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Post by spitfiregirl on Jul 10, 2014 18:41:40 GMT
I've been addicted to trader joes just mango slices, (dried mango)... So I bought a food dehydrator and now I can do my own mango!
Yesterday I bought 10 mangos and sliced them up and dehydrated them and whoa are they good! Like chewy candy!
Do you use a food dehydrator? What have you made? How do you store your dehydrated goods?
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Post by pmk on Jul 10, 2014 18:45:57 GMT
That would be the kind of gadget I'd buy, use for a few weeks then completely lose enthusiasm for! It does sound like fun though  |
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charliesangel
Shy Member
Pea since October 2003.
Posts: 42 
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Post by charliesangel on Jul 11, 2014 2:10:48 GMT
I don't, but my mom has one and I borrow it on occasion. Our favorites are bananas and apples. My mom used to make homemade fruit leather, but when I tried to make it according to her "recipe" it was a huge fail. I think she kept a step from me to sabotage me, lol! We usually store it in a tupperware container, but it never lasts long enough to go bad or anything.
Also, not food related, but if you want to dry out flowers to save them, the food dehydrator is awesome for it. They retain shape and color perfectly!
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eastcoastpea
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,252
Jun 27, 2014 13:05:28 GMT
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Post by eastcoastpea on Jul 11, 2014 2:41:54 GMT
I've had one for 20 years and I've never used it. I'd been afraid to try, lost the directions, found the directions, loaned it to my sister, she was afraid to try it...I don't know whose house it is at now.
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itskrystle
Shy Member
Posts: 43
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Post by itskrystle on Jul 11, 2014 2:48:51 GMT
We have one and have only used it to make deer jerky with a jerky gun. I'd love to try to do strawberries but I'm sure I would mess it up and be out all those strawberries. I also love dried papaya but can't find it in stores without it being a part of a fruit mix. I'll have to give it a try.
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Post by Merge on Jul 11, 2014 3:00:56 GMT
DH bought one a couple of years ago and went on a kick drying fruit ... until I pointed out that he was actually spending more money for the volume of dried fruit he ended up with than he would if he just bought the natural/no sugar dried fruit in the packets in the produce section. It lost a lot of its luster then. Which didn't bother me - the thing I hated about it was that we always had tons of fruit flies when he was using it.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Apr 18, 2024 23:02:34 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2014 3:01:13 GMT
I have one. This past month I'd dried 10 pints of blueberries and 7 pounds of cherries while they were available cheap. I've also tried a little okra but I'm not to happy with the way it came out. The dried okra I buy in the store is dry and crisp with a salty flavor. Mine came out oily. I'll work with it some more. I also did a pint of raspberries but they are so fragile I don't see them keeping well long term so I ate them  Also tried kale but not happy with the results. I'll have to search for someone with more experience on that one. How I store it depends on how long I plan to keep it. Stuff for short term snacking just goes in some mason jars on a counter. Other stuff is put in freezer bags and frozen for use later this fall/winter. |
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Post by bluepoprocks on Jul 11, 2014 3:05:22 GMT
We use to make the best beef jerky on one but we haven't made it in years. We always had to buy new trays for it because they would crack which was annoying. I don't know if that's something they have fixed because when I say years I mean like 20 years.
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Post by mom2jnk on Jul 11, 2014 3:40:18 GMT
My favorite is drying golden pineapple when it is in season! I have had the best luck with the golden variety, rather than the traditional...it has a sweeter flavor that really comes out in the dehydrating process. I slice the pineapple about a quarter of an inch thick and then in bite size pieces. It takes about 15-18 hours to dry to a leathery consistency. So, so good. Like eating candy.
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scorpeao
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,521
Location: NorCal USA
Jun 25, 2014 21:04:54 GMT
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Post by scorpeao on Jul 11, 2014 3:46:50 GMT
I do zucchini chips and banana chips. I love them both, but I'm always shocked at how little volume I get. I found a raw food website and I tried "popcorn" cauliflower. It's okay, but it ain't cauliflower. I also tried to make crackers from juice pulp...probably won't try that again.
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Post by chrispeas on Jul 11, 2014 3:54:07 GMT
I have one that I have only used to make beef jerky with. I need to get it out and make some!
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Post by Karmady on Jul 11, 2014 3:54:58 GMT
I was just thinking about getting one the other day. I'm presently drying herbs and teas from the garden by hanging. I'd love to use it for fruit as well.
What kind of dehydrated do you have?
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Apr 18, 2024 23:02:34 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2014 3:58:02 GMT
A lot of people who are seriously into dehydrating invest in desiccants (those little silica packets) to put in their jars and put it in a cool dark place. So that is one place to store them if you don't have freezer space.
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Post by mdoc on Jul 11, 2014 4:05:31 GMT
I make jerky for my dogs (although the kids always eat it). Earlier this week I dehydrated kale. I made fruit leather once, also. But usually it's just jerky - I definitely do not use my dehydrator to its potential.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Apr 18, 2024 23:02:34 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2014 4:06:47 GMT
I make jerky for my dogs (although the kids always eat it). Earlier this week I dehydrated kale. I made fruit leather once, also. But usually it's just jerky - I definitely do not use my dehydrator to its potential. How did you prep your kale? All I did to mine was wash and dry it. I find it hard to eat... |
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Post by anothermom2two on Jul 11, 2014 4:43:28 GMT
I love to make teriyaki beef jerkey in ours. It is a staple when we take a road trip!
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Post by jlynnbarth on Jul 11, 2014 4:50:09 GMT
We use ours to make deer and elk jerky. We love it. I also do banana and apple chips. They never stay around long enough to worry about storage.
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