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What Are You Dehydrating Today?
February 9, 2012
1:26 pm
kellyb
Mighty Chicken
Forum Posts: 389
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June 2, 2010
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When grapes are on sale for $0.99/pound I buy several pounds to dry.  It's not economical but the taste is amazing.  I'll wash them well, stem them and put the grapes in a big bowl.  Then while watching tv at night I thread them onto a metal shish ka bob skewer.  That pokes a big enough hole in the grapes to allow them to dry properly.  I dry them at 115 degrees in the Excal.  It may take several days.  The finished product is a big, moist raisin that doesn't resemble anything found in the stores.  Hope you give it another try.

February 9, 2012
3:32 pm
bonita
north east IL
Super Chicken
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June 1, 2010
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slightly off mark: I've had 3rd and 4th graders string grapes on thread and hang them in sunny window or near radiator to dry (dehydrate) them. Kids are amazed when grapes turn to raisins, and even more amazed when they get to eat their experiment! Apply to home schooling, grandchildren?

February 9, 2012
9:04 pm
mamajoseph
Kenya
Super Chicken
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November 11, 2010
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Awesome idea! We are so doing this for homeschool! Thanks!

I (sorta) have a farm in Africa.
February 9, 2012
10:59 pm
Ruby
Upstate NY
Big Chicken
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November 9, 2010
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Well I did get them for 0.99 a pound and blanched them to break the skin, or so I thought. I figured it would be easier then threading them, and that is what the book from Excal said to do. It didn't work out that way. I ended up having to pierce just about all of them anyway with a bamboo skewer. The red  ones are finally done, but the large green ones are still going. The final result are terrific so far, but next time I will use your method. Considering I am new to this dehydrating thing, it is my first real challenge. As soon as the raisins are done I am  doing Texas Chili Peanuts. Can't wait for them. Also on deck are 4 pineapples still getting ripe. Should be ready by Saturday. Thanks for your help.

February 10, 2012
8:28 am
kellyb
Mighty Chicken
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I highly recommend the http://www.dehydrate2store.com  website.  She has lots of videos on drying almost everything.  Lots of good info.  There have also been many discussions on here about various methods of drying and what can be dried.  My thoughts: test dry a small batch of something and then decide.  CincyJoJo dried WATERMELON.  I would never have considered that until I heard her talking about it.  She said it tasted like taffy!

June 15, 2012
1:38 pm
banksiarose
Hatchling
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May 27, 2012
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I am going to try garlic – I'm not much of a dehydrate-er, but would like to be.  I have an electric 6-tier Mr. Coffee 'The Food Dehydrator' that serves well, but tends to dry unevenly.  Some things get a brown tinge, while the others in the same batch aren't even close.  sun2

My thought often is:  aside from the quality of home-prepped pantry items and the satisfaction of having 'done it myself', I still don't know if it justifies the electricity is takes to do it… think I'll plug in the power-consumption-tracker-thingy I got for DH last year to see what goes.

June 15, 2012
9:22 pm
justdeborah2002
ottawa ON
Mighty Chicken
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November 14, 2010
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Banksiarose, I use my dehydrator sparingly, as I worry too about consumption.  But when I do run it, I make sure I have enough to fill a couple of trays, so that it is at least being used wisely.  I started preserving food so that I wouldn't throw food away…all the odds and sods that end up unused in a fridge….slightly spongy cucumber, a wilted tomato, peppers gone a little soft.  You know, things that are just past their prime.

(should I worry I will end up in a dehydrator sometime soon???)bug-eyed

And I find I save alot of money by not tossing into the trashbin, and by using dried veg for soups, grinding some dried tomatoes for paste, other veg grinding to flavour rices or sauces.  Lots of ways to use the products, and they last.  

You may look at trying to find a better dehydrator…maybe not an Excalibur unless you are lucky enough to luck into one.  A Nesco does the trick, evenly drying and as efficient as they can be.  And cheap enough, even new.

queen of make it fit
June 16, 2012
3:36 am
bonita
north east IL
Super Chicken
Forum Posts: 666
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June 1, 2010
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parsely and diced onion so I can make ranch dressing base

lemon slices for summer tea drinks

zucchini slices for dried soup mix

sweet potato slices for veg soup and snack for me and doggie (she luvs the dehydrated sweet potatoes, and hangs around even when it's just parsely in the Excal!)

