Since so many seem to dehydrate your own "MRE"s would you mind sharing your technique

[ladyhk13]

In my search for advice on what kind of prepping things I could put on my Christmas list for my DH to get me, the concensus seemed to be a dehydrator. Many of you say you couldn't live without it and use it to make everything from jerkey to MRE's.
Well I did put it on my list but even if we just end up buying it after Christmas I was awed at the amount of things everyone uses it for and thought it would be great if all of you could put your techniques down for me to cut and paste onto a document to make a little recipe book for myself (all of you would benefit as well) to learn what to do with the thing. I am especially interested in the meals, how wonderful that would be to make!
I tried scrambled eggs once on my mom's old dehydrator and they came out yukky....something I really wanted to make. Maybe someone has a good way to do them?
I look forward to all the wonderful foods you guys make for your preps.

[TroubleShooter]

I tried scrambled eggs once on my mom's old dehydrator and they came out yukky....something I really wanted to make. Maybe someone has a good way to do them?


Scrambled eggs is the process for making dried egg powder.....You scramble and cook your eggs, then dehydrate, then grind them up into powder.....Then you use the powder to cook with


How to Make Powdered Eggs | eHow.com (http://www.ehow.com/how_2304324_make-powdered-eggs.html)

Link on E-how


Powdered eggs are not only easy to make from home, they can also be used in many different recipes. Having them handy can also save time if you are baking in a hurry. Follow these simple steps to making your own powdered eggs

[ladyhk13]

Scrambled eggs is the process for making dried egg powder.....You scramble and cook your eggs, then dehydrate, then grind them up into powder.....Then you use the powder to cook with


How to Make Powdered Eggs | eHow.com (http://www.ehow.com/how_2304324_make-powdered-eggs.html)

Link on E-how

Troubleshooter that is a wonderful site not only how to powder them (even though it's not in a dehydrator) but instructions how to reconstitute and cook with them! Thank you so much and I am going to put this on my very first page of my "prepping" dehydrating food cookbook collection. How wonderful to start off with this one!!! Thank you again.

[izzyscout21]

Ah....... powdered eggs......takes me back

[TroubleShooter]

(even though it's not in a dehydrator) .

I do most my drying and making jerky with the oven , I have a 8 tray dehydrator , just don't use it ...........The oven has more capacity, in winter the heat does double duty(I leave it cracked open to allow moisture out), Most food is dried by morning instead of days, I can keep temp more regulated around 170F to kill most food borne bacteria...Clean up is easier , Depending on your situtation I would look around for cheap stove and modify it for drying food....That is my plan.......You can buy drying racks, I get mine from basspro.............I just hang jerky from toothpicks over a drippan or aluminum foil lined in the bottom.....

Of course the wife doesn't mind too much, But I have been on the receiving end of her finding a intake mainfold in her dishwasher.........

My main reason for using oven, such a small thing to do.....when done drying, just close door turn heat up and the Spores are destroyed after about 6mins...........Key word is spores, toxins will be killed around 185F making it safe to eat...........But in my opinion killing the spores prior to storage is the way to go......Right or wrong, who knows??

When home canning, use a pressure cooker that can reach temperatures adequate to kill botulism spores. Preserved food should be heated above 248 degrees Fahrenheit (120 degrees Centigrade) for at least 5 minutes during the canning process. Some foods, such as jams and jellies, do not require a pressure cooker because their high sugar level makes it difficult for Clostridium botulinum bacteria to grow.

[mollypup]

Try and buy an EXCALIBUR dehydrator. They cost a little bit more but are sooooooo worth it! I've had mine for about 2+ years now and have dehydrated many, many pounds of veggies and fruits. I can't believe you don't already have a dehydrator ladyhk13! lol! It has been used by far for the bulk of my food preservation supplies. I have stored a lot of water to use to rehydrate all that previously dehydrated food. I've canned a lot too, but using the dehydrator is so much easier and it's simply amazing how much you can dehydrate in one full load. There's loads of "how to" videos on U-tube. My favorite and the one I learned how to dehydrate from was this series of videos: How to dehydrate and store food PART 1 - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxVpIHre2ao)

I must have watched them all at least 3 times now. She's very good at explaining it all and got me into dehydrating. I use the type of dehydrator she uses and love it. :D

[Sniper-T]

You can dehydrate anything that you would normally make to eat. Whenever possible, I just make extra of whatever and dehydrate what's left over after our lunches are packed.

