Dehydrator

[cameron]

I would like to start dehydrating veggies, fruits and possibly make some jerky.

Any suggestions on a good dehydrator?

[CACHECRAVEN]

I've been fooling with a couple of dehydrators this past year. I have one type that just has the heating element in it, and another that has the heating element and a fan. I'd recommend you get the fan type. It is so much faster and dries everything evenly. And you can stack a lot of trays on the fan type dehydrator.
lisa

[Shamrock1121]

I have an American Harvest Food Dehydrator & Jerky Maker. They are priced reasonably and readily available. Mine has been a workhorse in the kitchen for many years now.

After the original purchase, I added trays and more fruit roll sheets to increase capacity. I use mine for fruits and vegetables, jerky, meat, and I also soak nuts in water with a little salt in them overnight and dehydrate them before we eat them. Soaking reduces the phytic acid, which makes nuts difficult to digest. You can also dry lean cuts of cooked meat, such as leftover roast beef or turkey, not just jerky.

My biggest suggestion is to make sure you get one with a variable temperature control because not all things dehydrate best, or safely, at the same temperature. After that, it's how much money are you willing to invest and how much food do you think you will be needing to dehydrate? If this is more-or-less a hobby or light use, then an American Harvest Dehydrator will work very well for you. If you are going to be doing large quantities of dehydrating, then get one that will get the job done for you with enough trays and volume.

You can also make your own, and there are plans and information on the internet. Use stainless steel screen for food safety, and be careful about the type of wood you use because it can affect the flavor of foods - yum - pine :o. It's also important to use a thermometer for food safety reasons. If the temperature is too hot, food will actually cook instead of drying. That's called "case hardening". That's when the outside cooks and a hard crust develops leaving the inside of the food moist. Since the moisture can't disipate through the "cooked" outside of the food, it will spoil and/or mold. Never eat dehydrated food that has mold on it.

Here's a web site with a lot of good information about dehydrating as well as what to look for when choosing a dehydrator:

http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC3080.htm

You can also contact your local County Extension Office for more information about dehydrating.

I'd also suggest a good book on the subject. "Making & Using Dried Foods" by Phyllis Hobson is my well-thumbed favorite. Great information, including building an electric food dehydrator, as well as recipes for using dried foods are also included in this book. Check your local library for books on dehydrating.

Some foods require special treatment, such as cranberries, which need to be cut in half or drop in boiling water for 30 seconds to split skins. That's another reason to have a good book on the subject.

Food storage is also important when making/using dehydrated foods. I vacuum seal as much as possible, and I also keep some foods in the freezer for longer storage. Food needs to be packaged as soon as it cools out of the dehydrator to prevent it from re-hydrating, because re-hydrating can cause mold. Don't package food warm, or it can expell enough moisture into the bag to also cause mold. Meat/jerky keep best in the refrigerator or freezer. The fat WILL go rancid if kept at room temperature for long periods of time.

Use food safety when making jerky. The primary concern in making jerky is destroying microorganisms that cause foodborne illness. Don't assume because food is dehydrated that you can't get sick from it if it's prepared incorrectly.

1. Handle the meat with clean hands, utensils and equipement.

2. Keep the meat refrigerated before use and during marination.

3. Wild game must be handled carefully so that gut contents and wound locations are eliminated.

4. Meat and poultry jerky must be heated to 160°F to destroy microorganisms. This can be done using two methods. If the meat is marinated, heat the meat in the marinade to 160°F prior to drying. The second method is to heat the dried jerky in the oven at 275°F for 10 minutes after the dehydration process.

-Karen

[theresehirko]

I also have an American Harvest and use it frequently during fruit and vegetable season. We make our own dog food for our Golden Retriever and dehydrating fresh vegetable from our organic garden to use throughout the year is much better for her than fresh sotre bought produce. The only problem I ever had with it was when I tried to dehydrate yogurt. More out of curiosity than need. Didn't work well. But have no complaints otherwise and would heartily recommend them to anyone. Try getting one off of Freecycle if you have a group in your area. That way you haven't spent any money on it if you don't like it.

[cameron]

Thanks for the great info. I decided to go with the american harvest. I look forward to trying it out.

[Sunny]

I have an Excalibur which I bought used about 10 years ago. It is still going strong. I prefer its square trays. They are much easier to line with plastic for making rollups. I'd buy another one if the price was right. I dry food all summer, so it has been through tough duty.

[docjered]

Found a nine tray Excalibur complete with silicone sheets at Goodwill last week. A $300.00 unit for five dollars! Just goes to show, if they dont know what an item is, it is cheap... otherwise it is vintage, antique, or retro and priced to match!! LOL

[annabella1]

I got 2 dehydrators at a thrift store for $5, the checkout lady asked what they were. I tried to explain but I don't think she got it. Kind of why would anybody want to do that look.