Food drying - Dehydrators (merged)

Ken68

Have you tasted the result, LP.?

Living_proof

No Ken, but it looks like a beef casserole and mash weekend so I'll try it then. According to the videos you can't tell it from fresh but I'll keep you posted.

Ken68

I bought some sweet potato but steamed and then froze. Next drying session will give it a go.
The last time I tried sheet drying was with elderberries, they kept but a bit messy.

[Deleted User]

I am out almost out of fresh veg today and 6 miles round trip to the shops, no thanks so today am making a chicken casserole with dehydrated veg and have put in onions, tomato, marrow, green beans. I still have a couple of fresh carrots and a few sticks of celery and will add those. Added to that lot some drumsticks and chicken casserole mix and some wine. I should say that will turn out to be yummy and for a cost of just a few minutes today. Another dish where it will look as though I spent ages cooking and am not about to disillusion anyone

I must get lots of brown mushrooms this week as they taste awesome dehydrated and in dishes. I forgot that I had run out of my dried ones. Much better and intense flavour

Not a lot of dehydrating lately as plenty ready to use, just dried soaked buckwheat to make crispies

Ken68

Echo the mushrooms, Kittie, they look good, taste good. I get them from Lidl when half price usually 42p for 350g.
Am eyeing up bags of pony carrots at a nearby farm shop, need to check weight but probably minimum 10kg price £2.25..have been buying from Sains. at 59p kg.

Living_proof

I was fortunate enough to get three packs of fresh pineapple reduced to 26p each last night. The weather is dire so I won't be getting any free electricity anytime soon so I have just managed to fit the pineapple in the freezer and will defrost overnight when the sun is due to shine all day! The fragrance is just wonderful from drying pineapple. I am growing a few strawberries so fingers crossed I will have a glut of those too!

seabright

Hello,
I just got a wonderful (I hope!) Stockli 3-tray dehydrator from a charity shop. I've had a go at apples, pears and banana.


I want to try onions too, as I love the dried ones from ikea - do they make the dehydrator smell?

Living_proof

seabright wrote: »

Hello,
I just got a wonderful (I hope!) Stockli 3-tray dehydrator from a charity shop. I've had a go at apples, pears and banana.


I want to try onions too, as I love the dried ones from ikea - do they make the dehydrator smell?

Well done! The fruit will smell beautiful but the onions are better done outside, along with leeks and garlic. I have mine running outside today as I am not keen on the smell of mushrooms drying, and Kittie says cauliflower is awful too.

Living_proof

I have just been looking at an American website (lost the details, sorry) and the lady there swore that if you dehydrate potatoes after onions all trace of the onions will be gone. The trouble is that potatoes look to be a bit of a pain but I will probably have to give it a go as I am growing a few myself this year.

nuttybabe

Eeeeeek I have actually ordered my dehydrator. Didnt get the cheapest round one, got the next one up, rectangle one. So excited. I got it to save freezer space, make healthly snacks for kids and hubby and make dog treats from liver.

cant wait to get started, ordered some ziplock bags as well.