[New shoot]

Has anyone made one? Sounds like it is something I could get Mr S making, he's just finished a CNC router.

One of my preserving books suggests making one out of a small wooden cupboard with a few air holes drilled in the side and a lit 60 watt bulb inside.  You need to protect the bulb from any dripping juices and rig up some sort of racks to dry on as well. 

How long do you leave your pineapple NewShoot? I put mine on for 12 hours, 2mm thick and it comes out as crisps again, not leathery/sticky.

About the same, but you can vary the texture of stuff quite a bit depending on how you cut it.  Thin slices often dry as crisps, but I did the pineapple as small chunks and it is crispy on the outside and dry but slightly pliable in the centre.

If you do thicker pieces, you just have to judge it by trying a bit every now and then, until you get the result you want.  This was no great hardship with the pineapple    

I don't usually like dried tropical fruits as they are processed with sugar and are over sweet, but this is zingy and full of pineapple flavour 

[sunshineband]

I cut pineapple into half centimetre thick slices, which gives enough of a chew to be interesting but know it is dry enough to store. It was delicious and dry enough after 13 hrs, mainly on the middle trays

(I have the Lakeland model)

[Lardman]

Anyone tried a cucumber in there yet? I have a rather large one I missed. 

[snowdrops]

Has anyone made one? Sounds like it is something I could get Mr S making, he's just finished a CNC router.

One of my preserving books suggests making one out of a small wooden cupboard with a few air holes drilled in the side and a lit 60 watt bulb inside.  You need to protect the bulb from any dripping juices and rig up some sort of racks to dry on as well. 






Thanks, but might to put it on the back burner as we have put the house up for sale, might be a bit busy for awhile

[Madame Cholet]

Plum puree with a sprinkle of cinnamon hopefully some tasty fruit leather tomorrow.

[Paul Plots]

Just popped in for a nose... dehydrators sound very interesting and I love the idea of preserving home-grown food for later... I wondered if they might be very costly to run?

Shame Trillium's not about to ask as she was very keen on using one I believe.
Anyone else advise me about running costs v benefits?

PS. Found a build-your-own article in a magazine recently so guess that's why I'm here being nosey. 

[Madame Cholet]

mine is a 500w Paul so max its 7p an hour but the heating element is not on continuously just the fan. When i used it last year i did not notice a huge rise in my bill infact I only pay £12 a month once my standing charge is paid.

One the food is dried it takes no energy to store unlike a freezer so yes very cheap. I dried huge amounts of apples last year nearly 2 sweet jars full so the saving of food cost easily out weighs the running.

[surbie100]

My problem is keeping sticky little paws out of the jars when the stuff has been dried. It goes within the week and I am left with empty jars again! I need to find a place to hide them....

[Madame Cholet]

The plum leather is moorish

[gypsy]

Anyone tried a cucumber in there yet? I have a rather large one I missed. 

I did sliced cucumber yesterday, it will be ok for hot cucumber soup mid winter.

[gypsy]

I have been thinking about a dehydrator for a while but a couple of questions:

1. Does it hike up your electricity bill? All this talk of 12-14 hours switched on sounds expensive...

Hubby used his "gadget" and checked the leccy consumption of our round, 5 tray dehydrator, it is about 3p an hour.

[Madame Cholet]

damson and apple leather in at the minute with apple slices and gooseberries

[New shoot]

I think my last harvests of the year have made their way through the dehydrator now.  Apple chucks and chillies are all now dried and stashed.  4 huge jars of apple as OH likes to put in on his morning porridge.

As I was picking apples there was a lovely smell of fennel wafting round.  It was seeds from self seeded purple fennel plants, so a small bowl of these sat on top of the dehydrator while it was on.  They are tiny compared to shop bought, but so intense in smell and flavour.  The shop bought ones were ditched and the jar refilled with the homegrown ones 

I shall carry on with fruit from the supermarket and no doubt make some winterval gifts of candied orange peels and similar, but another sterling season of work from the trusty dehydrator 

[surbie100]

Piero eats the fruit almost as quickly as I can dehydrate it....I need somewhere to hide the jars or the dehydrator will never be put away.

Am doing more of the veggie crisps now - beetroot, parsnip, potato and kale.

[Comfreypatch]

I am very interested in the dehydrators which is the best to purchase? Some seem very expensive. Any advice would be very welcome.