So, for instance, One day I made lasagne... with meat, cheese, veggies, in a tomato sauce over homemade pasta. I cook the meat first, and drain it VERY well, make the pasta, and give it just a quick boil to keep it together, layer my lasagne and then bake it until done.

I'll blot the oil, and let it cool a bit, and then dice the whole pan up into bite size pieces. Then I put them onto the fruit rollup trays and dehydrate at about 150 degrees.

lasagne:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/PIC00004-1.jpg

and some more:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/PIC00005.jpg

lasagne: (almost done)

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/PIC00007.jpg

like anything else for long term storage, I dehydrate it until it is dry dry dry. Crumble everything except the noodles up and fill bags.

It is the same procedure for everything else too. as long as you cook it first, you're killing anything that might harm you or spoil the food.

I follow the same procedure for other meals, like:
Beef stroghanoff
chili
turkey pot pie (without the crust)
chicken pot pie
spaghetti sauce (with meat and or cheese)
etc

[izzyscout21]

how do those taste after you reconstitute them?

[Sniper-T]

We tried the taste test on some friends, and they couldn't taste the difference between some freshly made vs year old off the shelf. Even the pasta rehydrates beautifully.

I really prefer fresh pasta over the store bought stuff (catelli, etc). and have found that my own homemade, and dehydrated re-hydrates excellent on it's own, So whenever I make a batch of pasta for something, I make a huge batch, and dry a bunch for the cannisters, and I'll freeze a bunch of dough cubes. (like a standard dough ball, but I shape them into cubes for better freezer utilization).

this way, when my wife calls and says she's bringing someone home for dinner, I can thaw it out quick, and whip up a fresh pasta meal. without the muss, fuss, or flour all over the place
lol

here's a shot of some dried pasta, and a pile of cheese:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/PIC00009.jpg[/quote]

I ground up the cheese, and used it to shake over top like a parmessian.

I've also done the same with my own smoked cheeses (cheddar, mozza, swiss)

[Sniper-T]

Since I posted the pic of the cheese, I may as well get into that technique too, since it is a little more involved than anything else.

When you cook with cheese, like on a lasagne... the oil cooks out, and puddles on top. I blot this off a couple times while it is cooking, and then again when it comes out of the oven for good. This will remove most of the fat from the dish. The rest will end up on the drip tray of the dehydrator within the first couple hours.

but when doing plain cheese, it seems to be too much to evaporate out without taking too long, so this is what I do.

I prefer to dehydrate cheese that has previously been frozen, as it has a lower moisture content (better for smoking too)

shred fairly large, ie, don't use that really fine part of the grater, otherwise it just bunches up and sticks together. Spread a fairly thick layer on each try (3/4") and begin dehydrating at a low-medium heat. The cheese should start 'sweating' but not melting. Once it has a good sweat layer on it (read fat), take it out and place in a shallow bowl with a couple of crumpled up paper towels. toss and shake it around until the paper towels have absorbed all the moisture (refresh towels as necessary).

Place back on the hehydrator and repeat with the other trays... continue to do this about every hour, until the cheese starts to get hard, and has a shiny appearance. Then put a couple of paper towels down, pile the cheese on top, and a couple more towels on top. pat down hard, press firmly, mix it around, and continue to do this until the shinyness is now a dull gloss. put back on the dehydrator, and let it go for a couple more hours. dump into a large tupperware with a lid, toss in a few crumpled paper towels, and shake the stuffing out of it.

The shiny/gloss finish should be gone, and replaced with a dull matte.

test a couple pcs, ensure that they are brittle dry, should shatter when hit with something hard. and your cheese is now ready for long term storage

Cheese in this manner, will NOT melt in the microwave. It will not melt on it's own in the oven. But if you mix it into a sauce, or spread it out on top of spaghetti sauce and wait a couple minutes, it is ooey gooey good!

I'm fairly new to doing cheese, and after x-mas, my wife will be testing a package that will have hit the 1 year mark, sitting on the shelf. (9 month test passed with flying colours)

[JustAPrepper]

Lady, I love the Dehydrate to Store series. Like Molly, she's the one who convinced me to get the Excalibur.

