what do you dehydrate?

[nanagail]

I know this probably sounds silly but what all can you dehydrate? My son told me that he thought I'd like a food dehydrator for Christmas. I told him I didn't think I could make use of one. I've only heard of making deer jerky and drying fruit like apples, bananas, etc. I saw where some of you were talking about sun-drying things. I'd like to know about that too. I remember reading Laura Ingalls Wilder's journals and she talked about drying the corn, and peas. Hope this makes sense. I'd really like to learn more ways to preserve our food. I think things are going to get a lot worse before they get better and we're on a tight budget. My husband works for the car industry. I'm on disability. The car industry is usually the first to cut when times get bad. My husband heard on the radio that some top economic advisers think we're going into a DEPRESSION worse than the first ever thought about being. Any help you can give me, I'd sure appreciate it. Gail

[Emerald]

I have dehydrated lots of different stuff-- from my herbs to my onions to greenbeans etc.. the good thing about using dehydrating to keep your produce is that once it is totally dry you can pack it into your old canning jars or even vacuum pack stuff and it will last almost forever!! You don't have to worry if it will spoil (not that I have ever had any of my canned stuff go bad), or that you will lose power and then have all the stuff in your freezer go bad. that kind of thing.. There are many good books at the library about dehydrating stuff and how to do it the right way so as to have it retain all the good nutriants and colors. I loved reading all the little house on the praire books. I have wanted to try roasting corn and then dehydrating it to pack- it is supposed to be the best tasting stuff to just add to casseroles and such. I will be trying to do lots of tomatoes this year-- I am going to dry to make a powdered tomato bullion to add to stews and for extra flavor in my taco seasoning mix.
you can just google dehydrating and there are many good sites about how to do it and what to dry..:)

[roygee]

Tomatoes, peppers, squash, melon, apples, pears, peaches, apricots, herbs.

[tashak]

Look at the prices on bulk dehydrated survivalist sites, and see the variety of stuff you can dehydrate from your garden for the cost of the seed, etc. and ziplock bags inside old glass jars. Lot less expensive, and you can do small batches as the produce ripens.
Are you thinking solar dehydrator, electric dehydrator, or hanging net with trays dehydrator? How humid is your climate, and how big is your garden?
One of my favorites is a soup/stew mix of many gardenstuffs--it is really versatile.

[Denninmi]

Oh, all kinds of things. I just love my dehydrator. The last thing I did with it, a few weeks back, was some ginger root, bought fresh on special for $0.79 a lb, because I couldn't find any powdered dry ginger at a price I was willing to pay (I'm NOT paying four or five dollars for a little tiny jar of a spice because it's a name brand, and no store brand was available).

I've pretty much dried the same things listed above, but especially a lot of apples, pears, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, herbs.

Cucumbers, believe it or not, make a great snack when dried -- cut them about 1/3 inch thick, season if desired with salt, pepper, a pinch of sugar, and herbs if you like, dill, onion powder, garlic powder, also a little sour salt or powdered dried lemon juice if you like -- sort of like a dehydrated, crispy pickle snack thing.

[tashak]

I've also used those new plastic peanut butter jars for storing small quantities of dehydrated stuff, including strawberries, carrots, bell peppers, potatoes, hot peppers, celery, etc.
Less worry if the frequent recent little and midsize quakes this year escalate and something topples over. (One reason I use the ziplock bags inside the glass canning jars for dehydrated stuff, in hopes that if jar breaks, ziplock and contents might remain intact.
You can also store lots of ziplock dehydrated in those big metal popcorn tins or 5 gal. lidded white plastic buckets; just be sure to keep a running list of what is inside each to make it easier to find what you want.

[Denninmi]

I keep most of my dehydrated stuff in the freezer or the refrigerator, ever since I had a problem with Indian meal moths from some contaminated dogfood a few years back -- that way, it's guaranteed that no worms, weevils, beetles, etc. will get into it.

[bluesolaise]

Hi Nanagail - I say, go for it! What a great gift to be offered!

If you grow any kind of fruit or vegetable I'm sure you'll find a use for the dehydrator. I've been dehydrating for several years now & plan to do a lot more. Partly because of the cost of running a freezer; also, because dehydrated foods take up little space, whereas my freezer never seems to be quite large enough; and also, because I've had two experiences with power outages that caused me to have to deal with a whole bunch of soggy food. Not fun!

