Drying Food in a Slow Cooker?

urchin

I'm curious to know if anyone has used a slow cooked to dry their own food?
I'm interested in drying my own fruit and veg to make snacks and preserve excesses but I'm concerned that drying food without a dedicated food dryer means leaving the over on for so long.
So I was wondering if a slow cooker could be used instead - any ideas?

stilernin

I'm guessing that it probably wouldn't work.

The temperature would be enough to warm the fruit but the moisture has nowhere to go because of the lid. If you left the lid off, the juice (and some of the flavour and vitamins) would leach out due to the contact with the heat. Putting the fruit on a trivet might work but you might not be saving much power due to the small quantity you could process at a time and the loss of heat with the lid off.

Sorry if this is not the answer you wanted, and I could be completely wrong.

ceridwen

I read somewheres that some people have used one of those low-power electric airers and the idea one could maybe use a concertina type clothes horse with a very low power heater in the middle and sheet over the top.

Errr....but I'm not convinced that would either be feasible or safe:rolleyes:

There might be some other "homey" type alternatives besides actually buying a dehydrator - wonder if an airing cupboard would do the trick or leaving things on a shelf above a radiator? In good weather - there is the dashboard of a car on a sunny day or laid out on trays in the conservatory or a greenhouse.

Guess its time for a bit of trial and error here...

shykins

my husband 'built' me a dehydrator. basically a box with a few a few air holes in which he placed an electric bulb, it works brilliantly

i should add he is VERY competent at electrics etc and if u are not then dont even attempt it

i dont think the slow cooker would work as stilernin says there is nowhere for the moisture to escape in a slow cooker

HTH