Dehydrators
People have been asking me about dehydrating so I'm going to put it all together here.
I've recently gotten a new dehydrator, an Excalibur 3900B.
I've been really enjoying my Nesco Gardenmaster, but it does have deficiencies I'm addressing.
That's the Excalibur on the left and the Nesco on the right.
I've recently gotten a new dehydrator, an Excalibur 3900B.
I've been really enjoying my Nesco Gardenmaster, but it does have deficiencies I'm addressing.
That's the Excalibur on the left and the Nesco on the right.
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I've had my Nesco for a little over a year now and I've really enjoyed it. It has the round trays and the heater is in the top. The airflow goes down the outside edges and comes back up the center. You add as many trays as you need, (from a minimum of 4, up to about 10,) and go.
It has fruit and veggie trays with screens as you can see, but it also has fruit leather trays. the fruit leather trays are donut shaped* (see pic below,) and have an edge to prevent dripping off of the sides and help to ensure a uniform thickness. These are the trays I use for fruit leathers, and for my onion powders.
They are very easy to load, you just put on the amount you want and spin the tray while leveling with a spatula. Then just set your temperature and time and go.
The trouble is that if you use multiple trays the middle and lower ones don't dry as well. You have to rotate the trays. Especially if you use the fruit leather trays since the airflow goes around them, not over them.
With the Excalibur 3900B the trays are flat and the heater and fan are in the back. The airflow goes across the trays, drying stuff better, but these fruit leather trays are not as easy to use. The fruit leather trays are not hard with raised edges like the Nesco trays; they are flat, and soft, almost like a permanent parchment paper. You can't spin the tray to smooth out the liquid uniformly, nor can you spread it right to the edges, but it still holds more per tray than the Nesco.
You still may need to rotate the trays but it's not as critical as with the Nesco.
This particular model does NOT have a timer. I didn't notice that when I ordered, but at least I have spare timers laying around from other stuff.
One book I read said you don't need timers, your food will not dry to a powder, so don't worry about it.
That may be fine if you're making Kale chips or some things but it definitely doesn't work for some other things.
A fruit leather should be flexible, slightly moist, and chewy.
If you dry it too long it becomes crunchy!
Exact timing is not real critical but you can't just start it today and run it until whenever you get home tomorrow night.
It has fruit and veggie trays with screens as you can see, but it also has fruit leather trays. the fruit leather trays are donut shaped* (see pic below,) and have an edge to prevent dripping off of the sides and help to ensure a uniform thickness. These are the trays I use for fruit leathers, and for my onion powders.
They are very easy to load, you just put on the amount you want and spin the tray while leveling with a spatula. Then just set your temperature and time and go.
The trouble is that if you use multiple trays the middle and lower ones don't dry as well. You have to rotate the trays. Especially if you use the fruit leather trays since the airflow goes around them, not over them.
With the Excalibur 3900B the trays are flat and the heater and fan are in the back. The airflow goes across the trays, drying stuff better, but these fruit leather trays are not as easy to use. The fruit leather trays are not hard with raised edges like the Nesco trays; they are flat, and soft, almost like a permanent parchment paper. You can't spin the tray to smooth out the liquid uniformly, nor can you spread it right to the edges, but it still holds more per tray than the Nesco.
You still may need to rotate the trays but it's not as critical as with the Nesco.
This particular model does NOT have a timer. I didn't notice that when I ordered, but at least I have spare timers laying around from other stuff.
One book I read said you don't need timers, your food will not dry to a powder, so don't worry about it.
That may be fine if you're making Kale chips or some things but it definitely doesn't work for some other things.
A fruit leather should be flexible, slightly moist, and chewy.
If you dry it too long it becomes crunchy!
Exact timing is not real critical but you can't just start it today and run it until whenever you get home tomorrow night.
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Both dehydrators, loaded with Oranges from our tree out back.
Dried Foods
Dried foods are amazing!
They are cheaper to produce than canned or frozen.
They are safer than canned or frozen.
You don't have to keep spending money to store them like you do with frozen foods.