And - it is so gratifying to just reach into the cupboard & grab a handful of this & that, add to boiling water & voila - homemade vegetable soup!


Dennis - those cucumber chips sound wonderful! Do they keep well?

Also, those of you who dehydrate onions - I haven't tried this because "the book" says they're hard to keep dry (they kind of attract moisture from the air, or something like that) - have you had any problems with this?

I'm beginning to think "the book" isn't as brilliant as I first thought; it says dehydrated eggplant is very poor - but we've found it to be excellent.

[Denninmi]

Um, like anything, the cucumbers stay crisp IF they're really tightly sealed -- three layers seems to be the trick -- small ziplocks inside larger ziplock inside of a big jar or plastic storage container.

No problem with onions, same as above in terms of keeping them from picking up moisture. One word of advice -- dry onions or hot peppers outdoors, in an outbuilding, etc., or your whole house will smell and your eyes will burn.

As for your book, well, everyone has different likes and dislikes. Do what you like. I tried eggplant once, and I thought the reconstituted slices worked out just fine for eggplant parmesan.

[nanagail]

I think my son was talking about the electric ones at Wal-Mart. So, you just add water when you want to eat the stuff? Except for the apples and things you're just going to snack on?

[Emerald]

No problem with onions, same as above in terms of keeping them from picking up moisture. One word of advice -- dry onions or hot peppers outdoors, in an outbuilding, etc., or your whole house will smell and your eyes will burn.


Whoopsy!! You're a little too late with that helpful hint Dennis!!:D:DI dried habeneros and yellow aji peppers and had to vacate the kitchen for the nite!! Talk about pepper spray!:eek:

[RozieDozie]

Nanagail, I use dehydrated veggies and fruit in cooking. Yes, basically you add water and hydrate them or else put them in soups, stews, etc. Rehydrated apples and apricots make great fried pies. I stew them a while with a little sweetener.

I smoke my tomatoes on our smoker and then dehydrate them. Smoked red peppers are good, too, and can be canned or dehydrated (remove pepper skins). I'm going to experiment with more smoking and then drying this season because I love the taste smoking adds to veggies.

[Emerald]

Nanagail, I use dehydrated veggies and fruit in cooking. Yes, basically you add water and hydrate them or else put them in soups, stews, etc. Rehydrated apples and apricots make great fried pies. I stew them a while with a little sweetener.

I smoke my tomatoes on our smoker and then dehydrate them. Smoked red peppers are good, too, and can be canned or dehydrated (remove pepper skins). I'm going to experiment with more smoking and then drying this season because I love the taste smoking adds to veggies.

My son loves the red peppers that come in the Jar in the specialty area in the store.(2.99 a jar :eek:) do you have to pressure can them due to the low acid?

[RozieDozie]

My son loves the red peppers that come in the Jar in the specialty area in the store.(2.99 a jar :eek:) do you have to pressure can them due to the low acid?

Emerald, yes, the peppers do have to be pressure canned. First I roast them a bit (either in the oven or on the grill, until the skin blisters), then I put them into a plastic bag while they are hot. After a minute or two the skin will slip right off. I pack them in half pint or pint sterilized jars with a little pickling salt and boiling water and then I pressure can them. They taste better than the store bought ones and sure are cheaper!

Another thing I do with them is slip off the skin and then put them into a jar with olive oil and some roasted garlic. They will keep in the fridge that way for quite a while. The peppers and garlic flavor the oil, too, and it makes a delicious salad dressing when mixed with 1 part cider vinegar, 2 parts of the flavored oil, salt and pepper.

