Cat Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 Well, we got past 200 posts in the first thread with this title, which tends to make threads drag, so here we go with "Part 2". **Cat peeks over your shoulder towards the kitchen...** Sooooo... what'cha dehydrating today??? Dehydrating link Part 1 Quote Link to comment
Violet Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 I have no way of telling if the deli meat would have enough salt to preserve it. My instinct is to say no. It would be like leaving it out at room temp. for more than 2 hours. Freeze it instead or make French dip sandwiches. Quote Link to comment
Mea Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 Sooooo... what'cha dehydrating today??? We've got slightly over 3/4 of a case of nectarines going. (they Did finally ripen. DH has already eaten the other part. lol ) Mea. Quote Link to comment
Aint2nuts Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 I took my dehydrated foods and put them into jars, and then vacuum sealed them. I have about 30 quart jars of dehydrated food. it looks cool on the shelves. Last thing I dehydrated was about a week ago -- zuchinni. Friday I get paid and there are some great deals in the grocery stores right now. Tomatoes for 25 cents a lb. Bananas for 33 cents a lb. :-) I am wondering if Kiwi dehydrates -- they have those 5/1$ Quote Link to comment
RTR Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 I tried some Kiwi recently. Husband and I were not impressed. But we didn't really like the blueberries dehydrated. I will use them to bake, but not as snacks. It seemed to turn really dark. Quote Link to comment
Prickle Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 I dehydrated onions yesterday. After 12 hours in the machine they are still a little bendy but definitely leathery. Is this OK or should they be crispy? Quote Link to comment
Prickle Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Another question: Does it make any difference if you leave the empty trays on or take them off the dehydrator while it's running? Quote Link to comment
Andrea Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Grapes. They are some variety of red seedless and they were free! (I just had to pick them) I dried a few a couple of days ago and they are a bit more tangy than store bought but I think they'll be great in muffins and bread! So, my dehydrator will be full of grapes for the next week. Another question: Does it make any difference if you leave the empty trays on or take them off the dehydrator while it's running? I dry my onions until "crisp". As for the trays, mine requires a minimum numbers of trays to operate properly. The trays don't have to have anything on them, but they need to be there for the fan element to work correctly. Do you have the manual? (I have the one that Wal-Mart sells - American Harvester, maybe?) Quote Link to comment
Prickle Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 I dry my onions until "crisp". As for the trays, mine requires a minimum numbers of trays to operate properly. The trays don't have to have anything on them, but they need to be there for the fan element to work correctly. Do you have the manual? (I have the one that Wal-Mart sells - American Harvester, maybe?) I'll put them back in for awhile then. lol, ya, I have the manual. Trying to use logic on me I didn't remember seeing anything about trays. Quote Link to comment
Prickle Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Alrighty, I have read and re-read the manual and unless it's hiding in some obscure place (like right under my nose) in there it doesn't say anything about how many trays should be used for optimal performance. I have a 700w Nesco for fyi purposes. Quote Link to comment
Prickle Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Well, I found it. It wasn't in the instruction booklet which would make too much sense, I guess. It was on a single page leaflet. 4 trays is recommended. Quote Link to comment
Jori Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Does anyone know how long it takes for sage to dry out? I put it on yesterday afternoon and it still isn't ready. I guess I should have thought about it before tackling it first. LOL! Quote Link to comment
Prickle Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Does anyone know how long it takes for sage to dry out? I put it on yesterday afternoon and it still isn't ready. I guess I should have thought about it before tackling it first. LOL! According to my handy dandy instruction booklet that happens to be sitting right here, Sage takes 20 to 24 hours. Drying temps should not exceed 90* to 100*. (Don't tell anyone . . . I dry my herbs in the microwave. it takes about 3 mins Put them on a couple paper towels and nuke at 30 sec intervals stirring between bursts until crispy. ) Quote Link to comment
FINE Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 3 pounds of baby spinach and a few stray tomatoes from the garden Quote Link to comment
Cricket Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 Another question: Does it make any difference if you leave the empty trays on or take them off the dehydrator while it's running? Prickle, my recollection is the recommendation that with the Nesco, you have at least four trays in it while running, even if some are empty, to ensure adequate room for air circulation. Quote Link to comment
sassenach Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 I will blanch and do some blueberries and do up some jerky this weekend. If the blueberries turn out good I will be going to an organic farm and getting blueberries later this month. Everything is ripening very slowly, with the cold damp weather here, so its all about a month or more late. Down in the forties tonight too. I think Fall will be early this year. I hope the farmers can get their corn in ! Quote Link to comment
pscathy Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Last weekend I used my dehydrator for the first time. I dried some pineapple, nectarines, grapes (I blanched them, but they seemed a little weird), bananas, honeydew and cantaloupe melon, strawberries. It was fun to try all those things since I am pretty clueless. I have peaches in now, and it has been about 7hrs, so I will check them. I read that they should not have any droplets of juice when opened and squeezed. The timeframes for stuff is so broad... any tips about knowing when something is "done"? I put the dried fruit in baggies and it is in the frig. Not sure from here... sealer?? Thanks! Cathy Quote Link to comment
Violet Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 This booklet will help you. We sell this one, but you can see it online for free. http://info.ag.uidaho.edu/Resources/PDFs/PNW0397.pdf Quote Link to comment
pscathy Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 This booklet will help you. We sell this one, but you can see it online for free. http://info.ag.uidaho.edu/Resources/PDFs/PNW0397.pdf Thank you, Violet. This is very helpful. I got a book called "Dry it, you'll like it" which is helpful, but was written for solar type dehydrators, even has plans for building one. I like it but don't have confidence yet to know what applies from one method to another. Quote Link to comment
snapshotmiki Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 Four trays of elk jerky today! Quote Link to comment
homemaker101 Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 Blueberries!!! I found a bunch at a local farmer's market for 1.00 a LB. I love to put them in my cereal and oatmeal in the wintertime and they are great just to snack on when i'm out and about. I also make muffins and breads too- They keep for a long time. Quote Link to comment
Jingles Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 5 pounds of potatoes, 6 pounds of carrots, and 5 lbs of green beans. I plan to do 10 pounds more of potatoes, 2 stalks of celery and all my older onions this week. I also have a batch of juice to do too. You never know what smell the house will have when you walk in these days. Quote Link to comment
Jori Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 So I have a stupid question. How do you vaccum seal a jar? Quote Link to comment
Prickle Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 (edited) So I have a stupid question. How do you vaccum seal a jar? If you have a vacuum sealer some of them have jar attachments or you can also use one of the canisters. You put the canning jar inside the canister and let the sealer do it's thing. If you don't have a vacuum sealer you can use oxygen absorbers. I believe it's a 100cc absorber per quart jar. Edited August 11, 2009 by Prickle Quote Link to comment
Prickle Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 Mushrooms and whole baby carrots. Quote Link to comment
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