Also, I have two of Mary Bell's books...Mary Bell's Complete Dehydrator Cookbook. This is THE book to have if you're going to get in to dehydrating. It's like an encyclopedia of dehydrating and I absolutely LOVE it. She covers every fruit and vegetable from A-Z and also covers jerkies, fruit leathers and a section on complete recipes for things like breads, cookies, cakes, main courses, salads and even pet treats. This is my Go-To everytime I put something in the dehydrator. The second book of hers I have is Food Drying With An Attitude. It's quite a bit newer than the other and has some nice pictures but is mostly a cookbook and I don't find the recipes all that interesting.

[bacpacker]

We've never tried cheese, but the way we go thru it this is something we need to get started on. BTW, do you smoke your own cheese as well? I love me some smoked cheedar, gouda, or edam.

[Sniper-T]

yep! I smoke all kinds of cheese. I loves me smoked cheese as well!!

if there is interest, I'll throw up a thread with the procedures, as it can be finicky, else I'll just PM them to ya

[Evolver]

This some good info and thank you for posting it. It looks like I'll be playing with the dehydrator a little more often.

[Sniper-T]

I have no experience with the excaliber model... and really don't even know much about it. I have the Garden master, that I bought in the early 1980's and am still using the same one. Yup that's right 25+ years with thousands of hours of work against it... and it is still as awesome today as it was then. I can still buy extra trays, and liners, basically anywhere. My only complaint is that it is round, and took some mods to my cupboard to fit it and the trays nicely. but if it were square, I would have had to modify my cupboard too.

It has a fan and a thermostat control, and in my mind has stood the test of time better that any other applience I have ever owned!

[ladyhk13]

Lady, I love the Dehydrate to Store series. Like Molly, she's the one who convinced me to get the Excalibur.

Also, I have two of Mary Bell's books...Mary Bell's Complete Dehydrator Cookbook. This is THE book to have if you're going to get in to dehydrating. It's like an encyclopedia of dehydrating and I absolutely LOVE it. She covers every fruit and vegetable from A-Z and also covers jerkies, fruit leathers and a section on complete recipes for things like breads, cookies, cakes, main courses, salads and even pet treats. This is my Go-To everytime I put something in the dehydrator. The second book of hers I have is Food Drying With An Attitude. It's quite a bit newer than the other and has some nice pictures but is mostly a cookbook and I don't find the recipes all that interesting.

Justa I will look into that one! I am so excited about this thread! I love to collect different ways to cook things and save foods.

[ladyhk13]

Try and buy an EXCALIBUR dehydrator. They cost a little bit more but are sooooooo worth it! I've had mine for about 2+ years now and have dehydrated many, many pounds of veggies and fruits. I can't believe you don't already have a dehydrator ladyhk13! lol! It has been used by far for the bulk of my food preservation supplies. I have stored a lot of water to use to rehydrate all that previously dehydrated food. I've canned a lot too, but using the dehydrator is so much easier and it's simply amazing how much you can dehydrate in one full load. There's loads of "how to" videos on U-tube. My favorite and the one I learned how to dehydrate from was this series of videos: How to dehydrate and store food PART 1 - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxVpIHre2ao)

I must have watched them all at least 3 times now. She's very good at explaining it all and got me into dehydrating. I use the type of dehydrator she uses and love it. :D

LOL...well I have never really liked any fruits dried and only liked jerky so I didn't think it was worth it for us to get a dehydrator but listening to everyone here it seems as though there are a lot of other options as far as entrees that I might like if I could get some examples and recipes from ya'll to see if I would really want one. I did try to do eggs a while back and it was a disaster so that really made me not want to get one. My mom's old dehydrator is still sitting in the corner after that experiment! It doesn't have a theremostat and it took like 16 hours or something and they were still like rubber and all ikky!

[ladyhk13]

This some good info and thank you for posting it. It looks like I'll be playing with the dehydrator a little more often.

Please post what you are drying and how it turns out, ok????

[ladyhk13]

I do most my drying and making jerky with the oven , I have a 8 tray dehydrator , just don't use it ...........The oven has more capacity, in winter the heat does double duty(I leave it cracked open to allow moisture out), Most food is dried by morning instead of days, I can keep temp more regulated around 170F to kill most food borne bacteria...Clean up is easier , Depending on your situtation I would look around for cheap stove and modify it for drying food....That is my plan.......You can buy drying racks, I get mine from basspro.............I just hang jerky from toothpicks over a drippan or aluminum foil lined in the bottom.....

Of course the wife doesn't mind too much, But I have been on the receiving end of her finding a intake mainfold in her dishwasher.........

