Great dehydrating book

[freemotion]

Anyone seen this new book, copyright 2009: The Dehydrator Bible by Jennifer MacKenzie, Jay Nutt and Don Mercer?

A client/friend who orders all the reference books for the library often orders books based on our conversations, then checks them out on my card and brings them to me! Talk about service! I love this book. I hope one of you experienced dehydrators can take a look and tell me if the recipes are for real or if they just guessed.....using regular recipes, or if the recipes look realistic. There are over 400 recipes.

There are SOOO many ideas and instructions and details in this book. I may just have to buy it. I marked so many pages to photocopy, it might be cheaper to just buy the book!

It includes a section with details on how to dehydrate different foods, in the form of an alphabetical list that includes how to prepare the item, how long to dry it, and how to tell when it is dry enough.

There is a long section with recipes for using the foods in everyday cooking at home. There is a section for camping and trail foods, and even a section on pet treats! As well as a few gifts and crafts. A very thorough and useful book, IMO.

 

[big brown horse]

That sounds like an awesome book! I must get a dehydrater! Please let this economy turn around so I can justify buying the things on my wish list!

 

[freemotion]

You want justification? If you can scrape up the money, certain ss tools will pay for themselves, some fairly quickly. Take a few days and make a list of what you will realistically dehydrate and use, and how much it may save you on your grocery bill. If it pays for itself in a year or two, it is very well worth squeezing it into the budget sooner rather than later. Order the book from your library or interlibrary loan, and spend some time reading up on it.

Don't ever shop with me......I can spend your money so fast your head will spin!

 

[big brown horse]

You want justification? If you can scrape up the money, certain ss tools will pay for themselves, some fairly quickly. Take a few days and make a list of what you will realistically dehydrate and use, and how much it may save you on your grocery bill. If it pays for itself in a year or two, it is very well worth squeezing it into the budget sooner rather than later. Order the book from your library or interlibrary loan, and spend some time reading up on it.

Don't ever shop with me......I can spend your money so fast your head will spin!

You are making me laugh again!!

You are definitely right about saving money. My garden is about to explode too, so I better get my ducks in a row fast!

ETA: cant spell :/

 

[freemotion]

I spent almost $200 on a custom-made scythe last year and it is free and clear this year on what I saved. It will last me a lifetime, as long as I don't try to cut down a tree or a rock accidentally! I hemmed and haw'd before ordering it, but did the math and it was worth it.

It takes no fossil fuels or skilled maintainence that I would have to pay for. It takes up no square-footage storage space in the garage, it is hung near the ceiling when not in use. It is very satisfying to use and gives me a workout without injury, as a cheaper, not-custom version would. As a self-employed LMT, it doesn't take much of an injury to arm, shoulder, or hand to put me out of commission for a week or two, yet the bills keep comin'!

That is how I decide what tools to buy. The math. What I will save, how long it will last, what is the maintainence and cost of using it.

I now start all my dehydrating in the car on sunny days, and finish up with my little electric model if needed. I haven't tried veggies yet, and would never do onions or garlic in the car.....well, maybe dh's car.... But I plan on throwing a few diced carrots in the car soon just to see what happens. It is raining now, so maybe later in the week.

 

[big brown horse]

I was going to ask if there was a "solor" dehydrator that I can make!! I had forgotten that my Mom used to dry her herbs in the car on a broom stick rack held up by rolled up windows! It was sooo much fun being dropped off at school with a wrack of herbs (or weeds my friends called them) dangeling behind us in that beautiful Volare station wagon.