Food Dehydration 101

[MorningSong]

One of the best ways to preserve and store fruit and vegetables is using dehydration. It is probably the oldest method of food preservation that exists.

Dried foods become light weight and more compact for storage. Done correctly, they can be stored for as much as 20 years.

Vegies and fruit can be dried in the sun, climate permitting, in a shed or attic or in food dehydrators.

Here's a good article on drying fruit and vegies in a Food Dehydrator:

http://www.googobits.com/articles/493-dry-your-own-fresh-fruits-and-vegetables-at-home--food-dehydrators-101.html

[HORIZONS]

Good article! Thanks~

[rosie]

MorningSong, I totally agree! I purchased a "convection" oven my last oven purchase to start this process. I will be looking into this much more in the coming months, especially how to store for long periods of time. Great thread!

[sunflower]

Thanks, Morning Song. I bought a dehydrator last year but haven't used it yet. I planned to use excess produce from the garden...but there wasn't any left by the time we shared with family and neighbours. So you are motivating me to start again this year. I might as well go to market when specials are on and try a few things. I have enough information now to get going!

[yiolas]

Hi everyone, if we are talking about going green, check it these DIY solar dehydrators !
http://www.squidoo.com/solar-food-dehydrator#module9800323

Please see this simple video as well: It looks very easy to make with scrap material that we have around the house. I can't wait to construct one and practice over the summer
It seems to me that the concept can be modified to build a home solar heater as well.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dyvk8dUabQ

[MorningSong]

Thanks for all the in-put. You folks are great!

I personally don't have a "real" dehydrator...yet! I have dried apples on window screens out on the picnic table (which draws a bunch of bees and wasps, but they don't eat much, lol). I will probably cover them with a window sheer or something this year. I dry herbs in my garage and in my kitchen hanging from a curtain rod. And I have an empty aluminum gas bottle box that works great for drying grapes, pears, plums and peaches (which need more heat) using wooden produce crates lined with waxpaper stacked up x 5 inside. Like I stated in an earlier thread, I will try Leather Britches Beans and other vegies this year.

Keep the info flowing! I love your ideas!

PS A funny story about my dried apples last year... I put them in jars to store them. Obviously one of these jars had been used to keep mint in it and I must not have washed it too well if at all, because the apples had such a wonderful minty taste. Just that jar, though. So that little slip will have me putting in a dried stem/leaf of mint in this year's batch!

[Enlightenme]

Dehydrating is something that I have become very interested in. I have had a lot of fun making Beef Jerky recently and have even found an awesome old book from the 70's that a woman wrote with super tips on the best methods for success. The book is called "Dry and Save" by Dora D. Flack ISBN 0-912800-41-0, I know from experience how difficult it is to find information about dehdrating food properly and I was thrilled to find this gem in a thrift shop. Universe made sure it found me!

[HORIZONS]

Thanks yiaolis - i'm going to make one of these.




Hi everyone, if we are talking about going green, check it these DIY solar dehydrators !
http://www.squidoo.com/solar-food-dehydrator#module9800323

Please see this simple video as well: It looks very easy to make with scrap material that we have around the house. I can't wait to construct one and practice over the summer
It seems to me that the concept can be modified to build a home solar heater as well.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dyvk8dUabQ

[rosie]

Enlightenme, I have searching for a beef jerky recipe that has been tried and tested and would love it if you could pass the recipe along. :dance:

Oh, and any hints that you may have learned along the way would surely be appreciated. :help:

love & light

[MargueriteBee]

I make turkey jerky treats for my dogs very simply. I just slice it (1/4 inch thick) and dry it in an electric dehydrator. Then I vacum seal it and throw it in the freezer. The dogs love it!

[Enlightenme]

Rosie, the last batch of Beef Jerky I made turned out great and since you are in Ontario I can tell you if you like BBQ flavor I used President's Choice Chipotle BBQ sauce as my marinade. I cut the raw beef, a sirloin roast that had been marked down 30% , it was two days from the best before date, sliced it as thin as I could, abuut 1/4 in. as MargueriteBee did with her turkey. I marinated in ziploc freezer bags in the fridge overnight and then laid the beef out in my salton dehydrator. Took approx 10 hours to be dry enough. I took some of it in to work and the guys loved it. Only dry it to a leathery consistensy. I keep it sealed in a zippy bag in or out of the fridge is ok. I had great success with drying my excess cherry tomatoes last year, sliced them in half and dried them the put them in a zippy bag in the freezer. When I want to use some I can soak them in olive oil overnight to soften, great flavour!
Cheers

[Ron Mauer Sr]

As long as commercial electricity is available drying food is easy. Foods found in the frozen section of the supermarket can be put directly into a dehydrator without prepping with lemon juice or other methods. So easy. Vacuum pack in Mylar bags or Mason jars for long term storage.

Be careful with dehydrator temperature. According to Tammy of Dehydrate2Strore, if temperature is too high the exterior food surface can dry hard before the interior has dried completely, leading to spoilage.

Electric, non commercial food dehydrators range from the inexpensive FD-60 4 tray 3.4 sq ft Nesco from American Harvest ($60) to the and the top of the line 9 tray 15 sq ft Excalibur ($250). The economy version of the 9 tray Excalibur (http://www.excaliburdehydrator.com/) (Model 2900 does not have a timer) is available for $179.95 from sources found on the web.

There are excellent instructional videos from Dehydrate2Store (http://dehydrate2store.com/) available free online.

Here are some links to more information on cooking with dehydrated food, food dehydration and packaging for long term storage here (http://ronmauer.net/blog/?page_id=736) and here (http://ronmauer.net/blog/?page_id=740).

[Beth]

Thanks rmauersr for all the information you've posted today. I just got a dehydrator and food sealer, and I look forward to using it for snacks, as well as stored food.

[Nenuphar]

There are excellent instructional videos from Dehydrate2Store (http://dehydrate2store.com/) available free online.
.

Yes! I got into dehydrating foods through Tammy's YouTube channel and website. A really great resource. Highly recommended, especially for beginners.

[LiveFree]

Thanks guys for this thread. I will have to revisit it tonight when I get home from work. Dehydrating is something I've been interested in trying for a while now. I have the dehydrator, now I just need the courage to fire it up. lol