Anyone got a Dehydrator?

[Somnophore]

I'm looking at getting one to make dried fruit snacks, jerky, and preserving foraged fruit and herbs etc. any recommendations and ideas for what to use it for welcome.

[Odsox]

Yes, I've got one.
It doesn't get a great deal of use, mainly during the harvesting season. Usual things we dry are tomatoes, apricots, onions and hopefully this year grapes for sultanas. It also get used for a final flourish of heat for haricot and borlotto beans and also on a low setting for saved seed peas and beans.
Also for things I didn't grow, we have dried mushrooms, pineapple and bananas (which are gorgeous dried to a leathery stage) and probably other things that I can't think of at the moment.

[Green Aura]

Yes, I've got one too. I've only had it for a few months so haven't explored it fully yet.

[Carltonian Man]

We have one too. Not often it comes out but is great for (wild) mushrooms. Of all the fruit we've tried pineapple is probably the tastiest and pear probably the easiest. Don't usually bother with rinsing the fruit in lemon juice etc to stop it turning brown either, it just adds more water to get rid of. Slice it up fairly quick and get it in the dehydrator asap

[British Red]

I use one extensively. I now have a top of the range side fan type, but startyed with the basic round five tray jobs. We make everything from jerky to dried tomatoes, home made fruit leathers...dried pasta sauces and chilli.

People like Westafalia do basic models - and they are just fine

http://www2.westfalia.net/shops/househo ... drator.htm

Best stuff is a 9 tray excalibur

http://www.energiseyourlife.com/product ... Timer.html

Happy to post recipes or answer questions

Red

[Thomzo]

I've got one of those cheap ones from Westfalia. It only has one setting but it's absolutely fine for what I want. Like the others, I use it mainly for produce. Apples, strawberries (they don't hang around for long), currants and herbs. I tried drying grapes for sultanas but it took ages. I might try cutting them in half next time. The thinner the better for drying. Too thick and it takes too long.

Zoe

[safronsue]

we are just about to make a solar dehydrator using Eben V. Fodor's book. I had great success making leathers last year and my prefered method for preserving toms is with the sun but often resorted to a fan oven due to dodgy weather.
Red, a complete pasta sauce?? how do you do that? what's your fav leather recipe? ours was basically plum and peach, really useful for fruit cakes and buns. we'll have a load of apricots this year and plan to be doing those just halved. how long does your machine take to do half an apricot?

[Somnophore]

I know in some parts of the world including the dry states of America including California they just sun dry stuff, that's not at all possible in the UK lol

[British Red]

we are just about to make a solar dehydrator using Eben V. Fodor's book. I had great success making leathers last year and my prefered method for preserving toms is with the sun but often resorted to a fan oven due to dodgy weather.
Red, a complete pasta sauce?? how do you do that? what's your fav leather recipe? ours was basically plum and peach, really useful for fruit cakes and buns. we'll have a load of apricots this year and plan to be doing those just halved. how long does your machine take to do half an apricot?

Sue, for the sauces I make them (without meat) in the usual way - reduce until thick and dry just like a fruit leather. It works very well indeed.

As for the leathers....

I’ve done tutorials on drying fruit, making jerky and drying herbs in a dehydrator before. Some fruits don’t lend themselves to drying too well – rhubarb (goes stringy), gooseberries (thick skin) and raspberries (turn to mush). They can be dried though – as a fruit leather. These are those strange stretchy fruit things that kids love (winders etc.). This tutorial will show how to make them.

Before you start, line the trays of your dehydrator unless you have specialist “leather” trays or shetts. The fruit will drip through the mesh of open trays. I use microwaveable cling film but aluminium foil would work I should think. Make sure you make holes where all the air vents should be.

Step 1 – gather your fruit.

For each “tray” of my dehydrator I need about a litre (quart) of fruit – clearly for something like rhubarb this needs to be chopped. So step one is a wander round the veg patch and see what’s in surplus

Rhubarb



Raspberry



Gooseberry



Step 2 – Prepare the fruit

It’s a good idea to was all the gathered fruit as the low temperatures we will use may not kill any nasties. Ultimately we will be putting all the fruit through a blender but we need to get it soft if it isn’t already. A wash will suffice for the raspberries but the rhubarb needs to be chopped into ½” slices



And the goosegogs “topped and tailed”


Step 3 – soften if necessary

The harder fruits need to be softened before pureeing. The raspberries need nothing but the gooseberries and rhubarb need to be put into a pan with a TINY amount of water (less than a quarter cup) and heated gently just until they are soft

One softened if necessary put your fruit into a blender. If you don’t have a blender you can crush the fruit with a fork in a mixing bowl. I add two tablespoons of honey to each litre of fruit – I find this helps in bind into a good leather. Others use apple with soft fruit since the pectin helps the leather set – either is good.







Step 4 – puree

If you have a blender, slap the lid on and give the fruit a good “whiz up”. If not, use a fork back against the side of the bowl. You are going for porridge like consistency here







After this, if you want to remove seeds and pips, push the puree through a sieve with the back of a spoon. I like the seeds in so I don’t bother but its up to you

Step 5 – load dehydrator

Don’t forget to ensure you have prepared your dehydrator trays with a covering if they are the mesh type.

Using a palette knife or spoon, spread you puree evenly over the trays. Aim to go no more than ¼” thick or you’ll be drying the stuff till the next ice age

Don’t get the puree too near the air holes as it will spread a bit and you don’t want it dripping through the holes







Step 6 – Dehydrate

Turn on your dehydrator (you can do this on baking sheets in a very cool oven if you prefer). I find this will take 7-10 hours to dry out so leave plenty of time

Keep going till you have a stiff but bendy sheet of leather. It will be about a third of the original height



Peel the leather carefully off the backing sheet



Step 7 prepare rolls

Cut your fruit leather into strips (I use scissors) and roll each strip up for convenient storage







Step 8 cool and store

I leave the rolls to cool on a plate in the fridge for 24 hours – I find storing them warm leads to condensation

After 24 hours I put mine in a plastic tub and keep in the fridge (not really necessary). I shove a mixed handful in a ziplock for day walks or take the whole tub as trail snacks and deserts for longer trips. You can of course add water and turn them back into a sort of pie filling or hot desert

Red

[safronsue]

this is great. i will definitely be doing the sauce idea. !

[jim]

Plenty of home-built ones here

http://www.permies.com/

and video instructions too!

Love and Peace
Jim

[British Red]

this is great. i will definitely be doing the sauce idea. !

Its works well. Of course I do dry the meat as well - but separately. Meat needs to be really dry (or well salted) for ambient storage in the longer term. Jerk, hamburger rocks and all that stuff works well. Hamburger rocks are brilliant because they are so small - and so healthy.

Red

[Luath]

Still on my quest to become less and less reliant on electricity, I won't have an electric dehydratr I use a rack on top of the RAyburn, with the lid down. Metal racks, got cheaply from the tip, the best ones are the 'shelf extenders' sort fo things, sold for making an extra shelf oin the larder/cupboard - they ahve good sturdy legs, so the actual grill and food is not touching any heat. Dries very well in a few hours - mushrooms, herbs, fruit, all sorts. Oaid about 10- or so for the racks I think.