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Farm Kitchen:  Dehydrating  |
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nampafarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
494 Posts
Kim
Nampa
ID
USA
494 Posts |
 Posted - Sep 26 2008 : 10:12:18 AM
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I think I would liek to do some dehydrating. Does anyone do this? I am not interested in a home made dehydrator, I can stop thinking of the dust on my fans, it grosses me out. I will ask for one for my Bday. Is there any feature or brand that people really like or dislike?
Kim
Farmgirl Sister # 302 |
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gramadinah
True Blue Farmgirl
3557 Posts
Diana
Orofino
ID
USA
3557 Posts |
Posted - Sep 26 2008 : 10:24:24 AM
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I have only seen one brand. I like to do dehydrating the grand babies love the apples and peaches and I have done elk jerky and potatoes and onions (outside) the smell was very high. Tomatoes and will try anything.
diana
Farmgirl Sister #273 |
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lisamarie508
True Blue Farmgirl
2648 Posts
Lisa
Idaho City
ID
USA
2648 Posts |
Posted - Sep 26 2008 : 11:15:50 AM
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This year is the first year I have tried dehydrating and I love it. It's a great way to take care of the last peach or apple or two or the last cluster of grapes that nobody is going to eat before they go bad. I have quite the trail mix building in my pantry! I have a dehydrator that I picked up at a yard sale for $1. Don't even know what brand it is. But it works and that's all that matters, I guess. I have 3 bananas that won't be eaten in time and I already have 6 loaves in the freezer. So, they'll be going in the dehydrator tonight.
Farmgirl Sister #35
"If you can not do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
my blog: http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
My Website:
http://www.freewebs.com/lisamariesbasketry/index.htm |
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emsmommy5
True Blue Farmgirl
1547 Posts
Angie
Buckley
WA
USA
1547 Posts |
Posted - Sep 26 2008 : 11:44:26 AM
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I have had a couple of kinds in the past. The one I have now is a Mr Coffee Dehydrator. The thing I really like about it is that the trays are all stackable. You can use one or 8 or even add more. It's round and compact and can sit easily on the counter. When not in use the trays will stack lower for storage. The only thing I don't like about the round one over the oversized-metal one I had is that the bigger one made fruit leather much easier because I could stick it in on a cookie sheet. I dry fruit, herbs, make jerky, etc in mine.
Farmgirl #208
What are you doing with your dash? |
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homemom
True Blue Farmgirl
1593 Posts
Ruth
Warwick
RI
USA
1593 Posts |
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Betty J.
True Blue Farmgirl
1403 Posts
Betty
Pasco
WA
USA
1403 Posts |
Posted - Sep 26 2008 : 12:46:31 PM
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I have an Excalibur dehydrator. What do you use to keep the fruit from turning color other than its original color? Mine has 18-inch or so square trays. I want to make some fruit leathers. Does anyone have a recipe?
Betty in Pasco |
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Kris Sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
131 Posts
Kris
Chickamauga
Ga.
USA
131 Posts |
Posted - Sep 26 2008 : 3:30:44 PM
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I have a Snackmaster Jr. I got at a flea market for $5.00. I love it. It's round with 4 trays. The recipe in this book just says to puree the fruit (any kind). You may need to add water or fruit juice. It also says you can combine fruits too. If you find that a certain fruit is too runny, add applesauce to give it more substance.
Then you spread onto a fruit rollup sheet or wax paper spray with cooking oil. Mine came with a plastic liner. Puree should be about 1/4"-3/8" thick. Dry for 8-12 hours. Roll up in plastic wrap, store in air-tight containers. |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Sep 26 2008 : 10:57:47 PM
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I have the round Ronco kind. Two of them. One my mom gave me and one I bought used.They work real well for jerky and onions, herbs and fruit. I tend to do jerky more than anything else..but will be dying some herbs and onions this next week. I love it.
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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Tina Michelle
True Blue Farmgirl
6948 Posts
Tina
sunshine state
FL
USA
6948 Posts |
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whispering pines
True Blue Farmgirl
428 Posts
patricia
sedro woolley
wa
USA
428 Posts |
Posted - Sep 27 2008 : 09:09:38 AM
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Has anyone ever tried to dehydrate purple plums? If so please let me know how you did them. thanks!
"Greetings from the Gateway to the North Cascades." |
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emsmommy5
True Blue Farmgirl
1547 Posts
Angie
Buckley
WA
USA
1547 Posts |
Posted - Sep 27 2008 : 10:30:09 AM
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I just did a whole batch of plums a week ago. I cut the seeds out, layed them skin side down and dried them. If there's more of a trick than that I don't know it. They turned out just fine. (Plums make good fruit leather too)
Farmgirl #208
What are you doing with your dash? |
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whispering pines
True Blue Farmgirl
428 Posts
patricia
sedro woolley
wa
USA
428 Posts |
Posted - Sep 27 2008 : 6:54:03 PM
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thanks a bunch, T will try it in the morning.
"Greetings from the Gateway to the North Cascades." |
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old gray mare
Farmgirl in Training
10 Posts
Kathy
Ignacio
CO
USA
10 Posts |
Posted - Sep 27 2008 : 7:22:18 PM
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Don't know if you need any more advice, but here goes..I have the Ronco version too, and have had it for years, but my MIL once had a "Gardenmaster" that had a temperature dial. I have always thought that would be better.BTW, if you dip your fruits in a lemon juice and water mixture, they won't turn brown (too much) while dehydrating. I love drying fruits and vegs. I use to make fruit leather when my kids lived at home.
"Love's secret is to be always doing things for God, and not to mind because they are such very little ones." |
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whispering pines
True Blue Farmgirl
428 Posts
patricia
sedro woolley
wa
USA
428 Posts |
Posted - Sep 28 2008 : 06:53:53 AM
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Thank you both for the advice, this is my first try so I do need all the advice I can get. How do you store your fruits and veggies? Do you refridgerate or?
"Greetings from the Gateway to the North Cascades." |
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lisamarie508
True Blue Farmgirl
2648 Posts
Lisa
Idaho City
ID
USA
2648 Posts |
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Ms.Lilly
True Blue Farmgirl
826 Posts
Lillian
Scotts Mills
OR
USA
826 Posts |
Posted - Sep 29 2008 : 08:40:01 AM
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I dehydrate lots of things. I have the SnackMaster with temp dial, and it works wonderfully. DH built me a large solar dehydrator this summer, but the days are not long enough to use it now. I use lemon juice and water mixture to stop the browning on bananas and such. As for storing my product, it just goes into a glass jar with a tight fitting lid to keep the moisture out. The only thing that I keep in the fridge is jerky and that is just a personal preference.
Lillian |
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Farm Kitchen: Dehydrating |
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Dehydrating