My main reason for using oven, such a small thing to do.....when done drying, just close door turn heat up and the Spores are destroyed after about 6mins...........Key word is spores, toxins will be killed around 185F making it safe to eat...........But in my opinion killing the spores prior to storage is the way to go......Right or wrong, who knows??

I have a convection oven with 2 fans (LG) so I guess it would be good for the blowing part but my husband says that it runs on 220 and for it to be on for 10 or more hours would use a lot of power. So I guess I'll be looking for a dehydrator (I have heard the Excalibur was the best) after Christmas if I don't get one under the tree. I thought from my Microbiology classes oh so long ago that spores and bacteria should be heated to the boiling point in order to be killed...but college was a long time ago :0 so I may be wrong!

[ladyhk13]

You can dehydrate anything that you would normally make to eat. Whenever possible, I just make extra of whatever and dehydrate what's left over after our lunches are packed.

So, for instance, One day I made lasagne... with meat, cheese, veggies, in a tomato sauce over homemade pasta. I cook the meat first, and drain it VERY well, make the pasta, and give it just a quick boil to keep it together, layer my lasagne and then bake it until done.

I'll blot the oil, and let it cool a bit, and then dice the whole pan up into bite size pieces. Then I put them onto the fruit rollup trays and dehydrate at about 150 degrees.

lasagne:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/PIC00004-1.jpg

and some more:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/PIC00005.jpg

lasagne: (almost done)

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/PIC00007.jpg

like anything else for long term storage, I dehydrate it until it is dry dry dry. Crumble everything except the noodles up and fill bags.

It is the same procedure for everything else too. as long as you cook it first, you're killing anything that might harm you or spoil the food.

I follow the same procedure for other meals, like:
Beef stroghanoff
chili
turkey pot pie (without the crust)
chicken pot pie
spaghetti sauce (with meat and or cheese)
etc

Ok....so now when you want to reconstitute what do you do? So ya have a thousand little pieces of lasagna so what kind of consistancy do you get instead of one nice piece like before? We do beef stroganof a lot so that would be great to learn how to do that. I actually have the stew beef canned so I can make it anytime, but how does the sour cream dehydrate?

[Sniper-T]

It'll never go back into the shape like a slice fresh from the pan... more like after it's chopped up with your fork to eat.

I re-hydrate two different ways, depending on time and what I have to do it.

If heat is no concern (ie at home, or over a camp fire)... I'll just dump the bag into a pot, add an equal amount of water, and set it simmering. It'll take about 20 minutes. you can add a little water as you go, if necessary.

If I'm cooking over a camp stove, and don't want to burn 20 minutes of fuel, I'll add the water directly to the bag (cold is fine). Zip it up, and shake the stuffing out of it. Then let it sit for about an hour. Then add it to the pot and simmer it for about 5 minutes.

[mollypup]

Lady, I love the Dehydrate to Store series. Like Molly, she's the one who convinced me to get the Excalibur.

Also, I have two of Mary Bell's books...Mary Bell's Complete Dehydrator Cookbook. This is THE book to have if you're going to get in to dehydrating. It's like an encyclopedia of dehydrating and I absolutely LOVE it. She covers every fruit and vegetable from A-Z and also covers jerkies, fruit leathers and a section on complete recipes for things like breads, cookies, cakes, main courses, salads and even pet treats. This is my Go-To everytime I put something in the dehydrator. The second book of hers I have is Food Drying With An Attitude. It's quite a bit newer than the other and has some nice pictures but is mostly a cookbook and I don't find the recipes all that interesting.

Just put that book on my Amazon wish list. Thanks! :)

[Taz Baby]

how do you dehydrate stuff like catchup and mustard and mayo? I know sniper was telling me somewhere that you can but I cant remember where it was. So since this is the dehydrating thread explain it to me please.:D
PICs please

[Sniper-T]

You would do the same as with any other liquid, or semi-liquid. spread it out on the plastic tray inserts, and hit go. When you're done, run it through the grinder or food processor, to make a powder.

After cooking a bird, I will boil the bones to make a stock, reduce it down for a good solid flavour, let it cool and skim any fat off.