[countrygma]

I know this probably sounds silly but what all can you dehydrate? My son told me that he thought I'd like a food dehydrator for Christmas. I told him I didn't think I could make use of one. I've only heard of making deer jerky and drying fruit like apples, bananas, etc. I saw where some of you were talking about sun-drying things. I'd like to know about that too. I remember reading Laura Ingalls Wilder's journals and she talked about drying the corn, and peas. Hope this makes sense. I'd really like to learn more ways to preserve our food. I think things are going to get a lot worse before they get better and we're on a tight budget. My husband works for the car industry. I'm on disability. The car industry is usually the first to cut when times get bad. My husband heard on the radio that some top economic advisers think we're going into a DEPRESSION worse than the first ever thought about being. Any help you can give me, I'd sure appreciate it. Gail

I'm wanting to get a dehydrator because we want to stay on about an 80% raw diet. I have lots of interesting sounding recipes with sprouted grains that are used for bread, crackers, etc.. and they are put in a dehydrator rather than an oven to keep them raw.

I would also do fruit.

[Emerald]

Thanks RozieDozie!! I have roasted my peppers for years, but didn't really like the way they tasted when I froze them- without the skin they just fall to mush, ok in the sauce but not on a sandwich. I have smoked some jalipenos and froze them and they were ok in chili. But I think I will try your way of canning them, and see if the boychild will like them..:D

[evilsunflower]

I dehydrated a bunch of cherry tomatoes last year and highly recommend them. They're great for adding to pasta sauces, pizza, salad and make very delicious snacking. We just cut them in half and spread them out on the dehydrator rack. They didn't quite dry out completely, so I kept them in the freezer, just to be safe. They were like raisins, in tomato form.

I also really like dried apples and bananas for snacking on.

[reubenT]

I built a wood fired dryer, one that would handle several bushels of stuff at one time, run a lot of stuff through it but got tired of feeding the fire. So last year I bought a commercial model from cabelas (1/3 the size of the one i made) Besides all the garden stuff and wild berries we dry, (a lot of black berries and wine berries) Every time one of us comes across some bargain overripe sale or something we can buy the whole lot and dry it. Bananas dried whole make great snacking. We live in the humid SE and I find we have problems with certain things, tomatoes is one, they either need nearly cooking temp or a lot of air moving around them to get them dry fast enough to keep from spoiling. most small cheaper driers can't do it.

[pepperhead212]

Tons of peppers (so many I am reducing this year's planting, so I can have more room for others!), and tomatoes, when I have enough. One thing I found good to do with dried tomatoes is to pan toast them, like I do dried chiles, pressing against the pan until I hear that crackle, then soak them with the chiles in hot water, to make a salsa. Fantastic, and sort of like grilled or broiled tomatoes in Mexican, but different and delicious.

I have found that 1 oz of dried tomatoes started as 16 oz fresh, at least in my dehydrator.

I tried drying green beans, one year of excess, but was not pleased with the results. I thought I could even use them in something like dry fried green beans, but they were still tougher than they should be.

[CityMouse]

I have a Harvest Savor dehydrater and I love it. I have had it for over 20 yrs. When my children were little, I would make them fruit roll-ups. I dried bananas and watermelon alot. Also, squash, carrots, celery and okra. One year, someone gave me alot of garlic. I dried it and then I put it in my Vita-Mix and turn it into powder. It was the best garlic powder that I have ever had.

I tried a dehydrater that came from Walmart and I didn't like it. It burned my food around the edges. Maybe some others can tell you what brand they use and that will help you to decide which one would be best for you. I think you will enjoy using one. I know I do.:)

[momol]

I dehydrate mushrooms, home made pasta, chilli, pepper, apples, herbs, bread cubes, and some other things. It is a very useful machine as sundried is not very possible here.

[bluelacedredhead]

I'm really glad to see Eggplant is a possibility! I started far too many plants this year. Paintman suggested I ask here if anyone dehydrates eggplant and what do you use it for? And I see the answers already here! TY

[Train]

Dunno, but fixin to dehydrate a neighbors cat next time it
burys a treat in my vegi box.
Train GG

[Train]

Oh, all kinds of things. I just love my dehydrator. The last thing I did with it, a few weeks back, was some ginger root, bought fresh on special for $0.79 a lb, because I couldn't find any powdered dry ginger at a price I was willing to pay (I'm NOT paying four or five dollars for a little tiny jar of a spice because it's a name brand, and no store brand was available).

I've pretty much dried the same things listed above, but especially a lot of apples, pears, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, herbs.

