Nicahawk
Assistant Cook
This started off being even more redneckish than it is now........I first wanted to see if I could dehydrate on a pretty big scale, and with no power.
I'll pick up here when I started making up grades....
Now that I know the dehydrator will work in a passive mode, I decided to go ahead and up grade it a little.
Removed all the black plastic.....
Installed (bailing wire) a $2.00, 1350 watt heater that I got at the Hospice thrift shop. I had to take the tip over safety out so it would work on it's side....It looks low but it's about 10" from the floor, and the floor did not get warm...
Covered the frame with a reinforced foil for fire proofing....
Installed a temp gauge.....
Made some trays out of some wood and plastic rabbit fencing to fit on the shelves......
Filled three of the trays with six avg size zucchini, sliced about 3/16" thick.....(used slicer/dicier...not the knife)
Sliced up one tomato for testing....
Took several sneak peeks......
At 135F degrees it took about 12 to 14 hours to totally dehydrate the squash and tomato....
Zucchini and the tomato broke up like potato chips after being dehydrated.....
These are the six zucchini after being dehydrated.......
I'll continue in another post...
I'll pick up here when I started making up grades....
Now that I know the dehydrator will work in a passive mode, I decided to go ahead and up grade it a little.
Removed all the black plastic.....
Installed (bailing wire) a $2.00, 1350 watt heater that I got at the Hospice thrift shop. I had to take the tip over safety out so it would work on it's side....It looks low but it's about 10" from the floor, and the floor did not get warm...
Covered the frame with a reinforced foil for fire proofing....
Installed a temp gauge.....
Made some trays out of some wood and plastic rabbit fencing to fit on the shelves......
Filled three of the trays with six avg size zucchini, sliced about 3/16" thick.....(used slicer/dicier...not the knife)
Sliced up one tomato for testing....
Took several sneak peeks......
At 135F degrees it took about 12 to 14 hours to totally dehydrate the squash and tomato....
Zucchini and the tomato broke up like potato chips after being dehydrated.....
These are the six zucchini after being dehydrated.......
I'll continue in another post...
