Food dehydrating

[MadGardener]

Thanks! And I was wondering how best to store them

I have a food saver vacuum sealer and bought an accessory for jars. They come in regular and wide mouth. Put on the rubber seal lid, vacuum it out, then add the band. I love it for longer term storage.

Edit to add that I save the used tops from home canning. They are not recommended to reuse for canning but they still have sealing power!

 

[Chuckie chicken]

That would be awesome! Care to share how?

TOP SECRET!!!!

PS: She scratched out "delicious" and "raw" from the title because of the filing system in her binder.

 

[saysfaa]

Tart cherries are totally amazing.

Blueberries tend to fall through the grates and do not work in oatmeal like the cherries do. They might work in oatmeal if I rehydrate them first.

Apples (other years) turned out extremely well.
Plums were somewhat too intense to eat straight. I haven't tried them any other way.
Peaches may need some tweaking. I was afraid the juice would be a problem so I left the skin on and set them skin side down. That worked for drying them but I'm not sure how to use them.

Sweet Italian pepper, green beans, and zucchini seem to have worked well. I haven't used them much yet.

I'm eyeing the broccoli but so far haven't tried it. I think I will start with the stems and see how it goes.

 

[saysfaa]

... after I did the apples, I put it away and haven't used it since.... I was also thinking of doing some of my roma tomatoes that I have an abundance of. Thoughts anyone?

I did that the first year, too. And the second year. And it wasn't really "doing the apples" - it was, like, one or a few batches.

I don't plan to dry tomatoes. I have too many other things that are higher priority for drying, even if I get another dehydrator. Tomatoes are so juicy, I want a different kind of tray before I do more than try a few. Besides, they are so easy to can, I'm doing that. I like freezing them first, then the dunk in boiling water is faster, the skins come off much better, and I don't burn my fingers.

 

[TooCheep]

I'm considering getting another dehydrator. Mine has been running 24/7 all summer. I could easily keep another one full too.

What kind of dehydrator do you have and what do you think are its pros and cons? Also, how does it compare to any other dehydrator you have used?

Mine doesn't have any identifying marks. It is round, brown, has five trays, and is very simple - just a round heating element in the base and the trays stack on the base.
Pros: I like the simplicity, it is silent, it works for most things I've tried.
Cons: food falls through a lot.
Compare: N/A - I've never tried another

If you do that much dehydrating, you should consider getting an Excaliber. I have a Nesco and use it periodically so it is fine for my needs, but the Excaliber is considered the best of home dehydrators.

 

[saysfaa]

I haven't tried anything yet. i'm planning to put it into stews.

 

[tripletfeb]

I haven't tried anything yet. i'm planning to put it into stews.

Let us know how it goes! I never thought about dehydrating zukes

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

There is a Preserving your Harvest thread.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/preserving-your-harvest.1485715/

 

[MadGardener]

If you like spicy food dehydrating seems to keep the heat.

I had a bumper crop of habaneros 4 years ago. Cut peppers in half and dehydrated. Stored in vacuum sealed madon jars with oxygen absorbers has really helped them last.

 

[tripletfeb]

TOP SECRET!!!!

View attachment 3042097

PS: She scratched out "delicious" and "raw" from the title because of the filing system in her binder.

Thanks! And I'll keep the recipe a secret, I promise