Food drying - Dehydrators (merged)

rhosynbach

your welcome demented. mine is also a round one it is a westfalia 5 tier i have never tried sauces just fruit purees but the blueberry and apple was quite runny it took about 7 hours to try totally i turned it and took paper of after 5 hours. my first batch of fruit rolls i over dried and as it felt soft when warm i left it in but when cold went brittle luckily the kids still liked it i have now learnt to take bits out and check to see how dry it is when cold i also find if you want to cut into pieces it is easier to use kitchen scissors than a knife. i think you just have to expirement until you get things how you like..

savvy

demented wrote: »

what sort of material could i use. I was thinking of grease proof paper or cling film. Can any one help please. Thank you.:)

I use the kids breakfast cereal bags for mine, just flatten them out and cut to size

Pitlanepiglet

I'm seriously thinking about buying an Excalibur dehydrator. We live rurally and struggle to get fresh fruit and veg without either travelling to far or paying a fortune. We have a glut of apples, grapes, tomatoes and courgettes most years plus we could forage more in the way of blackberries etc. as well as making better use of seasonable produce say raspberries from the pick your own farm.

I wondered how many people are still making good use of their dehydrators now and whether they would recommend one?

Sunnyday

I`ve not had mine for very long but its been used lots. I`ve dried everything that i can get my hands on

Everything from the greenhouse and garden that i couldn`t fit into the freezer i`ve dried and i`ve even dried some orange and lemon slices to use as Christmas decorations after reading about someone else who had done it.

It won`t be in continuous use throughout the year but i certainly wouldn`t want to be without it now.

I managed to find a place to store it only yesterday and i`ve put it away in its new home but it will be out again soon as i`ve yet to try the fruit leathers, all the apple and cinnamon slices have now gone so i need to make more of those too.

I got the excalibur 5 tray one after thinking that the 9 tray would be too big and i made exactly the right choice, i`m really pleased with it.

HTH

SD

devondoll

I have a dehydrator from Westfalia - it's great - have done loads of tomatoes, courgettes, carrots, & a few bananas. Have only just found this thread. Dehydrating makes so much sense - saves on freezer space & can be kept much longer. Must admit I haven't tried re-hydrating anything yet.

ceridwen

Yep - bought the Excalibur 5 tray one recently and have used it since.

Has anyone got a recipe for carrot cake using dried carrots please? (and in my case - I use other things than sugar for sweetening - so I'd need to be able to swop the sugar for honey or something else healthy...):)

Sunnyday

ceridwen wrote: »

Yep - bought the Excalibur 5 tray one recently and have used it since.

Has anyone got a recipe for carrot cake using dried carrots please? (and in my case - I use other things than sugar for sweetening - so I'd need to be able to swop the sugar for honey or something else healthy...):)

Hi Ceridwen,

i`ve not tried this recipe yet but its on my long list of ones to do.

Its further down the page and i`m not sure that its exactly what you are looking for but maybe close.

http://www.ourfoodstorage.com/2010/05/01/dehydrated-carrots-and-carrot-muffin-recipe/

HTH

SD

Pitlanepiglet

Thanks all, I've found loads of stuff on You Tube and I think I'm convinced.

I was going to get the 9 tray Excalibur, space isn't a huge issue for us and presumably the footprint is the same as the 5 tray, it's just taller?

Just need to wait to see what happens job wise in the next couple of days. If I'm going to be home then I'm definitely going to get one (I work away all week at the moment and don't have the energy to do too much when I'm home at weekends) but we'll need to be much more frugal if I have no job.

Hubby is pretty keen on the concept as well which is good news, we both hate the fact that we're running too many freezers but we can never find what we're looking for and struggle to use the gluts of food in season.

Can't help on the carrot cake Ceridwen, I'll have a look out on my surfing travels.

Pitlanepiglet

Sunnyday, the site you've linked to looks useful thanks

ceridwen

Sunnyday wrote: »

Hi Ceridwen,

i`ve not tried this recipe yet but its on my long list of ones to do.

Its further down the page and i`m not sure that its exactly what you are looking for but maybe close.

http://www.ourfoodstorage.com/2010/05/01/dehydrated-carrots-and-carrot-muffin-recipe/

HTH

SD

Ah ha:D That sounds like one for me to try thank you:D. I shall have a good lookaround that website later.