What are you dehydrating today?

[chinajade97]

You can dry the chilis whole, but it will take a lot longer. Depends upon how you want to use them later. No blanching required. You can even string them on some cotton string and hang to dry if you have a warm, dry place. They will need air space between them, so they don't mold, if you do this.

I would slice in half, and dry on the dehydrator, if you don't want them whole. You can slice them, too, or dice. However you want them to be when done.

 

 

Thanks! I think I will cut in half and dry in dehydrator.....I didn't know if I would have to blanch or not prior to doing so. I appreciate the infomation! You ROCK!

[Violet]

China,

Glad to have helped out. This is a booklet, same as we sell, that you can bookmark. That, or if you want to spend the time and money to print out, that would work, too.

http://info.ag.uidaho.edu/Resources/PDFs/PNW0397.pdf

[Centexan]

I have a question for Violet: One day, not having lemon juice in the house, I used Kool Aid LemonAid mixed with water when drying apple dices. It turned out O.K. What are your thoughts on that?

 

This past week I dried broccoli from the garden (to use in soups), apple dices, and zucchini chips.

[Violet]

Centexan,

That was a clever thing to do ! I had never thought of that. We use jello powder on banana slices for flavor, but never thought of doing what you did.

The lemon juice is to keep them from browning, so I can see how the lemonade powder with the acid in it would help, too.

Glad you shared that with us !

I don't mind my apples a bit brown, so I don't even pretreat them.

 

[beavercreekmom]

Hello-

 

Can you dehydrate rhubarb? How would you do it? How do you reconstitute to use in pie, coffeecake or flip?

[OINK]

Yesterday I did 2 trays of green,red,yellow and orange peppers, and 4 trays of frozen corn.

 

Today I'm planning on doing some cherry tomatoes and some spaghetti sauce.

[Canned Nerd]

Can you dehydrate rhubarb? How would you do it? How do you reconstitute to use in pie, coffeecake or flip?

Rhubarb can be dehydrated since it is 95% water and requires blanching first to eliminate some of the acidity in the stalks. Hydrating would not return it to a raw state usable for baking, but I've never tried doing it.

[vigilant20]

Just cleaning out my freezer today. Have a bag each going of corn, peans, sliced strawberries, and mixed berries. The mixed berries were already pretty thoroughly covered in ice...not sure if they'll turn out. I hate my freezer...but at least I can now dehydrate to save anything I don't use immediately.

[Canned Nerd]

If your frozen food is covered with ice it is not the fault of your freezer, but the method of packaging the food that allows air to enter and freezer burn to occur.

 

I got tired of tossing food for that reason and started vacuum-sealing everything with my FoodSaver unit, especially meats and those big bags of veggies. Since I put into single portion bags it also makes it much easier to go shopping for dinner when I'm freezing diving.

 

 

[vigilant20]

If your frozen food is covered with ice it is not the fault of your freezer, but the method of packaging the food that allows air to enter and freezer burn to occur.

 

I got tired of tossing food for that reason and started vacuum-sealing everything with my FoodSaver unit, especially meats and those big bags of veggies. Since I put into single portion bags it also makes it much easier to go shopping for dinner when I'm freezing diving.

 

I don't know that that's the problem in my case. Even pre-packaged foods like individually wrapped veggie patties start icing up on me after a week. I normally have to toss after 2 weeks due to freezer burn. I was in the habit of keeping a few loaves of bread in the freezer and they'd last for months, and I can't do that anymore either.

 

Although I like the foodsaver, the bags are not cheap. I can't afford to re-package everything I buy.

[Canned Nerd]

I don't know that that's the problem in my case. Even pre-packaged foods like individually wrapped veggie patties start icing up on me after a week. I normally have to toss after 2 weeks due to freezer burn. I was in the habit of keeping a few loaves of bread in the freezer and they'd last for months, and I can't do that anymore either.

That "is" the problem and unfortunately commercially packaged foods are NOT designed to prevent freezer burn for extended storage.

 

To get freezer burn in two weeks indicates you have a 'frost-free' freezer and something could actually be wrong with it if it is moving a lot of air trying to cool itself down. That moving air is what is drying stuff out.

 

Yes the FoodSaver bags are not cheap, but it is cheaper than tossing out food destroyed by freezer burn. Using a foodsaver bag also extends the freezer life substantially. It is a justified expense, as will be echoed by other FoodSaver users.