June 19, 2012
4:01 pm
Christy Miller
Big Chicken
Forum Posts: 69
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June 27, 2010
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I dehydrated 2- 80 foot rows of  onions and blended them into onion powder. They reduced to 4 -  1 cup jars. Unreal. The other 2 rows I chopped, dried, and vac/sealed in jars. Set for onions for another year. BTW, they are so good to just munch out of the jar.

June 20, 2012
12:11 am
Miss Judy
West Central MO
Superstar
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February 22, 2010
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Christy, did you dehydrate the onions in the house? Some say the aroma is so strong they can't stand it. just wondering before I do mine.

June 20, 2012
8:49 am
MrsFuzz
Colorado
Mighty Chicken
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July 29, 2009
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431

In the last 3 days, I have dehydrated bananas, strawberries, bing cherries, raspberries, mango, watermelon, several bags of mixed vegetables, and a jar of spaghetti sauce.  I still need to dehydrate some spaghetti squash as well, will do that overnight tonight.  Everything turned out great!  It was my first try at the spaghetti sauce, so I was happy with how it went (after I learned that wrapping Excal trays in saran wrap doesn't work.  Use parchment paper).

Wearing cowboy boots does not make one an agriculturist….Having at least 3 varieties of poop on them does.
June 20, 2012
9:30 am
mamajoseph
Kenya
Super Chicken
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November 11, 2010
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Spaghetti sauce dehydrated? How does that work?

I was just wondering if I could dry cherries b/c they are a great price right now.

I (sorta) have a farm in Africa.
June 20, 2012
10:25 am
MrsFuzz
Colorado
Mighty Chicken
Forum Posts: 284
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July 29, 2009
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It works great. I divided one jar onto two trays, spread thinly, dehydrated at 135 for about 6 hrs, and voila! It turns out like fruit leather. I am using it for hiking food. :-)

Wearing cowboy boots does not make one an agriculturist….Having at least 3 varieties of poop on them does.
June 20, 2012
1:25 pm
Christy Miller
Big Chicken
Forum Posts: 69
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June 27, 2010
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Miss Judy, I have several outbuildings around the house with electricity in each one. I use the smokehouse to dehydrate ALL my veggies. No extra heat or smell in the house. Ane, yes the smell of some potent veggies can run you out of the house.

June 25, 2012
1:03 pm
leandjean
mossyrock, wa
Big Chicken
Forum Posts: 71
Member Since:
February 5, 2011
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435

I just dried strawberries too.  I used 135 for 6 hours.  All but the nubs were dry enough.  DH had some on his cereal for breakfast.  Said they tasted like little fruit rollups, lol.  I had two trays full and it filled a one pint jar.

June 26, 2012
10:03 pm
Laurielee
Big Chicken
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Member Since:
June 8, 2011
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436


To Mamajoseph,

"I was just wondering if I could dry cherries b/c they are a great price right now."

I bought 15 lbs once at .99 a lb and dehydrated them.  It was a lot of work pitting by hand and I ended up with one pint jar of cherries.  Not worth it to me.  My sister, who loves cherries, thought I was crazy b/c the price of cherry juice is so high.

August 12, 2012
3:11 am
caallas
Bay Area, California
Banty
Forum Posts: 3
Member Since:
August 12, 2012
Offline
437

Applesauce strawberry fruit rollups is in my dehydrator tomorrowhappy-flower

August 30, 2012
12:14 pm
bonita
north east IL
Super Chicken
Forum Posts: 666
Member Since:
June 1, 2010
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438

strawberries (on parchment) and chives to set aside for home made salad dressings.

Soo…I was washing the plastic mesh inserts for my Exc. and guess what I noticed for the first time? The mesh has a smooth side and a rough(er) side. 

And so, I ask, which side, rough or smooth, is the side upon which I should place items to be dried?

August 30, 2012
12:59 pm
mamajhk
South Central Kansas
Super Chicken
Forum Posts: 577
Member Since:
May 6, 2011
Offline
439

I would say the smooth side for fruit leathers and such.  The rough side for other stuff.

August 31, 2012
6:39 am
kellyb
Mighty Chicken
Forum Posts: 389
Member Since:
June 2, 2010
Offline
440

Spearmint, peppermint, parsley and peppers are in the dehydrators right now.  Lemon balm, sage, basil and more mint are waiting patiently for their turn next.

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