dehydrating without power

[ScrubbieLady]

My friend got an Excalibur dehydrator. Just a curious question. It is metal. I wonder if it could be used outside in the sun and not necessarily with electricity?

[Violet]

It is really hard to dry outside unless you live in a hot climate where it stays hot even all night. Otherwise the food just stays moist and it molds.

[Jeepers]

I'd think the food would need air circulating around it too. Something that wouldn't happen in the box. Maybe just using the trays? My MIL tried drying apple pieces on trays, on a screened in porch in Indiana one year. They all molded.

[Violet]

Yes, you would just use the trays and cover with cheesecloth.

 

An oil stove or something, sit on the top on racks and they will dry. I would think a wood stove would work well, too. Any thing you can sit the trays on that is hot.

[Amishway Homesteaders]

When we had our old gas stove with a pilot light (who has those anymore) it was enought to dry stuff overnight with just the pilot light as a heat sourse.

Now with new stove I can't do it that way anymore.

[Mother]

Good question Scrubbielady. A dehydrater may or may not work by itself without electricity if the design is right. Most are not. My old Excalibur is not. If there is an intake vent on the bottom and a way to vent it at the top it will work in the heat of a sunny day but probably not any better than just putting the food on the mesh trays that come with the dehydrater. I've used all sorts of drying methods both inside and out and as the others have said, without air movement or a heat source the food can mold. That doesn't mean there aren't ways to dry food without a dehydrator and without electricity.

 

Herbs and greens and even bread can be dried just hung from the ceiling either tied in bunches or placed in baskets and hung high where ther is normally more heat as heat rises. In the past green beans were often strung on cord and hung from the ceiling rafters to dry. They were called Leather, or sometimes Dutchmen's, britches after dried because they look like legs of pants hanging on a clothes line. Slices of squash and pumpkin and other sliced or whole (think peppers)vegetables were dried the same way. Pioneers also dried food slices on sheets or other material on the roof or flat boards set in the sun and taken in each night if not dry yet. I've often used the mesh shelves from my dehydrators to air or sun dry things and have used old window screens (I like to cover mine first with a light gauze material to keep the food from touching the aluminum or fiberglass mesh),plastic mesh craft squares, stove and refrigerator shelves, and have made trays by covering wooden frames with tent screening or even cheese cloth. You can also make a type of sun jam by using window glass set in the sun and the product stirred often until it has thickened enough to spread. Sugar or honey helps keep this from getting moldy but it can be made from just pureed or very finely chopped fruit.

 

In the camper I have several hanging mesh shelves that you can buy very inexpensively for storing children's toys and etc. Mine are three and five shelf models and though they are only about a square foot each shelf they can hold a surprisingly large amount of food. because they are mesh all around I can hang them outside during the day and inside at night. I do have to watch the critters though as they tend to be very attracted to them hanging in a tree. I once had a squirrel try to steal my apples slices. At least they keep the bugs off the food and to a certain extent even dust. They also fold flat so are easy to store.

 

We have had several home-built dehydrators, A solar based one held almost a bushel of food at a time. It was a slanted front wooden cabinet on wheels with an opaque plexiglas front and double doors in the back. The shelves were tent-screen covered wood frames. The heat from the sun would vent at the top drawing cool air from a bottom vent and for damp days it had a socket for a light bulb in the bottom as well as a small electric fan. In the almost ten years we used this dehydrating cabinet we only used electricity with it a few times. The wheels allowed us to turn it a couple of times a day to keep it facing the sun and to roll it in and out of the garage where it was stored.

 

The older dehydrating book, Dry It You'll Like It, contains plans for a similar one in the back. That book is an excellent resource for recipes as well. There is a recipe in there for dehydrated cookies made with apples, oil, honey, raw oatmeal and etc. that is wonderful. My family has enjoyed them for years. And the dehydrated crackers are great too. It's a good beginner book but also has some great ideas for all us 'dryers'! It's still available through Amazon.

 

Can you tell I like to dehydrate?

[themartianchick]

Excellent information, Mother!

 

Michael & Lori, I have two stoves at my house. One is a modern wonder that was purchased from a big box retailer about 10 years ago. The other is a big old Magic Chef from the 40's or 50's. I will never give that thing up! It does an excellent job of baking and it really does heat up the house if you ever needed it to. When we move from here, we're taking it with us!!!!!

[ScrubbieLady]

Thanks for all the information. I was raised in extreme South Texas where heat is not a problem during most of the year. Now, I live in North Mississippi (but am still a Texan) and we have some pretty hot weather during the summer. Here it would be putting out on the deck with the metal roof and plenty of sun shine and bringing in at night. I have dried herbs by just tying together and hanging somewhere dark in the house. My friend also dries herbs in a 3 tier basket hanging in her kitchen.

 

Yes, Mother I can tell you like to dehyrate. I'll keep a look out for the book. Thanks.

[maw]

I found a pdf file of the book online.

 

http://peaceofpreparedness.com/Resource%20Library/Recipies/All%20Dried%20Up...Dehydrating%20Made%20Easy.pdf

[kappydell]

up here in Wisconsin where summers are humid we also take in at night. I have dehydrated on my tin-roofed kitchen. Produce was laid on dark cookie sheets, covered with cheesecloth or very thin muslin when I could not find cheesecloth. Laid up on roof, then taken in at night, and food turned over. It was slow, but worked.

[Jeepers]

I found a pdf file of the book online.

 

http://peaceofpreparedness.com/Resource%20Library/Recipies/All%20Dried%20Up...Dehydrating%20Made%20Easy.pdf

Thanks for the link! I downloaded it to read later. Looks like a lot of good reading.

[ScrubbieLady]

I found a pdf file of the book online.

 

http://peaceofprepar...Made%20Easy.pdf

 

 

Thanks, it is now on my computer to read later and share with my friend.