Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Eating and Drinking => Kitchen Natter => Topic started by: Snoop on June 16, 2014, 15:40
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There's a fantastic thread on here about the first harvest of the year in a dehydrator and it's got me salivating over my yoghurt, just thinking of all the delights that could go in it to improve it.
But I live off grid, so before I go buying a dehydrator and making a potentially expensive mistake, what kind of features should I be looking for, how many watts are the ones you've all got, and how long do things take to do?
Is it feasible to dehydrate your own plums, apples and apricots?
Any other advice you'd give to the budding dehydrator?
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There was a thread last year which almost made me buy one, but it was such a pitiful pepper harvest I didn't bother. I'd also like to know, as like most things they seem to range from £20-200 :nowink:
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The only comment I have to make is don't by one with plastic shelves. My daughter did and it melted after a couple of goes. It could be that she overloaded it (she has a tendency to do things like that) or she could just have been unfortunate. However, she took it back and got her money back because the ones with metal shelves were much more expensive.
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This below was one thread last year and there was another around the same time where NewShoot showed us her dried "stash" but I can't find it.
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=107232.msg1203917#msg1203917 (http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=107232.msg1203917#msg1203917)
When you say off-grid do you mean you don't have electricity? If so, if your oven goes down really low then you can do things there.
But if it was just a figure of speech then Youtube has quite a few videos on dehydrating.
I've got one of the round cheap ones, because I wasn't sure about whether I would use it, or it would end up in the loft like BQ's. :nowink: Mine has plastic trays and a year later is still okay, but they do feel a bit delicate, and I think you have to treat them with respect. The more expensive square ones look better quality, and you can do leathers in those, I haven't figured out how to do them in the round one.
I've got the Mary Bell dehydrator book, but find I don't refer to it very often, everything gets bunged in for an indeterminate number of hours.
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My round one came with a plastic sheet for leathers or you can use cling film. If you are off grid cut your apples in rings and hang them over the stove.
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My round one came with a plastic sheet for leathers or you can use cling film. If you are off grid cut your apples in rings and hang them over the stove.
Can you get the plastic sheets elsewhere?
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I've not looked but I guess you can.
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I went with cheap and seen as it was in the roof in record time I am glad I did, its only just come back down and been re-tried
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An old thread about dehydrating :)
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=109302.msg1233029#msg1233029
even older one including 'stash' piccies :)
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=98007.0
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I went with cheap and seen as it was in the roof in record time I am glad I did, its only just come back down and been re-tried.
Yes mine is one of the cheaper round type it is light and easy to store away when not in use. Works ok, it has a heater and fan in the top and temp control, but I tend to use it on low all of the time.
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There's a fantastic thread on here about the first harvest of the year in a dehydrator and it's got me salivating over my yoghurt, just thinking of all the delights that could go in it to improve it.
But I live off grid, so before I go buying a dehydrator and making a potentially expensive mistake, what kind of features should I be looking for, how many watts are the ones you've all got, and how long do things take to do?
Is it feasible to dehydrate your own plums, apples and apricots?
Any other advice you'd give to the budding dehydrator?
Surely it would be better to use the sun? We did masses of peppers and toms last year by just laying them on a large tray and covering them with a net to keep the flies off. We are considering making some sort of structure this year even though we have an electric dehydrator. There are masses of ideas on line, if you want to use any glass or whatever you may have lying around, if you type in something like making a solar dehdrator with perspex/glass/whatever you might find something. Also youtube has lots on.
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Thanks everyone and especially Tosca. We have solar panels and batteries for electricity, so we do have electricity but I'm always very careful about power demands. Hence the question about how many watts home dehydrators might consume and how long items might take to dry.
I've looked at solar dehydrators on the Web, but Mr. Snoop is always very concerned about food hygiene, so I was looking for something he might feel comfortable with. I was thinking about canning, but the cost of canners and getting enough jars quickly mounted up and given the number of years I'd be doing it (the canners weigh a ton, not literally but certainly would feel like it given my arthritis), it doesn't seem worth it. Dehydrating looks like a good way to go for me.
Have checked out the website recommended on earlier threads (thanks New Shoot - no idea why they didn't come up on my searches) and am amazed at Dehydrate2Store. This looks like an amazing source of info.
Thanks again.
