Dehydrator people, help and info

[FarmerChick]

ok I have done a few things in the oven. not much on dehydrating and don't know much, but lately I am thinking about this being a great way to store items long term for the pantry. (without having to rely on freezer/electricity.)


So just what do you guys dehydrate? herbs, fruits etc. and is it easy? what dehydrator? anyone from target or walmart

and what kind of shelf life is on dehyrated items? Anything special about dehydrating or tricks of it?




lets chat dehydrating please. I sure want to take my harvest this year to the max and fill the pantry big time.

 

[Wannabefree]

I do tomatoes, bananas, jerky, peppers, squash, herbs, fruits, etc. etc. I use the American Harvest from WalMart, and it does good. Shelf life...we eat it too quick. Best case we actually can attest to is a year with squash, apples, bananas, and tomatoes. The only thing i have had go wrong was I let DD unload it once and the tomatoes weren't quite dry enough...so we had a little mold issue and lost several pounds of tomatoes, so be sure they are DRY before storing. I can get about 15 pounds of tomatoes into a quart jar Try doing THAT with a canner!

 

[sufficientforme]

I have the Nesco American harvest 1000 watt, it runs 125.00 (amazon.com) or so with extra trays for fruit leather and an actual book on dehydrating. I have used it quite a bit with great results, although not in a humid environment so that may make a difference. The excalibur is the best but is twice as much.
My go to website is http://www.dehydrate2store.com/helpfultips/ LOTS of information to glean from there as well as youtube.

Favorites are: apple slices (with cinnamon), watermelon and cantaloupe. Oranges were yummy as well. Fresh Jerky with your chosen quality of meat is awesome as well. Zuchini and yellow squash for soup turn out fantastic as well.
Least is: mushrooms (they are chewy to me even after re-hydrating) but I still do them for the nutrients they offer soups, etc. Celery is not the same but still flavorful.

This week I am throwing all eight trays in with organic carrots, peas, corn, beans from frozen that I got on sale to see how they turn out

There are lots of threads about dehydrating that will have a lot more information, all I know is those few things

I store my dehydrated goods in canning jars (in a dark space) and buy oxygen absorbers to add to the jars as well. I also have a really nice vacuum sealer that I put long term storage foods in buckets after sealing them.

 

[ORChick]

Dehydrating thread:

http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=2788

I have an American Harvest that I got close to 30 years ago, and it is still going strong. I dehydrate lots of different fruits and herbs, as well as mushrooms, garlic and onions (last 2 outside!). I soak and sprout grains for the chickens, and dehydrate them - that way I can do a full dryer load (12 trays) rather than just a little every day. I also sprout and dry wheat and spelt for us, dry it, and grind for bread. We are a small household (just 2) so all the bits and pieces that are leftover from cooking (1/2 an onion, part of a green pepper, etc) get tossed in the dehydrator. The autumn before we left our house in California we had a bumper apple crop. Made a lot of applesauce, and dried enough slices for a couple of gallon jars. We still have part of one jar left - after 10 years they are still good, though have darkened a bit.
As Wannabefree says, make sure things are dry. Most drying sites/books will tell you how to judge that, but if you aren't sure pack the product into a glass jar, screw on the lid, and leave it where you can see it. If you see no signs of condensation on the inside of the jar after a few days things should be fine.
If you live in a humid climate you should check into the best way to keep your dried goods. Here (not particularly humid), I find that glass jars with tight lids, and in a dark corner, do quite well. (Conversely, I have read that people in quite dry climates - desert dry - can keep them perfectly well in paper bags!)

 

[SSDreamin]

I have the Excalibur. Used to have an American Harvest. Just didn't like it - circular, with that big hole in the middle, and having to constantly rotate the trays. The Ex (I have the 3500, no timer) is like night and day to me. I love the thing, and use it all the time! Most recently, I dried tons of sale frozen veggies (corn, peas, carrots, mixed vegetables, and green beans- green beans look very weird after drying, and I've heard they don't rehydrate well, haven't tried yet). I transfer the dried veggies into quart jars, throw in a silica gel pack, and vacuum seal it. Doing it that way is SUPPOSED to make them keep for upwards of twenty years - you'll have to check back with me on that one We do tons of jerky in it - it's amazing just how many pounds of jerky sticks (our favorite) fit on nine trays! I have dried mushrooms (I didn't mind them), bananas (they don't last - honey dipped, dried bananas are better than any candy to me), strawberries, tomatoes, squash, pumpkin, potatoes (cubed, sliced, shredded mashed and 'french fries')and about half a dozen other things I can't remember right now I agree with Sufficient, dehydrate2store is a great site. She gave me the confidence to try several things I wouldn't have done otherwise. I also use mine to raise certain breads I make. I have done apples, but I didn't like them. Guess I'm a canned apple kinda gal. I dried celery too, but decided, for tray space, it was cheaper for me to just buy a #10 can.

 

[ORChick]

I have heard the the Excaliber is the top brand, and were I in the market (and had the money) I would seriously think about getting one. However, as mentioned I have had an American Harvest for upwards of 30 years, and in that time have never felt the need to rotate the trays. I'm not sure why it would be necessary, as the heat is coming up from the bottom, and reaches all the trays. Others, apparently, have had different experiences, but I personally have never rotated trays.
My mother also had an American Harvest (which I bought her), which she used for drying flowers and herbs for pot pourri. The first one she had did overheat once, and warped some of the trays (and might have started a fire if she hadn't noticed when she did), but the store replaced it, and she had no more problems of that sort.
All these machines were bought in the '80s, and for all I know the quality has diminished. I believe that they are not being made by the same company anymore. So what is true for my machine may very well not be true for a new one.

 

[cheepo]

Dehydrating is fantastic
what don't I dehydrate....lol

I had a nesco...liked it because it was an easy clean...
as we love jeky...and over the years...I have lost...a couple
cheap dehydrators...by getting the elements wet...

but last year...had my hubby treat me to an exchalabur...
absolutely love it...not only for its compact design...lots of trays...
and being square...works way better than round...trays...
it came with a 10 year warenty...WOW...
and really does dry things way faster...and I love that the mesh
trays bend so I can just drop contents into jars...
really do recomend...!!!!