Author Topic: Just got a dehydrator  (Read 13231 times)

SeaEhm

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Re: Just got a dehydrator
« Reply #50 on: July 26, 2016, 09:04:35 AM »
When I was a kid, I would always watch these infomercials! I loved them so much and always dreamed of a dehydrator to make beef jerky and other stuff. 

What are some of the good ways to purchase fruits to dehydrate at good costs?

Anyone ever tried to dehydrate fruit from those frozen fruit costco bags?  I am thinking that the tropical fruit bag would make for a good snack if it was dehydrated.  (Can't recall the numbers off the top of my head, but I wonder if those bags are cost effective in price per pound)

MVal

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Re: Just got a dehydrator
« Reply #51 on: July 29, 2016, 10:01:36 AM »
I took the one from my parents' house when they moved because they hadn't used it in years and it suddenly became handy when I recently started dumpster diving. What do you do when you're a single lady and can't eat 20 lbs of potatoes? Blanch,slice and dehydrate! I've done potatoes, mushrooms, strawberries and apples so far. It's a great way to save money!

onehair

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Re: Just got a dehydrator
« Reply #52 on: August 08, 2016, 10:41:43 AM »
My next hump will be an attempt at a homemade dried chicken soup mix for my mommy.  I have bouillon cubes, and carrots now to get the onions and celery and some form of noodle I can live with...

MishMash

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Re: Just got a dehydrator
« Reply #53 on: August 08, 2016, 11:02:08 AM »
Tossing my favorite one out there.  Dehydrate tomatoes, grind them in the coffee grinder to powder, then when your recipe calls for 1 Tbl of tomato paste pull it out and add enough water to rehydrate into a paste.  No leftover partial cans for you to deal with!

TheGrimSqueaker

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Re: Just got a dehydrator
« Reply #54 on: August 08, 2016, 12:51:57 PM »
Most of what I like has already been discussed, but here's another one:

Kale chips.
Pick, wash, pat dry. Baste lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with seasoning of choice (soy sauce, or onion salt, or lemon pepper, or whatever).
Dry it.

Eggplant chips.
Slice the eggplant crosswise, skin on. Do the olive oil and seasoning thing.
Dry it.

I like to store the results in the freezer with a dessicant because it's not 100% moisture proof.

MVal

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Re: Just got a dehydrator
« Reply #55 on: August 09, 2016, 11:25:15 AM »
This weekend I just did summer squash and bell peppers. The bell peppers were little tricky because the skins are so leathery, it is hard to tell when they are actually dry. Maybe next time I will try blanching the skins off and see what happens. The summer squash turned out wonderfully; I've realized they actually make a tasty snack as they are somewhat like potato chips when dried from raw.

onehair

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Re: Just got a dehydrator
« Reply #56 on: August 15, 2016, 01:06:49 PM »
I ended up getting medium egg noodles, carrots and celery hearts.  Tomorrow I think I will start with the carrots and celery then do the onions. And after my mommy's experiment I will do dehydrated lemons.

horsepoor

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Re: Just got a dehydrator
« Reply #57 on: August 15, 2016, 02:15:17 PM »
I'm excited to be dehydrating some pears I got for free from a stable where I'm catch-riding.  I like to dehydrate them until they're fairly crispy, and store them in the freezer.  They come out sweet and crunchy!

Goldielocks

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Re: Just got a dehydrator
« Reply #58 on: August 19, 2016, 02:43:50 AM »
I dehydrated a lot of meals for backpacking this year.

Winners:

1)  Strawberry mash -- dried to fruit leather. Yum
2) Dried apples, berries (if you slice them they will dry)
3)  Mashed sweet potatoe -- rehydrates nicely
4)  Chicken.  Yep,  take a crockpot cooked chicken, shred and then dehydrate it.   Will make leftover chicken last forever, is great to eat dry or rehydrate.   I will make this for kids to add to their lunches this year as it does not go bad for days.  Keep in freezer if not used in 2 weeks.   So good I made it twice.
5)  Pasta sauce -- I did a red pepper / cream / goat cheese / garlic sauce and dehydrated it.  Came back rehydrated so nicely!
6) Dehydrated veggies (peas, corn, carrots, cooked frenched greenbeans, cooked onions)

So, if you ever have leftovers (cooked) and don't want to freeze them, but eat them much later, try dehydrating.  must spread in 1/4" layers, or less.. but that is the main rule.

onehair

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Re: Just got a dehydrator
« Reply #59 on: August 22, 2016, 09:40:12 AM »
I don't have a lot of space so I tend to only do one batch at a time either fruits or vegetables.  Next batch will be fruits likely be lemons and oranges for use in teas and on top of chicken to be baked. I can't powder any my grinder is way too small.