Cucumbers, believe it or not, make a great snack when dried -- cut them about 1/3 inch thick, season if desired with salt, pepper, a pinch of sugar, and herbs if you like, dill, onion powder, garlic powder, also a little sour salt or powdered dried lemon juice if you like -- sort of like a dehydrated, crispy pickle snack thing.

Ya D.
Waddya think? HORSERADISH?
Heheh

[Denninmi]

Ya D.
Waddya think? HORSERADISH?
Heheh

Sure, if you like it. I use it only for a couple of things -- in seafood cocktail sauce, and on roast beef sandwhiches.

My grandfather had the exact same breakfast every day of his life -- pancakes with maple syrup and horseradish. YUCK! But, he ate it for years and years and years.

[Train]

Oh, all kinds of things. I just love my dehydrator. The last thing I did with it, a few weeks back, was some ginger root, bought fresh on special for $0.79 a lb, because I couldn't find any powdered dry ginger at a price I was willing to pay (I'm NOT paying four or five dollars for a little tiny jar of a spice because it's a name brand, and no store brand was available).

I've pretty much dried the same things listed above, but especially a lot of apples, pears, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, herbs.

Cucumbers, believe it or not, make a great snack when dried -- cut them about 1/3 inch thick, season if desired with salt, pepper, a pinch of sugar, and herbs if you like, dill, onion powder, garlic powder, also a little sour salt or powdered dried lemon juice if you like -- sort of like a dehydrated, crispy pickle snack thing.

Ya!
I thought about it over the years and that's
as far as it went.
Somewhere under the dust I even have plans
for a large home brew model.
But you are well experienced D so I ask you.
How does the taste differ from store bought
or govenrment dehydrated food vacume
packed for emergencies.
An old friend of mine got scared years back
and bought the world because he thought the
Russians really were coming, Heheh.
I tased that stuff and gagged.
I know you wouldn't dream of doin all you do
unless there was reward at the end, so please
tell me what you will aboutt the flavor in your saves.
Many thx
Train GG

[Denninmi]

so please
tell me what you will aboutt the flavor in your saves.
Many thx
Train GG

Um, I don't have a lot of experience with commercially dehydrated foods other than basic produce items -- I've had commercially dehydrated tomatoes, onions, various spices, mushrooms, and fruits like apples, pears, peaches, berries, etc. that's really about it. Overall, there really isn't much difference in flavor between the commercial ones and home dehydrated ones. Most of the commercial fruits and some vegetables tend to be brighter in color and softer in texture because of additives like sulphates/sulfites etc., but I think the home-made stuff without all of the additives is healthier. The only additive I use when dehydrating is Fruit Fresh, which is just powdered vitamin C -- it prevents fruits from browning.

I think a lot of the camping/survival/army ration type commercially prepared foods are freeze dried, which is an entirely different process. There are small freeze dryer units about the size of a washing machine which would fit in a house, but the price is unbelievable, about the same as a compact car. Some of the freeze dried products like the fruit slices and berries that are in some brands of cereal, like "Special K Red Berries" taste really great, but unless you're independently wealthy, I think a freeze dryer isn't practical for most of us.

Well, Freight Train, I think what I would suggest to you is perhaps getting a really inexpensive dehydrator, the $25 Wal-Mart/Target type, and experimenting with it to see what you like or dislike. Or, you can actually dry things quite well in a hot, enclosed space during the summer, as long as it's sunny outside -- I've used my car for a make-shift dryer, and also my unused lean-too greenhouse. Another option would be to make a framework of wood, cover it with clear plastic, put a small oscillating fan in it for airflow, a couple of small holes top and bottom for ventillation, and a rack of some kind to hold the produce -- this type of solar dryer can be made for under $20 if you use scrap lumber, etc.

I hope this helps.

Dennis
Michigan

[springfever]

I defintely have to go dig out my dehydrater that I bought to do elk jerky with years ago. Everyone loved the jerky but when I quit doing it , I didn't think about drying anything else. I do know I loved dried apricots but I don't know if any one grows apricots around here. Maybe plum?

[jmsd]

The only additive I use when dehydrating is Fruit Fresh, which is just powdered vitamin C -- it prevents fruits from browning.

I use a little lemon juice & water, or pineapple juice - since I usally have one or the other on hand. It does a great job of keeping the fruit from browning also.