The vitamins and enzymes are both preserved much better and bacteria won't grow without moisture.
Many of them you can just throw them on your shelf and let sit for years!
However, dried foods are not just for storing!
Many dried foods are for eating just as they are!
Raisins, dates, and figs are an example, but so are fruit leathers, yogurt drops, banana chips, Crazy-fruits, and more!
Here's a pic or two showing some foods that are dried and a couple books I got for interesting new ideas.
They are cheaper to produce than canned or frozen.
They are safer than canned or frozen.
You don't have to keep spending money to store them like you do with frozen foods.
The vitamins and enzymes are both preserved much better and bacteria won't grow without moisture.
Many of them you can just throw them on your shelf and let sit for years!
However, dried foods are not just for storing!
Many dried foods are for eating just as they are!
Raisins, dates, and figs are an example, but so are fruit leathers, yogurt drops, banana chips, Crazy-fruits, and more!
Here's a pic or two showing some foods that are dried and a couple books I got for interesting new ideas.
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In the photo on the left you see Lemons, Limes, and Oranges just waiting to be dropped into tea.
There are Crazy-fruits on the bottom, (Kiwi slices with Strawberry slices on top).
When they dry together like that they fuse into one, and are great for snacking on.
There are tomato slices in a bag and tomato quarters with olive oil, oregano, and basil in the jar.
Corn, peas, and green beans; celery, carrots, and onion flakes; lots of different hot peppers, and assorted herbs, and even yogurt bites.
(Yogurt bites are Yogurt with Rice Krispies, dropped in quarter-sized drops, and dried. Kids love them and so do I.)
You can dehydrate raw potatoes so they are good for throwing into a soup you're making, or you can dry cooked potatoes so they only need boiling water to eat; great for backpacking food!
And let's not forget the most famous of dried foods: Beef Jerky!
Did you know that you can make beef jerky out of hamburger?
I mean, really decent jerky, too.
Or many other ground meats, (you'll have to research any specifics before you make them.)
The book that came with my Excalibur says it only costs about 5-6 cents per hour to run my dehydrator.
I'm not sure how exact or current those figures are, but let's try this for a guess, OK?
If it cost 9 cents per hour, and I'm drying 9 trays*, that's only 1 cent per hour for each tray.
If it takes me 12 hours to dry something, it's only costing me 12 cents for that whole tray's worth.
*(I chose 9 because that's how many trays my Excalibur has.)
So, for 12 cents, a little salt and a few spices, I can turn a pound of hamburger into beef jerky?
Is that a deal or what?
You can have a lot of fun rehydrating foods also!
Suppose you took strawberry slices or dried apple bits and rehydrated them with rum and then used them in some cool recipe or just as a party nibble?
Suppose you had dried strawberry slices or powder; they work much better in muffins!
They're not so moist as to cause problems with your cooking times, etc.
Plus, if it's powdered, you can really enrich the taste of your muffins.
I love playing with my food.
Imagination is the only limit!
Enjoy!
There are Crazy-fruits on the bottom, (Kiwi slices with Strawberry slices on top).
When they dry together like that they fuse into one, and are great for snacking on.
There are tomato slices in a bag and tomato quarters with olive oil, oregano, and basil in the jar.
Corn, peas, and green beans; celery, carrots, and onion flakes; lots of different hot peppers, and assorted herbs, and even yogurt bites.
(Yogurt bites are Yogurt with Rice Krispies, dropped in quarter-sized drops, and dried. Kids love them and so do I.)
You can dehydrate raw potatoes so they are good for throwing into a soup you're making, or you can dry cooked potatoes so they only need boiling water to eat; great for backpacking food!
And let's not forget the most famous of dried foods: Beef Jerky!
Did you know that you can make beef jerky out of hamburger?
I mean, really decent jerky, too.
Or many other ground meats, (you'll have to research any specifics before you make them.)
The book that came with my Excalibur says it only costs about 5-6 cents per hour to run my dehydrator.
I'm not sure how exact or current those figures are, but let's try this for a guess, OK?
