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7:28 pm
June 11, 2011
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My husband just got me a dehydrator yesterday, I think he was lured in by the thoughts of homemade jerky lol. Anyway no real idea what I can do with it or where to start for info so does anyone have any good websites they can recommend?
8:24 pm
June 2, 2010
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A great website to learn about dehydrating, besides this one, is http://www.dehydrate2store.com She has a ton of really good videos and information. We also have several posts on FarmBell, one is Making Yogurt in the Dehydrator and another called Kitchen Magic. There has also been a lot of discussion on the forum.
A great first item to dehydrate is apples. Wash, peel, core your apples and then slice them into 1/4 slices. Place on your trays and dehydrate until soft and pliable. They will brown a bit but that's fine, they will taste fantastic. Dried onions, peppers, tomatoes, etc are all wonderful things to have in your pantry. Read the book that came with the dehydrator and ask any questions that you'd like. It's tons of fun and a great way to preserve food.
12:54 am
October 10, 2009
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Congratulations KristiL on your dehydrator. I dehydrate herbs, celery, peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes, parsnips, zucchini, apples, orange/lemon slices, etc. I just have a plastsic American Harvester with too few trays. Hoping for a large Excaliber for Christmas. It is very helpful if we are going to be away and have veggies which might not last until we return; just slice them up, dehydrate them and use for soup, stews, etc. The instruction booklet which came with mine says to blanch everything but found it doesn't matter if you don't. Enjoy. 
2:02 am
June 11, 2011
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Thanks ladies! Just have a cheap oster one from walmart and unfortunately the direction booklet is about 3 pages long lol. I did reserve this book http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0688130240/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d0_g14_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0VPMTRK016WDTDXEZN59&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846 from the library so hopefully it has lots of good ideas to give me a jumping off point. Thanks for the apple directions! Noticed that apples are finally coming into season so I'll have to try that, and thanks to Suzanne I'll save the cores for potpourri on the stove.
5:38 pm
February 20, 2011
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We use our Amer. Harvest Dehydrator alot. My son loves to make jerky. We don't like the jerky to be leather-y so we use ground beef ( ground venison, etc….) mix it with the spice packets you can buy ( walmart) . Take a hunk mixed , roll into a big ball. Lay the ball onto a large flat sheet of saran wrap, cover the top with another flat sheet , use the rolling pin to flatten it out to about 1/4 inch thick rectangle, cut into 1 inch slices lay ,it on the trays and dry for about 6 hours.
Yum….
TinaH
8:31 pm
May 7, 2011
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I have a recipe for beef sausage using hamburger that I make in the overn. Had never thought about using hamburger to make beef jerky. Will have to try it. Thanks Tina.
10:41 pm
January 2, 2011
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We have a dehydrator that seems to always be running. We dry all types of fruits and vegetables, bread, and herbs. My next project is figuring out how to make fruit leather…I'm sick of paying so much for it! Once you get the hang of dehydrating you'll love it! My husband and I were just having a discussion last night about how much money the dehydrator has saved us…no more fruit and veggies going to waste!
6:41 am
June 2, 2010
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CD,
Sounds like you make good use of your dehydrator. I love using unsweetened applesauce as a base for fruit leather. I just take 1 quart of applesauce and mix in about a 1/2 pint of fruit juice. I steam juice lots of fruit and then freeze to use later. I just made some applesauce/mixed fruit juice leather and it was really tasty. The texture of the fruit leather isn't perfectly smooth because the applesauce isn't smooth but it's tasty and has only the sugar that naturally occurs in the fruits.
The dehydrator has saved us so much money as well. No more tossed food or science experiments in the back of the fridge. Isn't it great?
7:16 am
February 20, 2011
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To make the fruit leathers you just need the plastic tray inserts. You can order them online through Amer. Harvester website . Amazon might even carry them ?
11:55 am
September 5, 2011
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I want one wah wah………..is the price difference worth it to get the Excalibur? What do you need the 5 tray or 9 to start with? Is there anything else you have to order when you are getting one, what other supplies would I need to get started in other words? Thanks!