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Snoop, I also have arthritis and last year, my first here, I was thrown into the deep end as here canning is a way of life. With the help of a book and youtube I taught myself and we still have a good twenty bottles of vegetable sauces, passata, tomato sauce and fruit in the cellar. It need not be too expensive to bottle your toms and such, and they taste amazing. I bought a relatively cheap enamel pan which takes a large number of bottles depending on size (found a load in the shed, more came from the weekly market) I also have a largish camping stove which runs on propane and have it outside because of the heat. I leave the pan to cool before emptying it if OH is out. The veg for sauces are cooked on a barbie with wood before peeling as we have nowhere to put a free standing wood fire, if we did have we would use that instead of gas. The only time you need a canner is for meat when you have to pressure cook it (I think...don't eat meat) otherwise you either buy lidded bottles and get new lids from the market or even supermarket or bottles which use a thin disposable clamp on lid, the clamp costs pennies. It's probably similar in Spain, after all not everyone has a freezer.
What I have learned from last year is to do a lot more of things I use a lot of like whole plum tomatoes so I am growing more, less tomato sauce as it's a faff when you can use the whole toms, and to reduce the lutinitsa (pureed, cooked, aubergine, pepper and tomato sauce, great for quick soups, casseroles, baked beans etc) and more straight fruit in light syrup, like pears and peaches, delicious and much nicer than frozen.
Back on topic, the sun dried toms were bottled in cheap olive oil (hot) and the peppers kept as standby as I had frozen peppers whole and didn't always need them all. I thought of bottling them but I don't use enough so marinated them as and when I wanted them like that. This year i am going to sweet pickle/brine more veg as salady snacky stuff which is also common here. Even if we went back to the UK (heaven forbid!) I would still bottle and dry stuff. The main hygeine thing is to keep flies off and to make sure, if you bottle your dried toms and garlic, you use heat to avoid any problems.
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My round one came with a plastic sheet for leathers or you can use cling film. If you are off grid cut your apples in rings and hang them over the stove.
Can you get the plastic sheets elsewhere?
I used an oven liner sheet from Aldi, cut to shape, and a jar of apple sauce past its best-by date. The resulting "leather" is absolutely scrummy, but a tad unmanageable. I cut it into slices and rolled it up and shook some caster sugar over to stop it from sticking together. It was nicer without the sugar but I couldn't think of any other thing that would work.
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Apples are good for sweetening more tart fruit
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So do you go square or round? And what is the best minimum temperature to look for? Some start at 35C others at 40C. Do you need a timer? Do they need lots of space around them for airflow or can they be shoved in a corner?
Not many of the dehydrators on the other links are still available, and with all this talk of how tasty dehydrated fruit is, I WANT ONE!
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Mine's round, but I see that the same manufacturer now does a square one (Andrew James) for about the same price as I paid last year. The round ones seem to have come down in price both on Amazon and Lakeland. I find with the plastic trays small fruits fall through, and being round, the trays aren't so easy to line with cling film or paper, as a square one would be.
The square ones are generally much more expensive.
Temperature settings: I mostly do fruit or veg so mine's always in the middle around 50/55, and I have never needed to change it much, although I turn it down sometimes if they aren't far off being done and I have to leave it. A timer would be quite useful then, but as I am around most of the time I just use a kitchen timer if I need to. If you are going to dry things like meat or fish I think you need the different temperature settings.
Mine is parked on the utility room bench, shoved in a corner when not in use, pulled forward when on, it gets quite warm and the space needed for it is a consideration. You need space for the machine and space beside it so you can fill and empty the trays. I had to do some reorganisation to get it fitted in (ie chuck some clutter out!)
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My tuppence worth, in order of asking :
Square or round - dunno - mine is round, but I can see a square one would make lining trays easier. I use baking paper folded into a triangle, then cut to fit and the point trimmed off so it fits over the central air well of my machine.
If you want to dry herbs, one that starts at 35C would be best. 40C can turn herbs brown as they dry.
Timer - don't think you have to have one. Its better to judge by the texture of the finished product than rely on a time as it varies on each batch you do.
Space - if you get one with a fan (which I would recommend) it doesn't rely on air flow so much, but they do generate a fair bit of warm air. I use mine near a window that I can keep open or they can make the house warm over summer.
Not that I am trying to add to the dehydrator frenzy :nowink:, but the other good thing about home dried fruit is that you can customise your end result to suit you. Dipping in fruit juice prior to drying stops oxidation and adds flavour or sprinkling with spices - cinnamon and apple are as good as they sound. I have also read that storing the dried apple with brown sugar cubes mean they take on a whole new taste. Not tried that one yet, but intending to this autumn :)
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I use baking paper folded into a triangle, then cut to fit and the point trimmed off so it fits over the central air well of my machine.