If it cost 9 cents per hour, and I'm drying 9 trays*, that's only 1 cent per hour for each tray.
If it takes me 12 hours to dry something, it's only costing me 12 cents for that whole tray's worth.
*(I chose 9 because that's how many trays my Excalibur has.)
So, for 12 cents, a little salt and a few spices, I can turn a pound of hamburger into beef jerky?
Is that a deal or what?
You can have a lot of fun rehydrating foods also!
Suppose you took strawberry slices or dried apple bits and rehydrated them with rum and then used them in some cool recipe or just as a party nibble?
Suppose you had dried strawberry slices or powder; they work much better in muffins!
They're not so moist as to cause problems with your cooking times, etc.
Plus, if it's powdered, you can really enrich the taste of your muffins.
I love playing with my food.
Imagination is the only limit!
Enjoy!
Blenders and Food Processors
I just didn't understand before.
I had no idea there was such a difference between blenders and food processors.
I'm still not real sure, but here's what I think I see.
Food processors have cutting blades.
Blenders have (?) crushing blades?
I'm not sure exactly how to put this into words, but, I'll try.
I had a Ninja.
It had cutting blades; they sliced stuff, very quickly and thoroughly.
It was cool!
(I destroyed two of those in weeks just trying to make my onion powder.)
When stuff gets cut small enough, it doesn't cut anymore; it moves out of the way of the cutting edge of the blade.
So I got a better one from Costco, my Cuisinart.
It's great! It's got the destroying/chopping blade in the bottom, or the slicing and grating blades above* (pic below).
It was great for a lot of stuff, but when it came time to make onion liquid for my onion powder, it took a while.
And, when it came time to powder that onion leather after drying, well, that chopping blade doesn't work very well.
As stuff gets smaller, it's harder to hit squarely enough to chop.
So I went crazy and bought an expensive blender, my Blendtec 6000.
It has blades shaped like an airplane tail with the ends upturned.
However, it is NOT sharp.
It crushes the stuff it hits, it doesn't cut it.
In a few seconds it makes my onions a liquid.
When my onion leather is crispy, a few more seconds make it into a powder, without a lot of onion-rocks!
Unfortunately, it's hard not to make it too powdery.
So, I'm still trying to get the size thing worked out.
Anyway, let me toss in some pics about these and get these pages finished up for my brother, Richard.
Thank his ass for prompting me to make this page NOW, not later.
Jou Baur
I had no idea there was such a difference between blenders and food processors.
I'm still not real sure, but here's what I think I see.
Food processors have cutting blades.
Blenders have (?) crushing blades?
I'm not sure exactly how to put this into words, but, I'll try.
I had a Ninja.
It had cutting blades; they sliced stuff, very quickly and thoroughly.
It was cool!
(I destroyed two of those in weeks just trying to make my onion powder.)
When stuff gets cut small enough, it doesn't cut anymore; it moves out of the way of the cutting edge of the blade.
So I got a better one from Costco, my Cuisinart.
It's great! It's got the destroying/chopping blade in the bottom, or the slicing and grating blades above* (pic below).
It was great for a lot of stuff, but when it came time to make onion liquid for my onion powder, it took a while.
And, when it came time to powder that onion leather after drying, well, that chopping blade doesn't work very well.
As stuff gets smaller, it's harder to hit squarely enough to chop.
So I went crazy and bought an expensive blender, my Blendtec 6000.
It has blades shaped like an airplane tail with the ends upturned.
However, it is NOT sharp.
It crushes the stuff it hits, it doesn't cut it.
In a few seconds it makes my onions a liquid.
When my onion leather is crispy, a few more seconds make it into a powder, without a lot of onion-rocks!
Unfortunately, it's hard not to make it too powdery.
So, I'm still trying to get the size thing worked out.
Anyway, let me toss in some pics about these and get these pages finished up for my brother, Richard.
Thank his ass for prompting me to make this page NOW, not later.
Jou Baur
Clockwise from top left:
Food Processor, Blender, Yogurt bites and Fruit Leather trays.
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