Any FReepers use a food dehydrator??

[djf]

I wuz at a yard sale and bought a couple do-it-yourself type handbooks.

Gal had a Ronco food dehydrator but I didn't get it then... after driving around a bit I went back and got it.

Hitting it with bleach and all the cleaning stuff now.

So! Any FReepers use a dehydrator? Experiences? Good things to dehydrate or not-so-good?

Manual says you can use it to make jerky. Anybody tried that?

All ideas welcome!

[bigheadfred]

his vegematic is killer i picked one up in a thrift store thank goodness cause it didnt feel right stealing my moms and i know she would have thrashed me severely i am ecstatic to own one

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

“beats getting run outta the house from them getting heated in the dehydrator.”

Depends on your tolerance level I guess. I use them in stir fries. Put a few into the oil, and fry the black,,, caramelize them. Take them out. let them cool, then break them into little pieces and add them to your stirfry. Wonderful! But,,,, don’t inhale the smoke when they’re frying! You’ll be breathless for quite a while!

[JRandomFreeper]

I personally detest morels, and I cooked hundreds of pounds of them for some fine-dining restaurants.

I do grow my own button mushrooms, and extras get canned or dried.

One thing I noticed from reading stuff from the 1700s was something called 'mushroom condiment'. I chased that down, and besides mushroom catsups, dried ground mushroom powder was used as a flavoring agent, much like salt or pepper is.

So I made some. It's very good. I don't know why that went out of style.

/johnny

[JRandomFreeper]

Yep. I've used refrigerator boxes for field-expedient smokers. They work great until it rains.

/johnny

[Iron Munro]

Our local market marks down ripe bananas to almost nothing to get rid of them.

Slice them into thin rounds and dehydtrate them.

They make great snacks and keep a long time stored in the freezer.

[TheOldLady]

I do not have a dehydrator.

[bigheadfred]

What is wrong with them in the rain?

[JRandomFreeper]

Cardboard tends to go to pieces in a heavy rain.

/johnny

[Vermont Lt]

Got one last summer.

Apples, strawberries, bananas, jerky, tomatoes....I’ll try anything.

Lots of info online. Get a vacuum sealer and you are off to the races,

I even made some jerky for the dog.

[bigheadfred]

Oh, sorry, I misread that. You meant the actual shipping box. They were using those for housing in Egypt when I was there.

[davius]

I took plastic mesh screen and cut it into circles that fit inside the trays. I use them to dry blueberries (drain first), cranberries (cut in half first), pumpkin cubes, pears, and cherries (pit first). It makes the cleanup easier and all I have to do is lift out the screen and flex it to release the fruit. After 5 minutes or so, I seal it in airtight bags or jars. I generally add some brown sugar to my jerky marinade. Trim the fat from your meat well. Fat makes for nasty jerky. Oh yes, always put a paper towel underneath to catch any drips.

I would not recommend that you use a dehydrator to keep your powder dry.

[MomwithHope]

Have used mine for years. Mostly for tomatoes, when I get sick of canning, and turkey jerky. For tomatoes, I do circular slices, not too thin, not too thick. Spray the trays down with some spray oil before you lay them down and give a light spray on top of the tomatoes, Less sticking. You can season too, garlic powder and basil are nice. Just watch that they are done at the leathery stage, not the crack in half tomato chop stage.
For turkey jerky I use turkey tenderloins and slice up widthwise so the jerky is at least chewable. Marinade for a day in a soy marinade with a little lemon juice and your fanirote deasonings. I usually use garlic, onion and you can add a little teriaki sauce too. Drain and lay out again on sprayed trays. Turn a couple of times during the process.

[GGpaX4DumpedTea]

We have a commercial gas range in the kitchen, complete with pilot lights, and we use the oven as a dehydrator. We also make jerky in it. Works well. Sometimes we let the pilot light provide the heat, other times we set it at a very low temp...we have that capability, and I measure the temp in the oven with a meat thermometer laying on one of the racks.

The range has a griddle with pilots under it and we use that for such things as drying dandelion root before we grind it (great health wise for the liver, and also has anti-cancer benefits) For info on using dandelion root, go here http://rense.com/general74/DANDI.HTM A few years ago, while George Cairns was still alive I called him and talked with him. He was still living on his farm in Woodstock, IL. He confirmed to me the info in what he wrote at the link. Dandelion root powder, made the way George processed it, is available out of Canada, and I have bought from them several times to make it available to others. George says, forget what is offered in healthfood stores or online.

Sun drying is one of the best ways to dry tomatoes, especially the Italian tomatoes.

[JRandomFreeper]

I cut circles from parchment paper (the commercial stuff, not the stuff on rolls) and use that for goopy stuff like the refried beans, applesauce, etc...

The screens work great for stuff like celery that starts out fine but drop between the slats when they start to get dry.

Adapt and overcome. I like the way you think. ;)

/johnny

[Psiman]

I bought a talbe top unit once for making jerky, but it didn’t work worth crap. The wife and I had much better luck with fermented bean paste using a unit she brought over from Korea.

Good luck finding a recipe that works.

[SatinDoll]

Did you blanch the frozen veggies before dehydrating them?

[passionfruit]

I didn’t blanch frozen veggies before dehydrating them. I believe they were blanched before freezing to preserve their color.

[matelp]

Ronco dehydrator manual can be found on the Ronco website under customer support. That should get you started.

[Hugin]

I have one that has 8 stackable plastic trays. All I’ve used it for is jerky. I like to use a lean cut of beef, like london broil or full cut round. Trim all the fat off, and slice as thin as you can (1/8 inxh ot so. The basic idea is to soak it a salty brine both for flavor and to prevent bacteria from growing while it dries. Soy sauce works fine, but you can experiment with any kind of spices or condiemnts. Dehudrate until the meat is dry all the way through and the consistancy of leather. Usually takes 8 hours or so, and I move the bottom rack to the top every half hour or so. You can store it in ziploc bags or jars, though if you are in a humid climate you might want to use a desicant packet. I’ve heard it should last a year, although mine has never been around long enough to go bad.

[Silentgypsy]

I do. I listened to JustaDumbBlonde’s recommendation and purchased an Excalibur dehydrator. I’ve done yogurt chips, pear chips, cantaloupe chips, kale chips (which I don’t care for), tomatoes, squash seeds, and a bunch of other stuff. It worked very well. Last year’s produce is still viable in ziplock baggies. We ate the pear chips when we were on the road to Nashville earlier this year. Mr. Sg has made beef jerky in it out of London broil. It is a fun and useful appliance. Oh, yes—jalapenos and sweet potatoes, too. I haven’t attempted to reconstitute anything yet. We were kind of overzealous with food preservation last year so a lot of our stuff is still available to eat. You can make fruit leather and yogurt chips for the kids. Earthwoman dried apple slices and they are spectacular with cinnamon and oatmeal! Please excuse my tardiness today. Had insomnia and finally got to sleep around 0700 hrs. Only got up @ 1500. At least Daffy and Slings were around to keep me company, and CyberLiberty for a little bit. I’m very happy that you’re home safe and sound w/the Chicklets and Chicklettes!