Any suggestions for a good dehydrator,...

[Blue Skys]

that's how it would be at my house too... but no chickens yet, we are still building our coop and then I'm going to get some babies when it gets a little more reliably warm. (It's below freezing today, but tomorrow will be in the 60's...I just never know.)

 

[Acre of Blessings]

Quote:
Solar Food Dehydrator

Drying foods with the sun has been around for over 4000 years. Below are two sites on how to build a Solar Food Dehydrator.


http://www.i4at.org/surv/soldehyd.htm


http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/2006-08-01/Build-a-Solar-Food-Dehydrator.aspx

Thanks for posting those sites. Me and my girls will have to build one this summer.

 

[Ottoman]

How to make a Simple Solar Food Dehydrator.

Make a small wood frame out of 1x2 inch wood and covered one side with wire screen. [ Make the frame the size of the dashboard of your car.] Then place it on the dash of your car. This dried stuff very well.

Ps, Lay a towel under the frame to catch anything that might drip.

 

[Lunachick]

I don't have a dehydrator yet, but did anyone try cranberries? I've been craving them lately and don't want to buy the ones in the stores cause they have added sugar. Would they be too tart to dry?

 

[GardenGirl]

Quote:
My dehydrator book says to wash and remove stems. The dip in boiling water until the skins crack. Dry them for 14 - 22 hours. The drying time will vary depending on you dehydrator. I have a friend who does this with grapes just before they go bad so she deosn't lose them and I know she also cracks the skins. I think it is to leat the moisture out easioer during the process. Hope this helps.

 

[Lunachick]

Thank you so much Gardengirl! I will try that - maybe in the car!* Why not? I have no other room...

*according to Ottoman (!)

 

[ChickieWhickie]

I have the Nesco. I'm making my second batch of jerky for the week. I've also dried apples, bananas and pineapples. I'm going to make fruit roll ups this weekend. We dry apples in the sun during the summer. We spread a sheet out on the picnic table and put apple slices on it. We fold the apples up in the sheet at night and take it in. Then we put it back out the next morning. We keep this up, until the apples are dry.

 

[Ottoman]

Quote:
Lunachick not when you’re driving I hope. You’ll have cranberries rolling all over the place. lol

Drying in the car is more for convenience than room. I would do this when I was at work on a construction job, and by the time I would knock off the stuff [beef jerky]would be dry.

 

[Lunachick]

Quote:
Lunachick not when you’re driving I hope. You’ll have cranberries rolling all over the place. lol

Drying in the car is more for convenience than room. I would do this when I was at work on a construction job, and by the time I would knock off the stuff [beef jerky]would be dry.

Hubby and I carpool so the car we aren't driving will be a "dehydrator" Thanks for the laugh, the visual was priceless!

 

[GardenGirl]

Quote:
Lunachick not when you’re driving I hope. You’ll have cranberries rolling all over the place. lol

Isn't that why we have duct tape? To keep the berries from rolling?