Love my food dehydrator

[CWS4322]

When I visited my parents last August, I picked up a cheap ($40, 4-tray) dehydrator at Walmart. I LOVE it. I use it to dehydrate mushrooms (on special), fruit (apples in season, papaya when it is on the special rack, cranberries, apriocots, plums, onions, and beans). I love having dehydrated mushrooms whenever I want mushrooms. And, I save the water in which they rehydrate for soups, gravies, etc. I also dried a mess of tomatoes (when I got back from MN, there were 100 Romas on the counter for me to "deal with." After driving for two days, I really wasn't in the mood to deal with tomatoes. Within 20 minutes, my brother (who was visiting) and I had them in the dehydrator--seeded and skinned), hot and sweet peppers, the list goes on and on.

 

[blissful]

Good for YOU!
They sure do make fast work of tomatoes compared to 4 hours (at best) of cleaning jars, disinfecting jars and lids, cooking tomatoes down, pouring into jars, bringing the canner up to temperature.
And the best part is rehydrating them in a soup or stew in the winter when we WANT to keep the temperature in the house warmer instead of sweating it out in the worst part of a hot summer. They take up so much less room too!
You can also grind them up when they are dry, and when you want to thicken a tomato sauce, just add them!
Enjoy!
Mushrooms must be great!
You can use it for jerky too, if you like jerky.
Don't forget fruit leathers.

 

[CWS4322]

I didn't get the one that is designed for fruit leathers...but, I have ground the mushrooms (using a coffee grinder) to make mushroom powder--the same for onions and garlic. Who needs to buy onion or garlic powder when they can make their own? I have another dehydrator but didn't get the instructions for it. A friend gave it to me--it has vents. This one had instructions and is so easy to use. I love it. And, if s/one is looking to cut food costs, a food dehydrator is inexpensive (just the mushroom drying alone is worth it).

 

[blissful]

Mine isn't designed for fruit leathers, but it has mesh trays, which I have to put plastic wrap on (over some of the surface--leave parts open for air flow), then spread the fruit puree on the plastic, and it will work. Do you think that might work in yours?

 

[jdthompson]

Does anyone have recommendations on a good brand?

 

[CWS4322]

How much do you want to spend <g>?

 

[CWS4322]

Mushrooms must be great!

They are--I did three trays last night. I've figured out that the local store gets mushrooms in on Mondays. Tuesday mornings there are often portebello and white mushrooms at 1/2 price. I bring those home, clean them, and pop them in the dehydrator. Sometimes I slice them, sometimes I dry them whole.

 

[CWS4322]

We are guilty of eating the dehydrated tomatoes as "tomato chips..."

 

[Rocklobster]

I have two. One we bought and another exact same one we found at a yard sale. They are American Harvest. My favorite thing to make in them is beef jerky. Very easy and yummy

 

[CWS4322]

Mine's an inexpensive one from Walmart--an Oster. When I bought it, I wasn't sure how often I'd use it. I have used it a lot more often then I thought I would. I would like one that has temperature control settings, but have other kitchen toys I want before a more advanced dehydrator <g>. It does make processing tomatoes a lot faster--I still jar tomatoes, freeze them, but like having dehydrated ones as well. And, I love having all the dried mushrooms. You can dehydrate in the oven, but that isn't as economical as a dehydrator re: the amount of power you use. Here in Ontario, we are on "smart meters" so time of use is now part of many of our lives re: our electric bills.

 

[Rocklobster]

Mine's an inexpensive one from Walmart--an Oster. When I bought it, I wasn't sure how often I'd use it. I have used it a lot more often then I thought I would. I would like one that has temperature control settings, but have other kitchen toys I want before a more advanced dehydrator <g>. It does make processing tomatoes a lot faster--I still jar tomatoes, freeze them, but like having dehydrated ones as well. And, I love having all the dried mushrooms. You can dehydrate in the oven, but that isn't as economical as a dehydrator re: the amount of power you use. Here in Ontario, we are on "smart meters" so time of use is now part of many of our lives re: our electric bills.

mine are cheaper ones also. They can be a bugger to clean because the trays have many ridges. Get yourself one of those plug in electrical timers from Canadian Tire. You can set it to run overnight while old Dalton is fast asleep and not trying to rip us off.

 

[CWS4322]

mine are cheaper ones also. They can be a bugger to clean because the trays have many ridges. Get yourself one of those plug in electrical timers from Canadian Tire. You can set it to run overnight while old Dalton is fast asleep and not trying to rip us off.

I've got until the 19th before I'm switched over at the farm...and I have stocked up on timers. I'm not looking forward to canning season...I like to get the veggies in the jars as soon as possible after I've picked them...ditto for freezing them. I can't see picking when the mosquitos are thirstiest...and, I'm going to have to do my tomato paste on the weekend...Still trying to figure out how to break it to my clients that my "work day" is not the same as theirs since I work from home...funny how Queen's Park isn't switching to off-peak hours for the MPPs to work...we already downsized the hot water tanks at both houses and have those on timers...and put a boiler on the woodstove...Dalton sure wouldn't like that...

 

[jdthompson]

I think I saw an American Harvest at Home Goods last week. I might just give it a try. This thread seems to be loaded with lots good feedback on dehydrators.

 

[Josie1945]

Welcome to DC.

Josie

 

[jdthompson]

Welcome to DC.

Josie

Thank you! I've been reading this forum for quite some time now, thought I'd finally join and hopefully I can be a valuable member to this community.