J:)

[Emerald]

Bumping
My mom finally tried my home dried tomato leather and the plain dried tomatoes-- she liked them better than the store bought sundried tomatoes.. Now she wants some with herbs and spices on them..

[Train]

Ya!
I can't remember where I wanted to post this
so I'll post it everywhere this subject comes up.
Only reason I am posting this is because I
think a lot of the company selling these.
Other than that, i have no experience.
This post is meant only as something
more to evaluate, Heheh.
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp;jsessionid=PD4K2UEPMXRUHLAQBBKCCOFMCAEFKI WE?id=0061371518667a&type=product&cmCat=perf&rid=0180101070502&xpid=k1343&cm_ven=Performics&cm_cat=Affiliate-click&cm_pla=BizRate.com&cm_ite=DDI%20Link&_requestid=31878
Train

[zone ranger]

Most de-hydraters do such small batchs that to me it's not really worth the hassle and elec. Dennimi has a good point in the end of his post about covering a box with plastic and adding a fan. I use window screens (nylon) as trays. This does a lot.
When set in the sun with a vent in bottom and top (on opposing sides) a rectangle set on end makes a solar dryer. Search "Solar chiminey dehydrator"( or close to it) in "Mother Earth News" for plans.
Last year I dryed beets - super good- like candy
zuccini made sweet "potato chips" Let 'em drain a little befor drying. Oh, add salt befor drying, if you want salted We used various dips, soy sauce etc. Delicious. The sugar seems to get concentrated. Yuum, wish I still had some.

[Insomniac]

We have the Excalibur 9 tray dehydrator model with the timer and and it did a wonderful job with my bell peppers, broccoli, Lima beans, peas and store bought frozen vegetables this last year. I turn the trays at about the 1/3 way point to ensure even drying. I use mason jars to store the dried produce and vacuum pack each jar using a pump-and-seal. So far no problems and though we have 2 deep freezers, it's great to have food that doesn't require energy to maintain.

[PCKGRat]

My friend gave me one of those roundish shaped dehydrators. It is nice, but it takes a LONG time to dehydrate things. It took several days for peppers.

The zucchini were great.

I wish I would have read this thread a while ago for the plastic bag in glass jar idea because that is where my delicious zucchini were lost... CRASH!!!!! :(

[FiberFlinger]

I have had my 11 shelf Equi-flow for about 30 years and never regretted forking out the bundle of dough it cost. This year I dried, mushrooms, green beans, tomatoes and herbs. A gallon of dried tomatoes lasts me a good long time.

[redneckplanter]

my paychecks seem to get dehydrated....
lol

[boizeau]

The Italians have a few tomato types special for drying like Princeppe Bourgese.
They are very productive. I think they dry them first and then store them in jar of olive oil. It is a great tomato. Probably would make good spaghetti sauce too.

[camochef]

I dehydrate all the usual fruits: apples, pears, and bananas. I also do lots of mushrooms, both white button and larger portabella's, which are great to have on hand to add to soups and other dishes. Of course some tomatoes and onions, but the one thing nobody has mentioned is leeks. I always have a large container of dried leek powder on hand to add to soups. It's one of my secret ingredients, not just in soups but in chili and sauces, along with many other dishes. I love the smell of both mushrooms and leeks drying, definately stimulates the appetite!
Camo

[puttgirl]

Last night I had to go to Wal-mart and was looking at one there. Glad I saw this thread, have been thinking about purchasing one. Our closest store only has a Nesco five tray dehydrator. Can anyone tell me how to dry the paprikas for powder?

[TastyofHasty]

A couple years ago, I saw a picture on a forum of somebody who'd taken one of the round electric dehydrators and set it up (maybe just the trays, without the electric motor in the bottom) on top of a kind of tower with glass on the south side, made so the solar-heated air would just go right up through the unplugged round electric dehydrator. I thought it was really clever; you could use the dehydrator as an electric one on not-hot months; then in months like August, go set it on top of your glass air-heating tower.:D

We bought a second electric dehydrator at a garage sale last summer. Mostly I've used it for making beef jerky, made with hamburger; you marinate the 'burger for 24 hours in whatever flavor you want (I like adding chopped slightly cooked ginger), then firmly pack the marinated burger into wide flat trays & freeze it about an hour and a half, until hard but not rock-like; then you use a knife to cut it into thin strips, then dry in the dehydrator; easiest beef jerky. Unfortunately for me, I've started developing a disgust for the jerky I made the last time. It's just dried RAW meat! Acckkkk!!!

