What are you DEHYDRATING today?

[Ldychef2k]

I don't ! I just open the bag and spread the veggies on the tray. When it comes time to use them, I soak them in warm water for a half an hour or so before cooking. The lima beans in the mixed vegetables take a bit longer than that, though. I am particularly fond of the rehydrated broccoli.

Oh, on the season finale of Top Chef on TV, one of the contestants deep fried dehydrated (not rehydrated) broccoli and called it broccoli popcorn. I liked that idea.

Thanks for asking.

 

[ORChick]

Mushrooms - the local farm stand had "seconds" for 99c/lb, so I bought several pounds. I had a hard time seeing the difference between my "seconds", and the "firsts" other than price - they were $2.99/lb. So now I have the dehydrator loaded up with sliced mushrooms.
And cranberries. Hands up, everyone who knew that the south coast of Oregon is home to cranberry fields? Usually I freeze them, but thought I might try drying some. I made up some simple syrup (sugar and water - maybe honey next time), and cooked the cranberries for a minute or so, to split the skin, and sweeten them just a bit.
And one tray of bread cubes from the ends of various loaves of bread. These will be useful when next I make bread pudding, or need breadcrumbs.
And tomorrow, when the trays are free again, I'll do some persimmons. I was given some of the Fuyu persimmons - the ones that can be eaten when they are still firm, like apples - and still have some that are getting a bit soft. Tomorrow I'll puree them and make some persimmon leather.

 

[Ldychef2k]

Today i am harvesting some fennel bulbs for braising, and will dehydrate the fronds and some of the stems (sliced thin) to flavor foods and to use as a tea when I feel yucky.

 

[Wifezilla]

I got some cranberries really cheap. I think I will oven dry those as soon as I find directions on the best way to do that

 

[tortoise]

I had a bag of roma tomatoes I wasn't going to have time to cook with, so I sliced them thin to make tomato "chips" for snacking. Yum!

Banana and apples are next. My son and I LOVE apple chips. It is the perfect use for mealy apples. (And those are really cheap at the grocery store!)

 

[Farmfresh]

Wifezilla -

When ever I dry round things. Cherries, grapes, blueberries etc.. I usually cut them in half first to make them dry faster and more evenly. I have never done cranberries, but maybe that will help you some.

 

[Wildsky]

Some days I get frustrated with my little dehydrator, heck it seems to take SO long to get anything dried.

I dried sausage the other day, took from around 11am till around 6 or 7pm till it was done, granted I used meat that was a little toooo fatty. They did turn out yummy, just a problem wiht the texture of it, I think the meat needs to be ground up a little chunkier next time.

 

[freemotion]

Its that time of year again....oregano! The dehydrator (electric one....too cold for the back seat of the car today!) is filled and I still have to cut my Greek oregano. I hope to dry enough oregano, basil, sage, parsley, and hot pepper for my sausage this year, hopefully two pigs' worth! Er....how much sausage is that?

We ate half a jar of dried tomatoes, rehydrated in hot water, on nachos for lunch today, and they were delicious this way.

 

[Wifezilla]

I have paper bags stuck to a piece of cork board. As I trim up the herb plants, stuff goes in the bags. I dried quite a lot of basil over the winter like that. Abi got a baggie of it last time I visited.

 

[abifae]

and mmmmm...

can't wait to get my herb garden going!