Educate me on food dehydrators

[Evan B]

on the cheap, too! I'm kind of looking at classifieds for a used "good enough" food dehydrator that I plan to mostly use to dry chili peppers I grow in the garden. Wanting to start using some to make chili powders and whatnot.

So it will pretty much just get used for things like that and fruits. What should I be looking for? I have neither used one or researched them even a little bit.

 

[wanderingrichard]

Let me talk this over with wife. We have one we got for free that we don't use and is taking up space . And yes it works.

Also, check this book

The Ultimate Dehydrator Cookbook: The Complete Guide to Drying Food, Plus 398 Recipes, Including Making Jerky, Fruit Leather & Just-Add-Water Meals https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N9F39EM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apan_366HNF3ENDSDF45RKQWV

The easy part is buying the machine. The expensive part is all the accessories and additional kitchen tools you'll start massing if you get into making your own jerky, or dehydrating your other vegetables and vacuum sealing them...

 

[Evan B]

Let me talk this over with wife. We have one we got for free that we don't use and is taking up space . And yes it works.

Also, check this book

The Ultimate Dehydrator Cookbook: The Complete Guide to Drying Food, Plus 398 Recipes, Including Making Jerky, Fruit Leather & Just-Add-Water Meals https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N9F39EM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apan_366HNF3ENDSDF45RKQWV

The easy part is buying the machine. The expensive part is all the accessories and additional kitchen tools you'll start massing if you get into making your own jerky, or dehydrating your other vegetables and vacuum sealing them...

I don't think I'm in too much danger of it getting out of hand. it'll just be used for veggies.

 

[wanderingrichard]

All good .
Wife says shes ok with passing it on... lets take this private for personal details

 

[TDub]

I'm no expert, but I bought the round stacking type when I was dehydrating for a bit, and I always wished I had the drawer type for ease of use. It's not that complicated, of course, and you can spend a lot or a little, just like everything else. Cheap will get it done though.

 

[M_D]

I have one of these...

I've had it for a while and think I paid about $60 for it at a local sporting goods store. But it sounds like you'll be getting something for free so you're on your way.

I guess it all depends how much you're gonna use it for, but I haven't spent a bunch of money on extras. I do a lot of dried fruit and store the dried stuff in mason jars. I haven't had any spoil yet and I've got some fruit that is probably 6 months or 10 months old.

If you like fruit, this is the perfect time of year...pick up whatever is on sale at the store and dry it. Bananas are awesome....get the cut and bruised ones for a 20 cents a pound and go to town...they're like taffy. Watermelon is awesome. Mango is suhwheeet! Nectarines? Yum!. Maybe the only fruits I haven't liked so far is blueberry fruit leather and cantaloupe...otherwise it's all good.

I will dip or float the cut up fruit in some fresca or sprite before placing it on the drying racks. I can't remember what the magic chemical is...vitamin c or the carbonation, but it will keep the fruit from turning too brown as it dries. You can use diluted lemon juice as an alternative.

I've got some sun dried/dehydrated tomatoes that have been in mason jars since January or February and I have no concern of spoilage. I haven't done many other veggies but I can only guess it would be pretty easy. I also have dried spices my wife grows or extra parsley from the store and keep them in jars, too.

I've done ground meat jerky a bunch and yes it's easier with a jerky gun but it can also be done with a couple of 1/4 inch slats ( or some sort of spacer) and a rolling pin. I did it this way for quite a while before finding a good jerky gun at our local Valu Village/Thrift shop. I usually store excess jerky in the freezer in ziploc bags until I'm about ready to use it. And then I'll keep a bag at room temp for a month or three. Ground beef works well. My last batch was ground chicken with turned out kinda papery thin...so the next time I'll try adding some bread crumbs or something to thicken....but otherwise it's pretty good stuff.

My son borrowed ( and never returned...darn kids) my first dehydrator....like in the photo. He's made his own dried meals for backpacking....like chili and was happy with the end product.

I'm sure you'll get it figured out and if not, like anything else, the internet is full of instructional videos. One thing I've thought about but haven't noticed a problem yet is where do all the dried vapors go. Cuz when I'm doing a batch of fruit, the whole house will smell of whatever I'm drying. I can only guess the sugars are sticking to the walls and so maybe in 50 years it'll be like walking into a smokers house...you'll see the residue the corners or where the walls join the ceiling.