Then add it to the trays, and dehydrate until dry. break it up, grind it, and I have my own poultry boullion...

turkey & broth: (used to make bullion)

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/PIC00006.jpg

[ladyhk13]

Ok, I had a post somewhere back in March I think about an experiment I was doing with fresh eggs but I can't find it so I'm going to post my recent findings here since we have been talking about eggs.
I took fresh eggs and 1) washed some, 2) washed some but covered them with lard 3) washed them and put them in liquid glass 4) washed them, covered with lard and put in liquid glass.
Like I said this was back in March...they are all on the counter since I wanted to see how long they would stay good without refrigeration. I checked them a couple of days ago (doing the float test) and the ones that I washed (1) were no longer good but the ones that had lard (2) were still just fine. Since they ares still good I have not disturbed the ones in the liquid glass. I will wait until they reach the point of going bad before I start testing those and see how far out they go.
Just an update for those of you who are interested. It seems that covering them with lard seals the pores of the eggs and keeps the bacteria out so it keeps them fresh longer.

[Sniper-T]

liquid glass?

[ladyhk13]

It is the stuff that florists and craftspersons use in glass arrangements to look like there is water. You melt it, pour it and then it "sets" into a gel and is clear. The name is really Water Glass, sorry...here's a link for more info.

Water Glass : Water Purifier : StoreItFoods.com (http://www.storeitfoods.com/page/waterglass)

[Sniper-T]

needed a quick meal yesterday, so we grabbed a bag of chili out of storage. Dated from July/2008. It was awesome. Diced up some fresh garden tomatoes to add in, spooned it over nachos, and covered with a canned cheese. yummy!

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/0926122130b.jpg

[ladyhk13]

Ok, reopening this thread since I got my Excalibur.
What if I want to do Beef Stroganauf...do I HAVE to put it through a blender? Can I leave everything in chunks? What about chicken and dumplings? Same thing? I don't want to powder all of my stuff. I really want to keep it whole, put an O2 absorber in it and sucky a mylar bag. Can this be done?
What about jerkey? How long can it be stored before the worry of mold since it isn't actually totally dried out...there is always still some amount of moisture left or it would be shoe leather.
I love the thought of cheese. Yummy!!!! I am interested in main course items more than fruits/veggies so if ya'll think of good stuff give a yell. Thanks!!

[ElevenBravo]

Thanks for this thread folks, been very informative!

Yet, leads me to question: How to you store your dehyd foods? Ive got a Food Saver vacuum kit and bags... Would that alone work well enough? Should I purchase and add the desicant packs to each package I vacuum seal?

After storing, how LONG will the package last?

How should/could it be stored? On a shelf?? In the freezer?? In a perfect world, Id like to avoid things like refers because if the mains goes down for an extended time then it would in essence negate the intention of dehydrating....

Thanks for the help in advance...
EB

[Sniper-T]

I don't run chile, lasagne, Stroghanoff or anything else through the grinder... chunks are what makes the meal. Just break them up by hand as they are drying, as it'll clump together in big 'sheets'. For this stuff... I consider it 'long term storage' and will dry it out REALLY dry. moisture is bad! Once dry, I put it in the mylar, vacu- the air out, and you're good to go. I still have packages in ziplocks that pass the tests dating from 2008.

I do Jerky in two ways. One for long term storage and the other for short term eating. If it is for long term, then I dry it DRY DRY DRY!. then it can go in mylar or even a glass jar and sit on a shelf (I have some from 2009ish). If it is for eating as we go, then I'll dry it til just barely moist, but even with an O2 absorber, it'll only be good for a few weeks on the shelf, unless you use a 'cure' to preserve it (ie salt). Personally, I use some spices and herbs for flavour but dont use salt or msg, etc. With that stuff, it can stay moist in a bag for months, like store bought stuff.

When it comes time to eat the DRY DRY DRY stuff, it is really easy to a 'jerky' state without having to use it for cooking... If it is in mylar/vacu bags, then open them up and put t meat into a ziplock. wet one hand under the tap, and then just rub that on the meat to transfer some water (very little), zip up the bag, on the counter for about an hour. It should be good to go, or depending on how soft you like it, you may have to repeat. In the winter, I'll just toss a small handfull of snow in the bag, and let it sit in the sun for an hour.

[ladyhk13]

More questions guys....
1) can you dehydrate different things at the same time (meat on one tray, eggs on another, veggies on another) or will they take on the flavor of each other? I have 9 trays and not sure I want to do so much of one item but can't see running the machine for only a tray or 2 of something.

