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Dehydrating Foods

LadyDeac03

LadyDeac03

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Anyone on here have a dehydrator? And if so, any good "recipes" or suggestions?

I got one for Christmas, and we broke it out last weekend. I kept it simple and just did a couple apples, pears, and pineapple slices, and they seemed to turn our pretty well.

I really want to try a fruit leather/roll-up type thing and definitely want to try some jerky, but wasn't sure of good types of meat and spices to try.

Any other fruit or vegetables dehydrate particularly well?
 
i have a dehydrator (though a few months back i got an email saying that my particular model had a tendency to catch fire and i needed to call some customer support number and get a new part shipped to me. that freaked me out enough that i haven't used it since). i really like dried apples. and DEFINITELY do the fruit roll-ups! they really taste really similar to actual fruit rollups, except they're really good for you because it's just pureed fruit that's been dehydrated.

are you just using the dehydrator for snack foods? or are you actually going camping or something? if you're going camping, it is impossible to find dried tomato sauce to make spaghetti, but the dehydrator works really well for it. you just wind up with one of the fruit roll-up type things, but it's tomato sauce, so you just rehydrate it in the pot and viola, spaghetti!
 
Thanks for the tip on the sauce. We're just using it for snacks for now, but will keep some other stuff in mind for trips.
 
Timely thread. We're planting a garden with our neighbors on an empty lot they own across the street from our house. With plenty of fresh fruits, veggies, and herbs, a dehydrator might be a good investment this spring.
 
tsywake said:
How much do they cost on average?
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The Nesco home units with the best ratings on Amazon range from $35 to $65 depending on power output. Looks like Excalibur rates well also, but they start at $150+.
 
RacerDeac said:
The Nesco home units with the best ratings on Amazon range from $35 to $65 depending on power output. Looks like Excalibur rates well also, but they start at $150+.
Click to expand...

I have an Excalibur 5-tray. Had it for about 8 years and never had a single problem. They are pricey but designed extremely well and easy to maintain. Many dehydrators have cold or wet spots which due to the fan location and tray design don't cover all items. The Excalibur has a rear-to-forward blowing fan centered on square trays which really gives great coverage. Trays are easy to clean and the polygrids don't stick. You can also buy optional non-stick solid sheets for things like fruit leathers and dried yogurts.

The only downside is that you need some space to store them since they're horizontal, not vertical dryers but that's easy to overcome. Plus, they give you great jerky cure and a great dehydrator recipe book.
 
94Deac said:
I have an Excalibur 5-tray. Had it for about 8 years and never had a single problem. They are pricey but designed extremely well and easy to maintain. Many dehydrators have cold or wet spots which due to the fan location and tray design don't cover all items. The Excalibur has a rear-to-forward blowing fan centered on square trays which really gives great coverage. Trays are easy to clean and the polygrids don't stick. You can also buy optional non-stick solid sheets for things like fruit leathers and dried yogurts.

The only downside is that you need some space to store them since they're horizontal, not vertical dryers but that's easy to overcome. Plus, they give you great jerky cure and a great dehydrator recipe book.
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This fascinates me. How hard is it to make good jerky?
 
It's the blend of spices. Great flavor. But as simple as jerky is, it can be easily fucked up. I've tried lots of variations of jerky and while I like some more than others, I can't say I've made a bad batch. But I've been doing it a long time. The main thing that I see people do wrong is overheat and overdry. They cook it instead of dry it.

I do a wet marinade and then a dry rub before I rack it and dry it. The spice rub that comes with Excalibur is really great.
 
Drying fruit and making roll-ups takes time. Lots of time. Plus, you don't just slice and dry. You have to soak fruit in a solution of water and a preservative to safely dehydrate. My kids love the fruits I do but it does take time.

I also make a hell of a lot of breadcrumbs. I save any extra or stale bread in the freezer and when I get enough, I dehydrate and crumble into crumbs and panko. Doesn't seem like it would make a difference but I guarantee homemade breadcrumbs are 10 times better than store-bought.

Same for fresh herbs. Sometimes you have to buy more fresh herbs than a particular recipe calls for. I just toss the rest in the dehydrator. Nothing wasted.
 
94Deac said:
I also make a hell of a lot of breadcrumbs. I save any extra or stale bread in the freezer and when I get enough, I dehydrate and crumble into crumbs and panko. Doesn't seem like it would make a difference but I guarantee homemade breadcrumbs are 10 times better than store-bought.
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i make homemade breadcrumbs as well, but it honestly has never crossed my mind to dehydrate them first. what difference does it make?
 
I got a dehydrator as a wedding gift and this past summer I made some awesome jerky and fruit.

The first jerky I made I cut a skirt steak into strip and marinated it in Allegro with a bunch of spices for a day or two before dehydrating.

This thread has inspired me to make some more...
 
DeacHoops said:
i make homemade breadcrumbs as well, but it honestly has never crossed my mind to dehydrate them first. what difference does it make?
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I've found they keep longer and don't get a stale smell when they're dehydrated. Simply counter-top drying can leave moisture deep inside unless you leave them out a long time but they can pick up dust and smells if left out a long time. I put my thermostat on about 100-105 or so and let the bread dry for a few hours then drop chunks in the Cuisinart. Add a little salt and toss it all in a sealed container.
 
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