Doh! Why didn't I think of that? :nowink: :blush:
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I have my moments ;) Not many, but I have them :lol:
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The whole temperature thing is what made me a bit unsure about using a solar dehydrator. As a start, a solar one would be my best bet, but it looks all too easy to turn out frazzled fruit and veg because they get so hot.
Amazon.co.uk has some very good prices on the Andrew James dehydrators (rectangular with six levels at 40 pounds and round with five at 30 instead of getting on for a hundred) at the moment for surbie anyone who's interested...
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Right, have pushed the button. In case it's handy, ebay is cheaper than amazon for most of them. Have gone for the cheaper round Andrew James, just in case dehydrating and I don't get on.
Honestly you lot are terrible influences. First seedaholism, now this, whatever you call it! :nowink: :D
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It's the seeds, they're a gateway habit :lol:
Id got my eye on that one for £30 inc delivery, Im wrestling with the decision though as it looks like that pants compost has seen off my hot peppers :mad:
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I can send you my home dried scotch bonnet chilli flakes if you like. They are so hot, we can't eat them :lol:
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I can send you my home dried scotch bonnet chilli flakes if you like. They are so hot, we can't eat them :lol:
I said hot peppers Shoots :lol: They were my Trinidad scorpion and bhut jolokia plants I miss getting my sweat on :D
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It's the seeds, they're a gateway habit :lol:
:lol: :lol:
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I can send you my home dried scotch bonnet chilli flakes if you like. They are so hot, we can't eat them :lol:
I said hot peppers Shoots :lol: They were my Trinidad scorpion and bhut jolokia plants I miss getting my sweat on :D
Yowzers! :ohmy:
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Caved in today and also ordered one. :blush: You lot are such a bad influence on me. ::)
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Caved in today and also ordered one. :blush: You lot are such a bad influence on me. ::)
Hurrah! :D
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we don't have shares honest :D
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Honestly you lot are terrible influences. First seedaholism, now this, whatever you call it! :nowink: :D
Gadgetosis.
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Gadgetosis.
:lol: :lol: :lol:
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Successes so far: courgette crisps (with black pepper, lemon & salt), pineapple, apple (with lemon and cinnamon) and strawberries.
Not so nice - banana slices. And underripe Bramleys, which I tried to palm off on Small Child as apple sours. :nowink:
Trying watermelon and cooked spuds next - I'd like a baked-style crisp.
Definitely the best gadget I've bought in a while!
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Watermelon is very moreish, I have had to do a load more. I think they have it around all the time to keep them hydrated, but i much prefer to drink water and dry the watermelon. Yellow melon dries crispier quicker.
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Caved in today and also ordered one. :blush: You lot are such a bad influence on me. ::)
Hurrah! :D
*shakes head*
So easily led you two!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Hmmmm.... :)
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:tongue2:
Given the products taste so good I don't mind being weak-willed. :D
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:tongue2:
Given the products taste so good I don't mind being weak-willed. :D
:lol: :lol: :lol:
Saves on wastage too I guess ;) :)
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*shakes head*
So easily led you two!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
It was cheaper than another freezer :lol: In my defence I was going to buy one back in 2006 when I last had a decent chilli harvest and didn't get round to it.
At least it's being put to good use, there's another courgette in there at the moment and I have some tomato skins to go in later today.
Come over to the dark side - you know you want to really.
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*shakes head*
So easily led you two!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
It was cheaper than another freezer :lol: In my defence I was going to buy one back in 2006 when I last had a decent chilli harvest and didn't get round to it.
At least it's being put to good use, there's another courgette in there at the moment and I have some tomato skins to go in later today.
Come over to the dark side - you know you want to really.
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Ah but I want the passata maker more :)
Been after one for years - but my toms have never been as good as this years ;)
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Ah but I want the passata maker more :)
* evil laugh * buy them both ;)
Im struggling to justify the passata maker .... but if this year is a good chilli year, next year I can fill both greenhouses with tomatoes - and then I couldn't possibly manager without - could I :blush:
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:lol: :lol:
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Hubby was going to buy me a dehydrator from Lakeland when we were up there in July but I said no coz I think it will be one of those gadgets that ends up in the cupboard. Reading your posts I wish I had bought it now.
Is the Lakeland one any good or is there a cheaper and better one out there. I am feeling the urge :wacko:
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Mine has been dispatched! Excited now.....
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Hello I'm Rachel and I suffer from gadgetosis just bought a halogen oven reduced from £99 to £34.99 in BM
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Hello I'm Rachel and I suffer from gadgetosis
Snap!
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Hello I'm Rachel and I suffer from gadgetosis
Snap!
