Food drying - Dehydrators (merged)

D&DD

LivingProof that was me with the raspberries.Happy to report they stayed sound and still have a few left to use yet.I have been throwing them dried into raspberry and white choc muffins and they have worked really well,the frozen ones are usually just a bit too wet.Whereas the dried ones rehydrate to just the right texture in a cake mix.
Very pleased with the results and looking forward to doing loads more this year.

moments_of_sanity

D&#8517 wrote: »

LivingProof that was me with the raspberries.Happy to report they stayed sound and still have a few left to use yet.I have been throwing them dried into raspberry and white choc muffins and they have worked really well,the frozen ones are usually just a bit too wet.Whereas the dried ones rehydrate to just the right texture in a cake mix.
Very pleased with the results and looking forward to doing loads more this year.

We always manage to pick lots of raspberries and blackberries, how long do you find it takes to dry them?

D&DD

They did take a while around 20 hours I think from memory I have an Excalibur now but tend to follow Dehydrate2store's times and temps rather than the Excalibur book more often than not.She has a website and loads of videos on youtube as well as her own site,worth a look.


I tried doing some of my frozen ones as an experiment but they were no good but I use them for seedless raspberry jam or leathers usually anyway so not too bad they just made a mess lol.


I wasn't so keen on the blackberries but then I grow ours for leather or seedless jam as we don't like the pips.Mine are huge ones but the bush is so old I can't remember the variety only that its a thornless one originally from good old Woolies.

Living_proof

Thanks D&DD I knew had seen it. I have a new garden which I think could safely be described as a blank canvas so I am planting fruit trees as espaliers, etc. around the edges and then even if I just have a few fruits for the first couple of years, drying them should prove useful in the long run. I am really excited about making the most of free electricity but there are people who end up with so much food preserved that they just end up chucking it out. Look forward to raspberry muffins of the low calorie variety!

D&DD

Yes it does get you a bit obsessed this preserving lark LP
Mind you I've never really had to throw anything out yet, I have however had a few things which haven't turned out as hoped for example cauliflower.. just can't get it right,but mostly everything else has been very good and rehydrated beautifully.


I only had my little cheap Tchibo drier at first and for those just starting out that sort of unit is ideal,mine only cost me £19 and is still going strong *hopefully* in its new home.


If you have space for a cooking apple do cram one in as they are amazing I scrump my brothers tree usually and bought one of those peeler things from Lakeland and its ideal for use with the dehydrator.


I dry as many as I can get my mitts on so it keeps us going til the next years harvest. I am usually sick of the sight of apples by then and have to have an apple free week before we start on the pies..

[Deleted User]

I did a massive sort out at home this week, I have had a huge insulated storage wooden building built and it is like a pantry and only has large vents, not windows. (will eventually be lit by 12v solar system when I have all the bits) I moved all my dehydrated stores into there yesterday, so much, much more than I realised as it had been stored under the stairs in the dark and cool but most was well out of sight. Box after box. The best bit was the fact that all of it is in pristine condition. The colour has been kept and the boxes all rattle

Just saying as it is a vindication of dehydrating, provided it is done properly and packed and stored well. Several of these boxes of mine are 3 years old. I found loads of potato slices and also onion slices and am really pleased that they turned up. Boxes of kale with dry tissue paper flakes, lovely. All is now stacked at my eye level and accessible. Brilliant for this time of year and am making an allsorts veg and lentil soup today

Any excess from the allotment this year will be dehydrated but I am not buying any fruit or veg for dehydrating, I would be buying the likes of celery but I have loads dried already

D & DD re blackberries, I opened some bottled blackberries yesterday, they were gorgeous. I have 2 large loch ness plants and such a lot of fruit to process. I use a large stainless steel mouli to remove pips to make leathers or to freeze in small pots. I had to hunt for it but it is large and very solid with 4 sieves

D&DD

Thanks for the update Kittie I'm really pleased to hear all is well with your stores.


I'm finally happy with my set up now (hubby is relieved to hear!) I have the perfect preserving kitchen at last.I made the mistake of buying a cheaper cooker when I killed my last one and the hob was next to useless for heavy pans so I couldn't bottle or pressure can on it at all
I now have a cast iron hob and can't wait to get cracking this year.


I did some leathers last week as my freezer was groaning and sainsburys had turkeys on offer so I needed the space.
I have a great attachment for my kenwood which sieves out the pips for leathers etc.I have a mouli too 'just in case'


I made some gooseberry and loganberry jam which was absolutely lovely so I'm planning on trying that out as a leather too when this years crop comes in,it won't be too long by the look of things and both are loaded.

Living_proof

I am dusting down the Excalibur tomorrow and will start the season with a few experiments as Aldi have some good offers on at present. I will try rhubarb, cauliflower for the first time and also do some pineapple, peppers and apple which were all successful in the past. Will look out for some mushrooms in large quantities when they are cheap or reduced.

I think it was you Kittie who didn't like dried carrots. Would they be OK grated for carrot cake or for throwing in a casserole? I haven't tried greens yet either. Because I have moved twice in 18 months (settled now!) the preserving took a bit of a back seat, and even though my garden won't be productive this year I will have time for a little experimentation. I will also have a go at drying peas and sweetcorn from frozen as they take up so much room in the freezer and usually end up dropping all over the place no matter how careful I am.

I like sweet potato mashed with lime and also mashed cooked cauliflower. Do you think these would dehydrate well on paraflex sheets? Maybe make a really thick leek and potato soup and dry in sheets too. And then there's powders of course..... I can feel myself getting carried away!

Ken68

Onions cheap at Lidl £1.79 for 5 kg.

Living_proof

It seems like a lifetime of onions! Do you just chop them into dice, slices or segments? I always feel that onions are cheap all year round and are not such a convenience as some other veg. Aubergines are only 45p at present - anyone had any experience of these rehydrated please?