Food drying - Dehydrators (merged)

Boodle

I just bought a dehydrator (been asking hubby for 6 years!) meaning to store veggies and fruit rather than storing in freezer in case electricity goes. Also for when my garden fruits in the autumn.

I have a question I hope someone experienced can help me with: f potatoes were cut thin enough would these dry out as crisps? Or would they be more leathery/chewy more suitable to just using in casseroles etc? Cheers x

Ken68

A bit leathery I would have thought Boodle, but a quick zap under the grill or in the oven should do it. Cheaper if going to have it on anyway for other cooking.
Just found some dried onions from last year and some green runner beans.

Boodle

I thought that might well be the case, Ken. Thanks!


ETA just had a quick google and found this. I wonder if I cooked the potatoes first what difference it would make to the texture. Might give it a go when have it on for other stuff. My eldest very occasionally mentions with sadness how some of the other children have crisps in their lunchbox everyday, so it would be nice to give her something like this if it works

PhGage

Boodle wrote: »

it would be nice to give her something like this if it works

I've used both of these methods and they worked for me - it all depends on whether you can slice the potato thinly enough.

If my link doesn't show up, it's food52.com and search for homemade potato chips

http://www.food52.com/blog/3888_homemade_potato_chips_two_ways

HTH

[Deleted User]

Boodle I would steam for 10 minutes or so before dehydrating and they should be ok as crisps

Am dehydrating 4.5 kg of carrots today and I have shredded all of them on a medium shredder attached to my mixer. All 9 trays were filled and am now dehydrating for 10 hours at 125. Will be extremely useful for carrot cake, soups, casseroles etc. I`ll be buying more carrots in a few days and will be drying rings.

Chestnut mushrooms were very successful and 2kg packed down in a 2 litre box. Lovely concentrated smell too

I will be starting on marrows in a week and parsnips in september/october. I loved the taste of them done dried. Not too sweet

Boodle

Thanks everyone, that's great. Will hopefully get around to experiment soon

[Deleted User]

I am accumulating a very nice store of dehydrated foods and am adding some today. In the dehydrator now I have 4 trays of apple slices and 4 trays of marrow. Using value apples and two nice marrows from my one bush baby plant, which I almost never planted. The marrows are a lovely size and very tender. Much better value for allotment space than my 5 courgette plants this year

I put a tsp of vit c powder in a washing up bowl with cold water and just sliced the peeled and cored apples straight into that. My mandolin gets used as much as the dehydrator. I then laid out on t towels for a few minutes to absorb some liquid. Apples are 135 and marrow 125 all for about 15 hours, so it is on 135 for an hour and then down to about 128. I will probably let this go all night and turn it down to 95 before bed

Tomorrow I will dehydrate carrots again but probably in slices, although the grated carrot turned out very well indeed, keeping colour and scent. Also this week I do intend to do another 9 trays of muchrooms, believe me they are very worth doing

I had to invest in more lock and locks yesterday but have worked out how to keep the full range of dried goodies in my kitchen cupboards in the most prominent situation, so they will be well used

[Deleted User]

has anyone ever eaten, used or made jerky? I was just browsing the excalibur book and it looks very easy, just slicing, salting and drying at 145. Mmm I may keep my eyes open for reasonable priced lean beef and give it a go but I`ll do a bit more research first ie how to store it

well that didn`t take long. It`s easy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerky

I have the salt and I`ll vacuum pack after. It will keep for months. The meat is going on my shopping list now

Ken68

Interesting Kittie, looks a bit like overcooked liver.
The pork I just bought from Lidl might work. £1.84 for 700g's.

prepareathome

Thanks Kittie for posting about this thread in the toughies one, am reading it avidly - just had despatch note to say my dehydrators will be here within 10 days, am so excited and if I find the cheap ones are used often then will save up for the really good ones.....