[Cookinmom]

I've only had my dehydrator since August, but I've dried apples, strawberries, grapes, cherries, carrots, celery, thawed frozen corn, jerky, pineapple, and mini-marshmallows. :) That sounds weird, but they keep better that way. It's very humid here, and they turn into one big glob in the bag a few days after their opened. Dried, they work really good in hot chocolate.

[camochef]

Last night I had to go to Wal-mart and was looking at one there. Glad I saw this thread, have been thinking about purchasing one. Our closest store only has a Nesco five tray dehydrator. Can anyone tell me how to dry the paprikas for powder?

Puttgirl,
I would do them the same way I do my leeks, thin slices on trays until thoroughly dry. then I use a coffee bean grinder to powderize them.
Enjoy the world of dehydrating!
Camo

[Emerald]

I've only had my dehydrator since August, but I've dried apples, strawberries, grapes, cherries, carrots, celery, thawed frozen corn, jerky, pineapple, and mini-marshmallows. :) That sounds weird, but they keep better that way. It's very humid here, and they turn into one big glob in the bag a few days after their opened. Dried, they work really good in hot chocolate.

What a great idea Cookinmom!! I would never have thought to dry out mini-marshmallows- and we usually only use them in hot chocolate!
I was thinking of trying to dehydrate some of the good sandwich pepperoni that we buy-- I picked one off the top of the pizza last night and it was dry and crunchy and would make a great snack,, but with all that fat I think I would store them in the fridge or freezer so it wouldn't go rancid.

[DebbieG]

Hello,
I dehydrate a lot of ramps, they grow everywhere around here. I can walk out my back door about 50 feet and dig as many as I need. They will be coming up soon depending on the weather. They usually start popping up in March, but if you know where they are you can dig them all winter, they just don't have the green tops.
I dry them and turn them into powder to use on the table instead of salt, or I just crunch them up and use them in soups, stews, meatloaf, or anything else that you would use an onion in.

[tweed]

Hello,
I dehydrate a lot of ramps, they grow everywhere around here. I can walk out my back door about 50 feet and dig as many as I need. They will be coming up soon depending on the weather. They usually start popping up in March, but if you know where they are you can dig them all winter, they just don't have the green tops.
I dry them and turn them into powder to use on the table instead of salt, or I just crunch them up and use them in soups, stews, meatloaf, or anything else that you would use an onion in.

Woo Hoo! Ramps.
Does the ramp powder taste anything like onion powder?
This is a great idea.

[DebbieG]

Hello Tweed,
Well, if you've ever eaten ramps before you know they taste like an onion, sort of:) so the powder does have a sort of oniony taste, but not quite. If you would be interested in trying some I could send you some later this year, once the ramps come up. If you are familier with ramps you know that they have green tops, (the leaves) and white bottoms (the bulb). Some people like only the bulb, some people like the leaves and the bulb, I like both. I can't see wasting good food. When I make my ramp powder and crushed ramps I use both the leaves and the bulb so the powder is white and green speckeled:D. I hardly use onions at all, I use ramps in everything, fresh, frozen, pickeled, dehydrated and any other way I can fix em.
DebbieG

[capebuffalo]

debbieg,

i'm jealous, i miss ramps. :(

capebuff

[SpaceAge]

We LOVE ours ,

Apples and other fruits are great , homade Jerky , My Wife makes the best !

a hot BBQ and a super Hot and a Hot Honey Mustard ... dang ... I'm hungry now !

A word of warning ! ... If you do hot Chili-Peppers ... do it OUTSIDE !!!

The oils from the Chilis' get air-bourne and it's like police pepper-spray in the house coughing wheezing , eyes burning , Dogs howling Babys' crying ... you get the idea ! :eek::eek::eek:

[bellzeybubba]

A word of warning ! ... If you do hot Chili-Peppers ... do it OUTSIDE !!!