2:02 pm
June 1, 2010
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Banjobetsy: I waivered back and forth from 5 to 9. Finally decided on 5. The shelf nearest the outlet was the ultimate limiting factor. I dehydrate lot of stuff, but not lots of the same stuff…so I think that a 9 might not be the best choice anyway—I'd need to fuss with foods that could be dehydrated at the same temp. If there were more folks around here, and more meals to prepare, then a 9 might be useful. Of course, there's nothing (but $$) stopping me from getting a second, so I can dehydrate at different temps at same time. Oh, and don't forget yogurt in the dehydrator. Perhaps this helps with your decision.
2:21 pm
February 20, 2011
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I started with the 5 and then bought a 2 pk. tray set at walmart, so I have 7 :). 5 was not enought to do jerky with . Then again , the more trays I get , the more my son wants as he makes jerky often and to listen to him I still don't have enough. So I guess you need to make a list of things you know you'd use it for and base your choice on that.
7:03 am
June 2, 2010
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I would highly recommend the 9 tray Excal. Make sure you check out the Excal website for their refurbished models. They still come with the warranty and I could not find anything wrong with the two I bought. Many times people will purchase a dehydrator and then return it without even using it. The company then sells those units as refurbished. Lots to do with your dehydrator. I find it really easy to fill up all 9 trays at once. Right now I've got 18 trays of basil drying and then 18 trays of peaches will be going in to dry. Good luck and have lots of fun.
8:26 am
September 5, 2011
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Thanks Everyone! I appreciate all the information. I think I'm going to go with the 9 Excal and will look at the refurbished ones.
What a great idea!
9:08 am
June 2, 2010
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Also check ebay, Excal sells there as well. They often include free shipping or some other goodie. Can't wait to hear about your dehydrating adventures. I love having my dehydrated goodies on the shelf. Take a look around and see all the products in the store that use dehydrated foods: scalloped potato mixes, dip and dressing mixes, instant oatmeal, teas, etc. Now you'll be able to duplicate those at home. What fun!
9:11 am
October 31, 2010
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Has anyone used one of these? I'm also in the market to purchase a dehydrator but I don't want plastic shelves. These have the stainless steel shelves, but I'd like to hear some feedback from users before I buy:
http://www.sausagemaker.com/32…..elves.aspx
9:17 am
May 14, 2005
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I ordered the 9-tray Excal. I can't wait!!!! It should be here Monday!
9:56 am
June 2, 2010
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I have 3 of the 9 tray Excaliburs and love them. I haven't had any problems with the trays. I move my Excal to different locations depending on what I'm drying. You may want to check the weight of the one you're looking at. The Excal isn't heavy but there is some weight to it and it's rather bulky to carry. I would think the SS model would be quite a bit heavier.
9:58 am
June 2, 2010
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Suzanne McMinn said:
I ordered the 9-tray Excal. I can't wait!!!! It should be here Monday!
Suzanne,
You will love it. The things you'll start drying will amaze you. I dry tons of herbs at very low temps and they retain their color and fragrance. The space in the dryer is wonderful. Can't wait to hear what you do first.
1:27 pm
December 28, 2008
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I'm still trying to wear out my two Harvest Maids! Until they get a bit closer to wearing out, I just cannot justify buying replacements. Yet.
So, for you who cannot or just do not want to make the investment in the Excal, even the smaller/cheaper ones are great to have. One of these is over 30 years old! The second was a gift almost 20 years ago. Yes, the white plastic is now a funky color, but I know they are clean. Really… 
What amazes me is that I willingly use these plastic things! Generally, I am impossible to deal with in that regard – no plastic EVER in the microwave, no plastic utensils, no plastic plates or cups, limited plastic stuff for food storage, etc. Guess that just proves that we each develop our own comfort limits based on criteria that may or may not make sense to anyone else!
Hmmm. Maybe I just talked myself into replacing these plastic dehydrators sooner rather than later? 
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