2) Been thinking about Sniper's lasagna...I know you said that you cook it all and then put it in and cut up into chunks. I'm wondering if it could be done a little differently: The noodles are already dried so is there a need to redo them? Dehydrate each layer on a separate tray (cheese, meat and sauce). When everything is good and dry, sucky each componant in their own bag and put together in layers when ya want to eat them so it actually ends up like lasagna or figure out a way to layer it in a bag and sucky it but at least it would be still more like the original instead of it having been chopped up and mixed all together? Does that make sense?

[Sniper-T]

Lasagna... I don't see why not LH. In the same fashion, I dehydrate regular meat spag sauce all the time. You can just reconstitute the sauce and make the lasagne whenever you want it. Be no different than boiling up some spaghetti, just a different shaped noodle.
I just put everything together to have a one bag meal for camping, as personally, when I'm in the bush, I really don't care if it 'looks' like it just came from the oven... I just care about the taste and the nutricional value.

As for multi-tasking with the trays, yes, you certainly can, but if some things have Strong flavours/aromas, you may not want to do them together with mild ones. If you do onions or garlic ... everything will taste smell like onions or garlic. But I have done jerky, herbs, and mushrooms all at the same time, and not noticed any flavour blend.
And spaghetti sauce and cheese.
and chili and ...

etc

[ladyhk13]

Thanks Sniper dude! I haven't taken it out of the box yet...I'm almost afraid to use it because I just know I'm going to screw everything up but I just have to do it. I remember when I was afraid to can meats and JustA taught me and I've done fine so I'm going to get over this fear.

Do you know what the reconstitution is with eggs? Water/egg ratio?

[Sniper-T]

I have yet to dehydrate eggs, so I don't have a clue. Considering most other things are about 50/50 product/water to rehydrate, I would start around there.

There is nothing scary about it... just unpack it and fire it up. you don't have to do a full load, just start with a couple trays, and see how easy it is.

Soon enough, you'll be looking to add more trays

[ladyhk13]

Ok Sniper dude I did it! I made jerkey AND eggs yesterday. Yup...both in one day and at the same time. The crazy thing was, the eggs took longer if you can believe it. Jerkey came out great. Some pieces are fairly soft others are pretty dry so I guess I'll eat the softer ones first and wait on the others, maybe adding some water to soften them up.
The eggs! I scrambled them and put them in raw. I didn't put them through a blender but instead just crumpled them a little (they kind of do that on their own when they get real dried anyway) and put them in a mason jar since I wanted to eat them today. I reconstituted with an equal parts of water and eggs and let sit until mushy again. Then I fried them just the way I would my normal scrambled eggs. I could not tell that they had been dehydrated. They were awesome. I had no problems with changing of color or funny taste. It was very messy though. It leaked from the edges of the tray down to the others all the way to the bottom so if you do it be prepared to clean up a mess afterwards. I think it took about 9 hours (maybe 10) to do 6 eggs.

So, now I know I can do it and they taste good. Next question is, do I want to go through all the trouble to do it or spend the money on powdered eggs that may not taste as good? Hmmmmmmmmmmm. I haven't eaten any store bought powdered eggs since I was a kid but I've seen that the prices are pretty high. Thoughts?

[Taz Baby]

Something I just found and thought I would share.

(copied)
Dehydrating Intro 101 gives you all the info you need to dehydrate your foods to preserve them. Viggies Vegies Blog has covered everything, they even have a chart that tells you which should be blanched first and for how long which is really nice info to have.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7052/6816747474_9f52708e73.jpg

(copied)
Dehydrating is a bit easier to do than canning because you prep the veggies or fruits and can let it sit in the dehydrator unattended. Because it’s less of a time investment, I did it a lot more when I was working and going to school and time was at a premium. You are also able to do any sized batches, which is great for those of us with smaller gardens who don’t always have enough for canning.
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6089/6075025132_5bf5bacfa7.jpg



http://viggiesveggies.wordpress.com/2012/03/07/dehydrating-intro/

[Sniper-T]

if you do not have tray liners to contain liquids, you can make your own. Things like a cookie sheet, or pizza pan, or even a lid off an ice cream pail.

The deeper you fill them, the longer it will take, but a thin layer is pretty quick, and easy to 'stir'

[ladyhk13]

I have the special liners for liquidy stuff but since they don't fit tight inside the tray (there is wriggle room) it seeps. I only put 6 eggs on the tray so it's not like I over did it or anything...weird. But they tasted so good. I'm glad that I didn't put them in a mixer afterwards. I just crunched them some but they weren't powdered. I think that may have helped with the nice consistancy when I cooked them.