:lol: :lol: :lol:
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It's arrived :) really want to start using it now as I have some courgettes and raspberries..... But I know the sensible thing is to wait until tomorrow morning when I can spend most of the day watching it.....
I have no patience!
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Fill it with courgettes overnight... :D
I may be committing heresy but I didn't like dried raspberries. All pips and powder.
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What did you think of the watermelon Surbie? Mine is nearly finished, but have tasted it a couple of times so far and I can't make my mind up whether I like it or not :wacko:
I've got halved black grapes in there as well as they needed using up. They are lovely :D
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I so want to surbie but thought I should be around for most of the time when it is first on in case the machine is faulty or something?
Can you do 2 different things at the same time? So could I do a few shelves of courgette and a few of strawberries for example?
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yes if you are sensible not smelly food like onions
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Well the dehydrator is on - decided to just do strawberries for the first go so I can judge it better. Easy enough to programme the temp and time (can only do the temp in 5c steps which is annoying tho). Fairly quiet apart from the beeps to set it up - piercing! Why does everything have to beep?! It absolutely stinks if 'new plastic' at the moment so I am hoping that will go soon and not 'contaminate' the strawberries
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What did you think of the watermelon Surbie? Mine is nearly finished, but have tasted it a couple of times so far and I can't make my mind up whether I like it or not :wacko:
I've got halved black grapes in there as well as they needed using up. They are lovely :D
Small Child ate the watermelon... ::) Got mine filled with pineapple, apple rings next, then strawberries if I can find some cheapish ones.
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The watermelon got a lot better once it was out of the dehydrator. The heat was keeping the texture very soft and that is what was putting me off. When cool it has a nice chewy texture and tastes fine :)
I have eaten half of the grapes already ::) They are so full of zingy flavour compared to shop bought sultanas or currants :D
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How do you know when stuff is 'done'? I've had the strawberries in for 9 1/2 hours and I think they're done so turned them off. They are quite 'chewy' - Is that right or should I have done it for longer? I guess I was kind of expecting them to go like the freeze dried ones?
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How do you know when stuff is 'done'? I've had the strawberries in for 9 1/2 hours and I think they're done so turned them off. They are quite 'chewy' - Is that right or should I have done it for longer? I guess I was kind of expecting them to go like the freeze dried ones?
As long as they are dry inside when you tear one open, they are done. If you leave them for longer, they will continue to dry and go crispier. The ones I did are crispy on the outside, but have a chewy texture within.
The higher the sugar content, the more chewy the eventual result. Raspberries go more like the freeze dried ones you find in Jordan's cereal. Pineapple and melon chunks, which I have tried recently, are again crispy on the surface, but chewy within. Halved grapes have ended up with a pliable texture and a chew to them, but the flavour is amazing :)
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Thanks for that, really helpful. My slices were too thin to have a 'dry within' lol. I ended up putting them in for another hour to make sure and they didn't really change so must have been ok.
Going to try courgette crisps overnight tonight I think.
One more question (sorry) my strawberry slices 'stuck' to the shelves and I had to pull/peel them off - is that normal?
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Nothing I have done has ended up like the bought dried things, some better some worse. The bought foods have extra things done and added, I think.
My things stick to the trays too. I used some baking paper as a liner, but that was a big mistake as I think that is what has led to the trays cracking. I think it interfered with the circulation of heat and the bottom trays have got too hot. One of the trays has completely disintegrated now. :(
Maybe a rub over with frylite might help stop it sticking.
Try beetroot crisps, they are very nice indeed.
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One more question (sorry) my strawberry slices 'stuck' to the shelves and I had to pull/peel them off - is that normal?
Yes perfectly normal :)
You can use a really thin layer of cooking spray as Annen says, but I just usually peel stuff off. If it gets really stuck, put the tray into the freezer until the food freezes and try again :)
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That's great. They were easy enough to peel off but just thought I would check that it didn't mean they were over/under done etc. I love beetroot crisps so as soon as some of mine get big enough.... (They were really slow to get going on the plot this year and are just bigger than golf balls at the moment)
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you lot are bad influences! I've been umming and ahhing about buying one for a while, now I've had to order one. :nowink:. Can't wait for it to arrive :)
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:lol: :lol: :lol:
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you lot are bad influences! I've been umming and ahhing about buying one for a while, now I've had to order one. :nowink: . Can't wait for it to arrive :)
You won't regret it :) Well, not straight away.... :nowink:
I've had mine for a year now and am devastated at the thought of not having it (trays have cracked, my own fault I think)
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Was given half a bucket of small figs yesterday so trying a couple of trays them now. The neighbour gives us them in syrup which are excrutiatingly sweet so end up hidden in the cellar.
