The Gun Counter

On a whim, I put a food dehydrator on our wedding registry, and someone actually bought it for us!

It's this one: Nesco® American Harvest® Snackmaster® Encore™ Dehydrator and Jerky Maker and Trays. I dunno how many (R)s they can put in there. Anyway, it's 500 watts, and a temperature gauge for 95 - 155 degrees (F).

Anybody else have a dehydrator (this or a different one)? What are you using it for? Pitfalls, lessons, recipes...?

I've been looking at a few to dry mashed potatoes(but it is still cheap to buy "idahoan" instant in bulk) but really want one to make sure the rice I put up is as dry as possible before storing. I'm also looking to buy bulk "dry corn". If it's not really dry before sealing in mylar with o2 absorbers there is still a chance of botulism. I like corn bread and corn tortilas(and have a grain mill for my kitchen-aid), so having the main ingredient available makes sense. It couldn't hurt for 'extra' drying flower or other grains before putting them up. I also waste a lot of frozen corn/peppers/onions/peas that simply sit in the freezer too long. One gallon of each dried and sealed correctly will go a long way.

I have an older Snack Mather.

Tip: when making jerky, lightly spray the trays with Pam to keep the meat from sticking as it dries.

I apologize if this is obvious.

buy a means of slicing the items to a very similar thickness. This will greatly decrease your annoyance at some being moist while the rest is brittle dry. Whatever the dry time is, rotate the racks at 1/3 the time interval to even out the drying.

After you are done, soaking the trays in warm soapy water greatly decreases cleaning time. The plastic trays become brittle fairly quickly, so scrubbing is not the best option.

After you clean it, run it for an hour or so to completely dry it, then let it cool for a few minutes and store it in a thick trash bag. Even in the box it will get dusty etc and will need to be cleaned before use.

I have a 9-tray Excaliber.

Learn what you should blanch before dehydrating. Makes things much tastier with better texture when they're done. For awesome, simple hash browns, slice potatoes thinly and steam blanch them. Dry them until they're crisp. When time comes to cook them, put them in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Let them sit for 10 minutes, then cook them normally.

I pack my dehydrated stuff in canning jars, then use a jar sealer on my foodsaver to suck most of the air out. I've kept stuff for several years like this.

I really need to learn how to dehydrate scrambled eggs and non-jerky meats better for breakfast in the field. The sources are out there, but I just need to find the time and motivation to do it.

Just Jerky, by Mary Bell.

You'll have to overlook the annoying writing-for-idiots style, and forget about making fish jerky (reasons why I didn't give a link to new copies), but the other information is pretty good.

I love dried pineapple rings and dried pears, and dried mango is nice too.

Another tip: if you dry strawberries, dip them in a sugar syrup solution before drying, or sprinkle them with powdered sugar BEFORE drying. If you don't they get very sour as they dry

Other than jerky, etc. What are the day to day advantages of having one of these? Forgive my ignorance, since food prep is the weakest part of my SHTF skills. I tend to prep by buying non-perishables in bulk.

skb12172 wrote:Other than jerky, etc. What are the day to day advantages of having one of these? Forgive my ignorance, since food prep is the weakest part of my SHTF skills. I tend to prep by buying non-perishables in bulk.

It's one way to make things become non-perishable. I'd like to get one at some point.

The GF read this thread and now wants one for fruit and veggies. There are several varieties on Amazon and even the one in the OP has a user friendly price.