[sm000]

Do any of yall have experience with freeze drying your own food? I know the units are quite expensive ($2000 - $5000 for a small unit). But the lifespan of something freeze dried is like...a lifetime. So far, everything I'm reading makes it sound like a really good investment.

[ladyhk13]

No, sorry. And at that price I think maybe I probably won't unless I ever find one that is like a "community" one.

[Sniper-T]

Nope! way out of my price range

:(

[Willie51]

Been wanting to get a dehydrator for some time and put it off until we moved. So now we're ready to purchase one. Looking at reviews, the American Harvest/Nesco Garden Master and the Excalibur are the ones to get for home use. Which brand and which models do you all own? Should it have a timer or does that matter? How many trays should be get? The place where we want to put it has a clearance of 16.5 inches from countertop to wall cabinet. So how much clearance do I need for it to breathe or for heat factor? Obviously, I know very little about them, so I'll be learning. Thanks.

[Stormfeather]

Get as many trays as you can get, the one thing I found is that there are never enough trays once ya get all the meat prepped! After that, if you dont have have enough height, then simply pull it out from under the counter til you have enough clearance.

[Sniper-T]

I have the nesco. I've had the same one since the 80's an it has never let me down. Whenever I have a chance I pick up a couple extra trays for it (I have 20 now), and the fruit rollup liners (I use them for soups and sauces).

I cannot say enough good things about it... It is an awesome machine

[ladyhk13]

I have a 9 tray Excalibur. Which ever one you chose make sure it's not round. You want square. Make sure also that you get the liners for it that you can put liquidy stuff on since the normal trays have large holes in them for things like meats and veggies but if you want to do eggs or fruit roll ups or anything that you have to pour you will need the special liners.

[Sniper-T]

Sorry Lady... but mine is round, and I love it. from being able to spin the trays to load them, to spinning them around in the sink to clean them, to even heating right across the tray. I have over a full square foot of drying space per tray, and currently have 20 sf available. and still expandable to another 10 trays.

The major complaint I have heard about the excaliburs is that stuff in the corners doesn't dry as well as in the middle.

[ladyhk13]

Maybe it's a personal preference. I tried my mom's round one and didn't care for it. I felt like I got a lot more stuff on the square one. I did all the jerky on my square one and it dried evenly (except for the ones that I cut thicker of course which is operator error :) )
All in all I think bottom line is the quality of your machine. If you buy a cheap machine you are going to get what you paid for. Invest in the highest quality you can afford. The same goes for sucky machines. We started out with a low cost Save A Meal and upgraded to a commercial one. The difference is night and day.

[bacpacker]

We have an old round one that still works ok. it just doesn't hold a lot. We got a excaliber two years ago and from what we have used it, dries very evenly. The thermostat on it is adjustable from 95 to 155. I am pleased with it. Never really had any issues with the old one other than space.

I agree with Lady, get the best you can. It'll save you money in the long run.

[ladyhk13]

Yes, make sure you get a thermostat and a timer on it. I forgot to mention those features.

[wickedwoman]

I have an American Harvester...have had it for over 25 years and it's still going strong! I didn't use it for the longest time but have started again in the last year....as of today, I'm dehyrdating potatoes to seal in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers. When these are done, I will have over 40 pounds of potatoes done. I have done all kinds of fruit and have a good supply of those. I have never dehyrated meat such as hamburger. I might have to try that next.

[ladyhk13]

I have an American Harvester...have had it for over 25 years and it's still going strong! I didn't use it for the longest time but have started again in the last year....as of today, I'm dehyrdating potatoes to seal in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers. When these are done, I will have over 40 pounds of potatoes done. I have done all kinds of fruit and have a good supply of those. I have never dehyrated meat such as hamburger. I might have to try that next.

What kind of potatoes are you doing? I just tried to do some hash browns with various results. First I did it the way I found online. It said to shred them, rinse in cold water, steam for a couple of mins, dry for about 4 hours starting at 125 degrees but turning the temp down to 115 when ya notice they are drying or something like that. Well I did that and within minutes they were a yukky gray color so I threw them out.

The next batch I did the same thing but I added the stuff I usually put in fruits to keep them from turning color. They seemed to be better.

Then I tried a 3rd time and forgot to turn down the temp and they look like I've cooked them already so I don't know if I will be able to use them or not.

