Food drying - Dehydrators (merged)

D&DD

Kittie I have some bendy sheets for my cheap one I ordered in from the states and they are really good,I've done yoghurt on them and leathers and nothing sticks so think they'll probably be ok thats a great idea re the compote.

I'm wondering..I have a couple of jars of bramble jelly which haven't really set well I think these would probably dry quite well as its just a very sugary leather mixture really.
I'll chuck one in later and testdrive it,its not a problem if it doesn't work as I just stick it in the bottom of a sponge pud but I'm running seriously short on jars :eek:

[Deleted User]

re the bramble jelly. What a GOOD idea, will work really well

[Deleted User]

crikey, the cubed swede dried well. 11 good sized swedes turned into just 750 ml. I must remember not to use too much at a time later. I already have swede slices dried last year but the cubes look much more appetising. The 11 swedes all came from a small last minute square, only about 3 x 3`:)

Beetroot today and all pressure cooked for 20 minutes last night and now cold and ready to peel. Will probably cut on a slightly thinner mandolin setting this time

Tomatoes brought in a few days ago are also going red and won`t last that long in a nice firm state for mandolin cutting. Once they go softer then they are lovely to eat raw but I would rather cut slices than make pulp.

Leeks on the allotment are tall now and will soon be ready. I had so much success with everything else that I think I will have a go with these too. Tbh, I like the beds cleared and covered for winter as it means less work next spring.

I also have parsnips to sort out and they look big from above. Only 2 x 6` rows but am sort of dreading it as I know there will be a lot. I will dry most and will make wine too

I forgot to say that I dried 4 large caulies the other day. It was experimental but I had 5 in the fridge as yet again, I had a glut. I carefully cut off small florets and used all 9 trays. They appear to have dried ok and look discoloured but will be good in soups and stews. A warning, they stank the place out, really horrible stench of caulie. I had to burn scented candles for quite a long time. Will not be drying caulie again and will grow 4 x mini caulies in future, not 8 big ones

Ken68

Busy few days here too Kittie. Mushrooms from the boot sale. Enough for 3 loads on a 5 tray Excal.Drying time 3 to 7 hours.
Plus toms and onions tomorrow and blackberry picking next week . Was going to dry some sloes when they are ready but guess they would be all skin.
Thanks for tip re caulies.
p.s. Can you recommend a mandolin?

[Deleted User]

my mandoline is by Borner. The orange one like
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Borner-V-Slicer-Kitchen-Mandolin-New-/300768869305?pt=UK_HGKitchen_SmallApp_RL&hash=item460738bbb9#ht_500wt_1288

It is very good and sharp and I have a safety `pusher` with it. I took a while researching makes and am very pleased with it

For goodness sake though be careful. My mind wondered once and luckily
I only caught 1 finger tip, now I concentrate all the time. Another you tube tip was to rinse immediately and never leave in the bowl because it is so dangerous. I got rid of the extra cutters and only use the slicer, which is protected in storage

Ken, it makes me appreciate the harvest home celebration. I really feel as though I am safeguarding our food for the winter. Mushrooms are good eh, smell so nice when done

Ken68

Thanks Kittie.
Yes Mushrooms going well, three hours each batch, will have the lot done by 9pm.
No doubt the temperature outside affects the drying times.

Seakay

I am facinated by the variety of things that you all dry; I got a Tchaibo dryer a few years back and use it for apple slices and blckberries - the latter good for adding to home made granola. I can see how you would use dried tomatoes or tomato powder, but can't see how to use all those dehydrated veg except in stews. Is there a book with ideas on using dehydrated veg?
Also, the paraflex sheets which you mention, is it the same stuff as reusable nonstick cooking liner eg http://www.amazon.co.uk/Flexaliner-Reusable-Stick-Cooking-Liner/dp/B002UDARVC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1346002562&sr=8-3 ?

D&DD

Seakay I have the Tchibo one and before I got my bendy things from the states I just used easyleave from Lakelands to line the trays with and it worked fine
I've got a few different cookbooks but personally I think the Dehydrator bible is my favourite (think you can look inside it on amazon)
I use fruit in cakes,on cakes,cereal and icecream etc
Apples and pears in pies and puds

Must chuck the bramble jelly in too later to see how it comes out,I got carried away with the garden produce this morning and I'm still doing herbs!

[Deleted User]

I have the dehydrator bible, it`s good. I also use ani phyo`s books on raw food

I made buckwheat crunchies last week, soaked and dried buckwheat and I have that for breakfast with perhaps blueberries and almond milk. Will be trying flatbreads when the harvest is done

Seakay

So do you use all the veg for stews then? And does that mean that you add the dried ingredients with a bit of extra fluid or do you have to hydrate them before use?
I'm going to get some of these books from the library. I've nothing against soups and stews, but I don't tend to live on them which is why I freeze a lot so that non watery veg is preserved close to it's fresh form. However, it does take up a lot of room so I'd be interested in alternatives. However, all other surplus and foraged fruit used to go into various preserves, and now that I'm on my own they go a lot further and don't need making every year so I was wondering if dehydrating might give me some more options for fruit leathers etc. I was looking at this thread for ideas and became aware that most regulars seemed to dry a majority of veg, so I'd be facinated to know how they end up. I hadn't considered uncooked food, and will definitely have a look at that.

What do you use dried sloes for, for instance? And do you remove the stones and/or cook them before drying?