for mold to harbor. This last batch I sliced long thin strips - as I just want to grind them for powder anyway. It seems to be working much better and faster. Have also used the dehydrator to facilitate peeling and drying nuts. When they are dried, hulled, and shelled, I freeze them in baggies - then place inside a freezer half pint container. They can be toasted and ground right from the freezer that way - tasting fresh as can be. I dried some pineapple - then baggied and put in freezer containers also - this prevents ice crystals from forming, especially if only a few are removed from time to time. Just my 2 c's. Bejay...See MoreNewbie on Food Dehydration
Comments (4)It's really easy. Elery's mother used to string beans on thread and dry them, they called them "leather britches". I don't know why, maybe the hanging green beans looked like the legs of pants? Anyway, it's easy. I clean mine and snap them into approximately equal sized pieces so they dry evenly. I blanch them for 4 minutes, then plunge into cold water, put them on the trays. I have a big Excaliber dehydrator with temperature settings, so I use 125F. Depending on how big the beans are it takes from 6-10 hours, they should be crisp. I seldom rehydrate foods on their own, other than mushrooms, instead I'll throw a handful into a pot of simmering soup. However, you can take a cup of dried green beans, cover them with about 2 or 2 1/2 cups of water and rehydrate for whatever you need them for. I like dried zucchini in soups but I've sprinkled with salt, with garlic salt, with chili powder, etc. So far they're just best in soup although I have a tomato/zucchini gratin recipe I've used them for. The kids mostly like them for zucchini candy, also made in the dehydrator. I've never dried kohlrabi but I have very little luck with tomatoes, they never seem to actually get crisp, they just get leather-y. I wasn't overwhelmed with strawberries either, but apples and pears dry wonderfully and make great snacks. I just store the dried items in quart canning jars since I have a plethora of those, but large amounts have been known to go into Lock N Lock containers or even Ziplock freezer bags. Have fun! Annie...See MoreDehydrating foods.
Comments (22)-Green beans, for dehydrating, are best when picked while they are still immature - before they have developed the beans inside the pods. Be sure to blanch them the suggested time and chill in cold water. I'll have to try the 30-minute freezer method before drying. WHO KNEW??? -Try making tomato leather and using it as a base for tomato sauce/paste. You can also make mixed vegetable leather (has a large percentage of tomatoes in the mixture). You can also dry tomato slices until they are crispy. Store whole, and then make it into powder as needed. -A lot of people forget the produce they have in the crisper drawer in the refrigerator, and it ends up getting tossed into the garbage due to neglect. Much of it could be dehydrated to use later. Never waste any kind of greens (including lettuce and cabbage), peppers, mushrooms, celery and celery leaves, cucumbers, etc., they can all be dehydrated. Dehydrate citrus rind, bread crumbs and croutons, cookies, bars, crackers, breads, cereal/granola, rosehips, lemon balm, lemongrass, and an assortment of herbs. Too many bean sprouts? Dehydrate them. -Check out recipes from Raw Food sites. They have great healthy recipes they make in the dehydrator. *Best Raw Dehydrator Recipes - (http://www.therawtarian.com/best-raw-dehydrator-recipes/) *Raw Food Recipes - http://rawfoodrecipes.com/course/dehydrated *About - Dehydrator Recipes http://vegetarian.about.com/od/cookingtipstools/tp/Dehydrator-Recipes.htm *Raw Food Diet Magazine - http://www.raw-food-diet-magazine.com/dehydrator-recipes.html -Grainlady...See MoreWho uses a food dehydrator?
Comments (47)sheesh, it takes me 6-8 hours. I heat the milk, that's maybe 10 minutes. Cool down to 115F, maybe another 20 minutes. Plop the last of my current yogurt batch into 4 quart jars, add warm milk, stir. Into dehydrator at 115F, and let it "cook". There is no reason to keep it going after 10 hours, it's as thick as it will get by then. I do add dry milk to my milk before it's heated to make the yogurt thicker. Elery wants nonfat yogurt, so I use skim milk. I can buy milk for $1.99 a gallon, and that makes a gallon of yogurt, of course. Usually, though, I buy the organic milk from a local dairy and that'll cost me about $5 a gallon. A quart of yogurt at the store, though, is between $3 and $4, so it's still a lot less expensive to make my own. Annie...See Moremustangs81
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agotriciae
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13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoannie1992
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13 years agolast modified: 9 years agodanab_z9_la
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agokarencon
7 years agoInna
6 years ago
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