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You lot really are a bad influence, just pressed the button and I should have it by Thursday.
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you lot are bad influences! I've been umming and ahhing about buying one for a while, now I've had to order one. :nowink: . Can't wait for it to arrive :)
You won't regret it :) Well, not straight away.... :nowink:
I've had mine for a year now and am devastated at the thought of not having it (trays have cracked, my own fault I think)
Can you buy replacements or repair using something dehydrator netting sheets?
See: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dehydrator-Netting-Sheets-Trim-Pack/dp/B00EYNFO78/ref=pd_rhf_cr_s_cp_4_CACD?ie=UTF8&refRID=0XFCT77A89CCZ9C09JJH
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Can you buy replacements or repair using something dehydrator netting sheets?
See: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dehydrator-Netting-Sheets-Trim-Pack/dp/B00EYNFO78/ref=pd_rhf_cr_s_cp_4_CACD?ie=UTF8&refRID=0XFCT77A89CCZ9C09JJH (http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?action=seored;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.co.uk%2FDehydrator-Netting-Sheets-Trim-Pack%2Fdp%2FB00EYNFO78%2Fref%3Dpd_rhf_cr_s_cp_4_CACD%3Fie%3DUTF8%26amp%3BrefRID%3D0XFCT77A89CCZ9C09JJH)
At the moment they are held together with string and duct tape, but bits fall out every time I pick them up. Andrew James are very kindly giving me 2 free trays and I am waiting for their price on more replacement trays. I have thought about netting of different kinds but it is the rims that have cracked and they just snap, and I think you would need the rim to fasten any netting to. If they are expensive to replace then I will just have to look at whether it is worth it or if I should upgrade to a sturdier one.
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Somewhere on this site I have seen a couple of books mentioned about using dehydrators. I cannot find them now. Can someone either give me a link or the title and author of the books please
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I certainly won't be buying a dehydrator this year - I'm very very poor :(
Can't have a passata maker either :(
I'm in a whingey poorly mood tonight :(
Sorry :lol:
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Somewhere on this site I have seen a couple of books mentioned about using dehydrators. I cannot find them now. Can someone either give me a link or the title and author of the books please
I've got Mary Bell's Complete Dehydrator Cook Book, which is and oldish book but quite comprehensive. US measures, of course, so you have to get used to that.
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I've got the Mary Bell book as well and would agree its oldish, but very comprehensive.
She explains all about the process and what affects the results, as well as giving instructions on how to dry everything from plain fruit and veg, to creating jerky, leathers, powders, putting together dried foods to make full recipes and even making dried dog treats.
If you like learning about new stuff like this, it does give you a good springboard to start experimenting on your own :)
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Thanks for your help, I am another convert. :lol:
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There's lots of info on the web too :D I've got the Mary bell Book if any one wants it for the coast of postage
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Thanks for the offer but I just ordered a copy.
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:D :D It has arrived, I have washed it and switched it on to get rid of the plastic smell. What do you reckon I should do for the maiden voyage? courgette, cucumber, melon, toms, runners?
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I certainly won't be buying a dehydrator this year - I'm very very poor :(
Can't have a passata maker either :(
I'm in a whingey poorly mood tonight :(
Sorry :lol:
Have you ever tried drying things in your oven? I have a dehydrator but actually prefer to use my oven set at its lowest temp setting. It's usually recommended to open the door a smidgen periodically to allow for air flow. I used this method to dry basil, garlic and oregano in about 20 mins. I may tray it with chilli peepers next by slicing them thinly and putting them on parchment paper.
P.S. Until you can get a passata machine, could you bring your toms to a boil, cool slightly, put them in a blender or food processor and then just sieve it ???
It seems like the more I grow the more gadgets I find would be useful to have. That definitely adds up quickly !
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Right then its here and we cant wait to get started but haven't got a clue.
I am sure someone put a link up a while back of a lady on youtube and she dehydrated everything and it was very informative.
Has anyone got any good links for us to look at please?
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This is the link: http://www.dehydrate2store.com/ (http://www.dehydrate2store.com/)
(saved in my favourites)
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Thanks surbie you are a star.
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I just bought a new dehydrator!
The trays on my first one all cracked and bits started falling off. String and duct tape held the inevitable at bay for a while, but no...
I was going to upgrade and get one with stainless steel trays, but then I saw the Excalibur 4 tray on offer for only a little more and went for it. They have a good reputation and it seems a good deal stronger than the Andrew James (it is 5 times the price, mind!)but I'm hoping it will last longer than 13 months.
Beetroot crisps in as we speak