[wickedwoman]

I've done 20 pounds of diced and 20 pounds of sliced. The diced I blanched for about 6 minutes before dehydrating to keep them from turning...dehydrated them for 16 hours on 135...the sliced also blanched, dehydrated at 135 for about 10 hours. You can also soak them for about 1 hour in a mixture of 1/4 c lemon juice and 4 cups of water for about an hour...they aren't in the mixture long enough to absorb the lemon flavor.

[ladyhk13]

Ok I have a really odd one for you. I have a lot of cans of manwich and beef a roni that are getting near expiration so I was thinking about dehydrating it all. Have any of you done anything like that before?

[izzyscout21]

Ok I have a really odd one for you. I have a lot of cans of manwich and beef a roni that are getting near expiration so I was thinking about dehydrating it all. Have any of you done anything like that before?

Just don't throw it out.....I'll go hungry when I come visit.


http://static.fjcdn.com/pictures/I+think+I+ll+eat+it+now_b7d98e_3129693.jpg

I'll eat it..............

[Taz Baby]

I would think you can lady because you can dehydrate chili.

[Sniper-T]

my only concern with beefaroni, would be how much fat there is in it. There are normally some clumps on top of the can when you open it, and more throughout. Maybe preheat it, let it cool, and skim off the fat first?

[ladyhk13]

Just don't throw it out.....I'll go hungry when I come visit.


http://static.fjcdn.com/pictures/I+think+I+ll+eat+it+now_b7d98e_3129693.jpg

I'll eat it..............

Oh don't worry Izzy, you'll never go hungry at our house. We go shopping especially for you any time we know you are coming! You are our favorite "son" don't you know?

[Sniper-T]

... and you have cats... just for me!

lol

[ladyhk13]

... and you have cats... just for me!

lol

If you come down here we'll make sure you have a reservation at the local hotel :)

[Sniper-T]

next to a strip mall with a vetrinarian an a chinese restaurant??

[ladyhk13]

Gotcha covered Sniper dude!

[izzyscout21]

... and you have cats... just for me!

lol

you can have mine........he peed in the car.

I'll get the grill started for you.

[ladyhk13]

Hey, if someone had thought to put the poor thing in a cat carrier he never would have peed! You can't blame the poor kitty. Everyone knows you have to put a cat in a carrier! They aren't like dogs, they don't like to be in cars silly!

[Sniper-T]

???

I have never crated a cat for transport. both our camping kitties ran free, and were awesome in the truck.

Any new cat I get will be climatize to the take-out bag before transport!
:)

[ladyhk13]

Sniper, I've been trying to dehydrate ketchup but I guess I'm doing something wrong since it came out like fruit roll ups and won't dry out. YUK! Any ideas? How do you do yours and at what temps? Thanks.

[Sniper-T]

patience... young grasshopper...
fruit rollups is the first stage.
when they can be peeled off the liners, then do so, and remove the liners. then lay out the strips directly onto the shelves.

once they start to get brittle, I usually break them into small pcs, and continue drying.

If you put one liner in a few shelves below where you're working, it'll catch anything that falls.

Once they are hard hard hard... you can crush or grind it into a powder.

[ladyhk13]

I did that (took them off of the liners)....they were on for about 2 days and still like a roll up ....how long does it take and at what temp?

[Sniper-T]

from the leather stage, prob about 10 hours at 130-ish. you want to be cooler while it is a liquid and getting to the leather stage or it will turn brown. but once it is well firmed up, you can crank up the heat.

How thick is yours? at the rollup/leather stage it should be about 30 thou. Or, no thicker than a credit type card.

[ladyhk13]

It's probably that thick or a little more. I have it about 135 now so I'll go turn it down a bit. Thanks. It's in big squares still, should I go tear them up?

[Sniper-T]

the smaller/thinner they are, the faster/better they'll dry.

When I start, I generally smear them on the tray liners, so it's not much thicker than paper. just some good colour. then you can flex the tray, and it'll peel off and be almost translucent thin. This dries the quickest. prob 24 hrs, and it's ground up. the thicker parts, obviously longer.

There is a lot of sugar in catsup/ketchup, so when it is thick, it takes a lot to break it down. when I o soup (for boulion), I'll ladle 3/8" thick onto the liners, and it'll dry down to business card thick. (or less). Just make sure to get all the fat out, or it'll go rancid on you.