Have fun

 

[Josh]

I have this one:

https://amzn.to/3yhFtOH

It was well reviewed and got hot enough to do turkey jerky safely. I've been happy with it.

I initially bought one of the ones similar to @M_D (different brand though) but it didn't get up to the proper safe temp for beef jerky, so I returned it.

 

[Evan B]

I have this one:

https://amzn.to/3yhFtOH

View attachment 19723

It was well reviewed and got hot enough to do turkey jerky safely. I've been happy with it.

I initially bought one of the ones similar to @M_D (different brand though) but it didn't get up to the proper safe temp for beef jerky, so I returned it.

Yeah, since I don't eat beef, not too worried about that kind of ability

But that's a smart hack for you to get salt-less jerkey. Not like that'd be something you could ever buy.

 

[Mossback]

We have 2.
One is a 4 or 5 shelf Excalibur that is small, compact, and does a decent job on small scale drying jobs. It gets used a lot, as its petfect for small batch stuff, and herbs that we harvest regularly. Did rhubarb this spring, works fine, just takes a bit...not very noisy.
We do peppers in it, as well as herbs, fruits and tomatoes. Its small, so is easily set on a shelf in the garage, a full load of peppers takes a few days.Comes with fruit leather mats for the shelves, not my thing but have to admit, when it gets made I eat the hell out of it cuz its good.

The other one is a Weston, its about the size of a large wine fridge, a bit over 3' tall and has a bunch of racks...probably 16 or so.
Its very nice and can really produce in quantity.
It sits in the garage also, and since we picked it up used for about 100 bucks, was a no brainer deal, they are 500 plus new.
For large scale stuff this is great. We have filled it with sliced tomatoes and in a couple days they are ready for packing in oil, another day and the can be blitzed into powder and put in jars. (Tomato powder is a great ingredient to have on hand)
Apples, cherries(we do 50 plus lbs. every year) and pretty much anything you can fit on a shelf will be done given enough time. Clear door so you can see your stuff, which is nice. Lots of settings for temp and time, so no need to mess with it, set it and when it stops check it, can always add moe time, but is suprisingly accurate.
Humidity plays a role, winter dehydrating takes a bit longer of course.
A bit noisier that the Excalibur, but so much better for bulk that its worth it. Being in the garage the additional noise is no big deal.
Recommend both manufacturers here, never had an issue with either one.

 

[M_D]

We have 2.
One is a 4 or 5 shelf Excalibur that is small, compact, and does a decent job on small scale drying jobs. It gets used a lot, as its petfect for small batch stuff, and herbs that we harvest regularly. Did rhubarb this spring, works fine, just takes a bit...not very noisy.
We do peppers in it, as well as herbs, fruits and tomatoes. Its small, so is easily set on a shelf in the garage, a full load of peppers takes a few days.Comes with fruit leather mats for the shelves, not my thing but have to admit, when it gets made I eat the hell out of it cuz its good.

The other one is a Weston, its about the size of a large wine fridge, a bit over 3' tall and has a bunch of racks...probably 16 or so.
Its very nice and can really produce in quantity.
It sits in the garage also, and since we picked it up used for about 100 bucks, was a no brainer deal, they are 500 plus new.
For large scale stuff this is great. We have filled it with sliced tomatoes and in a couple days they are ready for packing in oil, another day and the can be blitzed into powder and put in jars. (Tomato powder is a great ingredient to have on hand)
Apples, cherries(we do 50 plus lbs. every year) and pretty much anything you can fit on a shelf will be done given enough time. Clear door so you can see your stuff, which is nice. Lots of settings for temp and time, so no need to mess with it, set it and when it stops check it, can always add moe time, but is suprisingly accurate.
Humidity plays a role, winter dehydrating takes a bit longer of course.
A bit noisier that the Excalibur, but so much better for bulk that its worth it. Being in the garage the additional noise is no big deal.
Recommend both manufacturers here, never had an issue with either one.

What do you do with….or how do you use tomato powder?

I’m just starting to up my cooking game

 

[Mossback]

We put it in soups and stews, anything where you want some sweetness in a savory dish. Mexican, Italian, Indian...goes well with a ton of foods we like.
Mixed with a bit of water you have tomato paste.
Since we grew our own tomatoes, we had plenty to work with.

---

 

[M_D]

Thanks

 

[Zak]

My son got this one and seems happy with it:
Commercial Chef Food Dehydrator, Dehydrator For Food And Jerky, CCD100W6, 280 Watts, White https://a.co/d/60ziHpU