The oils from the Chilis' get air-bourne and it's like police pepper-spray in the house coughing wheezing , eyes burning , Dogs howling Babys' crying ... you get the idea ! :eek::eek::eek:
Oh boy is that true. DH dried a bunch of scotch bonnets we had last summer and quickly figured out the operation needed to go on outside. Then he ground them up and we have a lovely jar of gorgeous orange EXTREMELY potent chili powder :).

[camochef]

DebbieG & Tweed,
Aren't ramps, simply wild leeks, usually smaller than what most of us grow in our gardens?
Camo

[SpaceAge]

Oh boy is that true. DH dried a bunch of scotch bonnets we had last summer and quickly figured out the operation needed to go on outside. Then he ground them up and we have a lovely jar of gorgeous orange EXTREMELY potent chili powder :).

~~~~~~~~~~

Yeah , Double Double Warning , don't rub your eyes , pick your nose or touch your "special-purpose" after handling Habs or Serrannos Jalapenos etc ... :eek::eek::eek:

[RoyHobbs*]

Mainly dehydrate herbs, peppers and make jerky. Like my dehydrator but haven't used it all that often except for what I mentioned previously....should probably go the library and get a book so I can use more stuff!

[alina]

I've made tofu jerky and the typical bananas, onions, tomatoes, peppers. Also mango when we've had too many.

Here are some links to info:

http://www.drystore.citymax.com/page/page/1346972.htm

This one has specifics for many different crops, recipes for jerky and how to use the dried things (like in pies):
http://farmgal.tripod.com/Dehydrate.html

A comparison of some 2003 models of dehydrators (will give you some ideas of features to look for when you decide to buy one)
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/2003-06-01/Choosing-a-Food-Dehydrator.aspx

And a link to a pdf file that has some ideas of what to dry and different drying methods (solar, freeze-drying, etc.):
http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/dehydrate.html

You might want to check at a thrift store. You'll find them there every now and then.

[DebbieG]

Hi Camo,
Ramps are classified in the leek and onion family, but...they have a taste all thier own. Around here there are only tw kinds of people, those who LOVE ramps, and those who HATE them, there is no inbetween:) What area of PA do you live in. Maybe I could get some to you when they come up. My husband has famil all over PA so I would be willing to bet that he has family somewhere near you. For those of you who have never tried ramps, you don't know what you're missing. And for those of you who don't have access to them anymore, I feel for you:D, no really I do. I would miss them terribly if I couldn't get any. If anyone is interseted in ramps, fresh, frozen, or dehydrated PM me and let's see what we can figure out. Like I mentioned earlier, they are not in season yet, but will be in a few months depending on the weather.
DebbieG

[Train]

Woo Hoo! Ramps.
Does the ramp powder taste anything like onion powder?
This is a great idea.

Ya Tweed!
I hate being the messenger like this
but your not going to be able to
enjoy ramps anymore.
At least not in N.C.
The North Carolina Senate
is in secret session even as
we speak where the sole bill
in front of the is the one presented
by the safe food committee!
Three people in Georgia became
violently ill after ingesting ramps
recently and they think they
determined the "culprit to be a
fungus" and the fear now is that
the fungus may be spreading throughout
the southern states.
When this bill is enacted ramps will be
banned in stares and an all out assault
on wild ramps will begin by the state
at once.
So, don't eat those ramps!
Train

[Emerald]

I have to second the "dry them hot peppers outside"-- I fumed us all out of the house one day!! I now know why the police use pepper spray!!:D I usually just put them on the tv tray on the deck for about 2 hours and then they are fine to bring back into the house, once they "skin over" and are not damp anymore.. The same with onions.
another warning--- always grind your fresh horse radish out side on the deck too-- another clear the house experiment that I did...:D

[daylilydude]

I have a Nesco dehydrator that i'm drying tomatoes in and was just wondering if anyone uses any spices on the tomatoes before drying?
And what else does everyone dehydrate in theirs, so maybe we can make this a thread for dehydrating fruits, veggies and herbs?

[capebuffalo]

dude,

i use basil,oregano and sea salt. am gonna try a wine marinade this year.

capebuff

[Emerald]

The green beans that I dried last year plumped up great in soups and was worth doing! I am looking forward to the peaches ripening up and making a bit of peach leather for rollups! Or even some peach butter.