[vigilant20]

Yes, I realize it's a problem with my freezer. It's a 30 year old appliance that I inherited with my home and cannot afford to replace.

 

For my purposes, dehydrating works better for resolving this issue. I personally don't see freezing a good option for long term storage due to the necessity of a constant energy source, expensive repackaging, and the apparently fickle nature of freezers.

[Crazy4Canning]

Hello-

 

Can you dehydrate rhubarb? How would you do it? How do you reconstitute to use in pie, coffeecake or flip?

 

Hi there,

 

My book "So Easy to Preserve" lists rhubarb as 'good' for drying and 'fair' for fruit leather. The leaves contain oxalic acid, so please don't eat those.

 

I much prefer to do a rhubarb sauce - here is the recipe - VERY good!

 

Hot Pack - select young tender, well colored stalks from a spring or late fall crop. Trim leaves. Wash & cut into 1/2" to 1" pieces. In large saucepan add 1C sugar for each qt of rhubard. Let stand until juice appears. Heat gently to boiling. Pack immediately into pints or quarts, leaving 1/2" headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rims, place lids & bands on. Process in boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes (for pints or quarts).

 

Super simple and YUMMO!

 

You can also freeze it - just blanch it in a boiling water bath for 1 minute in boiling water & cool in ice water prior to packing. This helps to preserve color and flavor.

 

IMHO, freezing can make it soggy and tough, so I prefer the sauce.

 

BTW - what is a FLIP? Is it like an upside down cake?

[beavercreekmom]

Rhubarb flip is almost like a dump cake.

 

5 cups diced fresh or frozen rhubarb

1/4 cup cornstarch

5 TB water

1 1/2 cups sugar

2-4 drops red food coloring

2 cups dry white or yellow cake mix

3/4 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup butter, melted

 

Place rhubarb in greased 13x9x2 in. baking pan. In a small saucepan, mix cornstarch and water; add sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until mixture boils and thickens. Add food coloring. Cool slightly and pour over rhubarb. Sprinkle cake mix over rhubarb; top with coconut and nuts. Drizzle with butter. Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes or until cake tests done. Serves 12.

 

Thank you for the rhubarb sauce recipe. Sounds yummy!

 

 

Colleen

[Canned Nerd]

Dehydrated 4 tubs of button mushrooms that were half price at the store, along a bunch of celery that was getting beyond its time.

 

 

[OINK]

Today will be cherry tomatoes and spaghetti sauce

[Yart]

I am doing a head of cabbage I got for super cheap.

[Ogre]

FINALLY GOT A DEHYDRATOR

 

Sorry about shouting. (been after one for years but wont pay UK prices)Its a Westfalia 5 tray unit. Only cost me £31 incl p&p.

 

I'll let you know how I get on.

 

Ogre

[Jingles]

Welcome to the dehydrating world. Warning it's addictive. You'll be looking all over for stuff to dry! he he

[OINK]

he he he he...we've got you now Ogre!

[Jingles]

I dehydrating my leftover tomato juice into a fruit roll-up. I'm hoping to dry it to a hard state and grind it into a powder to add into my soups and sauces. Has anyone done this? Does it work?

[Canned Nerd]

I do it with tomatoes all the time. Never tried it with juice still I'm too busy drinking it. Tomato powder has a lot of uses flavoring food and even making tomato soup.

 

[RTR]

OK, so I have a question for those that know about dehydrating potatoes.

 

I am in the process of dehydrating some potatos. I am doing them a couple different ways. I did sliced (no problem), then shredded (no problem), and now mashed (problem). I read 'somewhere' that it worked to boil them and mash them as normal, then dehdrate them and you have instant potato flakes. Well, they are taking a long time to dehydrate and to help speed it up I occasionally mix them up, but this morning, they almost acted like there was cheese in them. They were kinda stringy and some of them had some white stuff on them. Does this mean that they went bad before they could dehydrate?

Any pointers on making potato flakes?

 

Thanks,

[Canned Nerd]

Exactly how did you make your mashed potatoes? Hopefully you did not use any butter or milk in them.

 

[RTR]

I didn't add anything other than some salt and garlic salt. I like salt I just boiled it and mashed it, then put it on the dehydrator.

 

I did end up throwing it out, it was smelling bad and just had a really strange texture and I didn't want to make anyone sick.

 

Does anyone have a good method of making potato flakes?

 

Thanks