[tweed]

Ya Tweed!
I hate being the messenger like this
but your not going to be able to
enjoy ramps anymore.
At least not in N.C.
The North Carolina Senate
is in secret session even as
we speak where the sole bill
in front of the is the one presented
by the safe food committee!
Three people in Georgia became
violently ill after ingesting ramps
recently and they think they
determined the "culprit to be a
fungus" and the fear now is that
the fungus may be spreading throughout
the southern states.
When this bill is enacted ramps will be
banned in stares and an all out assault
on wild ramps will begin by the state
at once.
So, don't eat those ramps!
Train

Had not heard that one, Train.
Thanks for the heads up.
Wonder if the illnesses came from cooked ramps, raw ramps or both?
It has been illegal for a few years now to go on Government land to gather ramps.
Most folks did it like that for years but then some got greedy and were harvesting and selling them at farmers markets.
They still have a ramp festival just across the state line in Flag Pond, Tennessee.

Steve

[tweed]

I have to second the "dry them hot peppers outside"-- I fumed us all out of the house one day!! I now know why the police use pepper spray!!:D I usually just put them on the tv tray on the deck for about 2 hours and then they are fine to bring back into the house, once they "skin over" and are not damp anymore.. The same with onions.
another warning--- always grind your fresh horse radish out side on the deck too-- another clear the house experiment that I did...:D

That reminds me.....I love Bread & Butter pickles but detest the smell of them being made, for whatever reason.
Have to walk outside.

Steve

[tweed]

DebbieG & Tweed,
Aren't ramps, simply wild leeks, usually smaller than what most of us grow in our gardens?
Camo

Never grown leeks, Camo, so I cannot honestly answer that question.
Most folks do compare them to leeks.
Ramps are very, very, very pungent. If you eat theem raw, your breath is bad for about 3 days! LOL
I like them cooked, primarily with either scrambled eggs or fried potatoes.

Steve

[cornishwoman]

I have an old dehydrator,one of the dome ones,brought it when the kids wanted to eat chewy fruit leather,that was fun to make all the different flavours for them ,had a little strawberry patch that I would pick from.I use mine now for jerky, deer jerky,I'm not a meat eater as such but the family is and I'm lucky in the fact I barter a lot with the neighborhood around here so if I don't bag a deer theres always some one to trade with who's a better shot than I am.Also use it to dry some herbs,but I found the basil types don't do so well in there they are better off drying naturally for me,I'm just amazed the machine is still going strong after all these years

[ovenbird]

Last year I mixed my yellow pear, black cherry, snow berry, green grape, and principe borghese tomatoes, halved (or quartered) them and dried them. They are a really great snack in the winter and also can be added to soups and stews.

[sharon1957]

Just bought the Nesco GardenMaster dehydrator. Picked this one because it is so expandable. It'a a little noisier than I had hoped and took a little longer than I had hoped, too, but it's still a lot less electricity than a freezer and less trouble than canning.
So far have only tried sliced kiwi, sliced peaches, and blueberries that I dipped in boiling water first. The kiwis and peaches worked great, but the blueberries were in over 24 hours before I pulled them and refrigerated them for use in cereal the same day. They were just too wet -- it was taking too long, even with the preprocessing. I think I'll put them on the 'leather only' list, once we get some bushes going.
We also plan to grow kiwi for the vitamin C, so was thrilled to find they dried well. DH doesn't like the flavor when they are still firm, and doesn't like the texture when they sweeten. The fully ripe ones have a great texture dried.
All this fruit was bought bulk at Sam's Club, when the prices were good -- and these are the best peaches I've had in years. Big and so firm you think they are not ripe but the smell says they are and then you bite in and they are firm because they are so full of juice. YUUUUMMM! Only dried one of those this time, but if someday we have a whole tree ripening at once, we'll slice and dry and then use them later for pies, jams, etc.

[redneckplanter]

my paycheck seems to be dehydrated lately?
does that count?lol

[GreyMoon9]

I was thinking that given how much caffine I have been drinking lately I am probally deydrated, lol. I am actully hoping for a deydrator for my birthday. Just what I need, another toy, huh?