How to Dehydrate Food--basic info

FarmerChick

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Here is a basic info post to help some decide if they want to dehydrate or not.

Some people have mentioned dehydrating turkey and then reconstitute in broth when needed.......time for everyone to stock up on turkey and dehydrate for later!

Hope it helps some of us!

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What is food drying?
Food drying, also called food dehydration, is the process of removing water from food, thus inhibiting the growth of microorganisms (enzymes) and bacteria by the circulation of hot, dry air through the food. Removing water from food is the easiest, cheapest, and, in my opinion, the most appropriate method of food preservation.
Will I have a lot to learn before I can start drying food?
No, food drying is not difficult. It means less work, not more. And the benefits are many. Your dehydrator heats the air inside the unit; it dries and circulates the air so that it absorbs the water in the food placed in the drying chamber. The temperature of the air is low enough to dry the food, not cook it. It is as simple as that.
What are the benefits of food drying?
Many. Here are some:
1) You will save money. Keep in mind that food drying is a one-time cost. Canned foods, once opened, must be used promptly, but containers of dried foods can be repeatedly opened, ingredients removed or added, and closed again with no deleterious effects on the contents.

2) You will be able to reap the rewards of your own garden and of both locally grown and regionally grown produce, because you can keep up with abundant seasonal harvests. There is a movement now away from the importation of foodstuffs, not so much because of safety considerations but because of an increasing awareness of the importance of self-sufficiency when it comes to one's own food supply.

3) You will be able to feed family and friends safer, pesticide-and chemical-free foods because you control what you are drying.

4) You can create a food supply which, in a financial crisis or when a natural disaster strikes, can be like money in the bank.

5) You will be able to take advantage of supermarket specials and the savings they offer. Food drying is a form of creative recycling. In drying your own foods, you are cutting down on packaging; wait until you see how little storage space you will need. You can store 20 to 25 dried bell peppers in a 1-quart jar; 16 to 20 dried tomatoes in a 1-quart jar.

6) What I like best about incorporating dried foods into my diet is that it allows me to control the quality of the food I eat whether I am at home or backpacking in the wilderness. Dried foods are tasty, nutritious, lightweight, easy to prepare, easy to carry, and easy to use.

What does dehydrated food look like?
Many foods are a little darker in color, more fragrant, and sweeter in taste. Do not expect food dried at home to look or taste like commercially dried food. In my opinion, home-dried is much better. Much industrial food drying uses additives and preservatives that the home food dryer does not need to and-more important-want to add.

Does drying affect the nutritional value of foods?
Dehydration only minimally affects the nutritional value of foods, especially when the process takes place in your own home. Most research on the nutritional value of dried foods has been conducted on foods that are commercially dried. When you dry foods at home under gentle conditions (correct temperature and a reasonable amount of drying time), you produce a high-quality product. Compared with canning and freezing, both of which involve extreme temperatures, food drying is the least damaging form of food preservation.
Here are some specifics:
Vitamin A is retained during the drying process. Because vitamin A is light sensitive, foods that contain it-like carrots, bell peppers, mangoes-should be stored in a dark place.
Some vitamin C is lost during the drying process because vitamin C is an air-soluble nutrient and food drying is an air-based process. When a food is sliced and its cells are cut, the surfaces that are exposed to air lose some vitamin C content.
The caloric value of a fresh food stays the same when it is dried, although some dried foods, fruits for example, taste sweeter because the water has been removed and the sugar is concentrated.
Dried fruits and vegetables are high in fiber and carbohydrates, neither of which is affected by drying.
Dried fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat. Minerals available in certain fresh fruits-such as potassium, sodium, magnesium, and so on-are also not altered when the fruit is dried.

How safe to eat is dried food?
In comparison with foods preserved by other methods, like canning, it is quite safe. Botulism is feared in canning because the bacteria that cause it thrive in a liquid environment. Botulism could only occur with a dried food that had been rehydrated, then left unattended long enough for bacteria to grow.
Mold may form on dried food if it was not dehydrated long enough or if the container it was stored in had moisture in it. If you see or smell mold, all the food in that container must be discarded.
Remember that the organisms that cause food spoilage, mold, yeast, bacteria-are always present in the air, water, and soil. It is important to observe sanitary precautions at all stages of the drying process.
As to the safety of drying meats, the latest word from food-science researchers at the University of Wisconsin in Madison is that microorganisms are effectively killed when the internal temperature of meat reaches 145F for 45 minutes; or 167F for 20 minutes; or 200F for 15 minutes. This means that the internal temperature of the meat must remain steady for the designated amount of time, which is not the same as putting meat in a 200F oven for 15 minutes. If your food dehydrator does not reach a temperature of 145F or if its temperature control is inaccurate, then transfer the food to a preheated 200F oven for a minimum of 20 minutes to eliminate safety concerns.
You can also store dried food in the freezer, another form of ensuring its safety.

What equipment is needed?
In addition to your food dehydrator, of course, you will need:
A good sharp knife
A spatula or two
Several heavy-bottomed saucepans
A blender for pureeing and chopping
A strainer
Steamer trays
Nice to have on hand and very helpful, but not mandatory are:
A cherry pitter
An apple parer-slicer-corer
A corn kernel cutter
A pea and bean sheller
A bean Frencher
A mortar and pestle
A salad spinner (for pre-drying herbs and flowers and for washing greens)
A food processor with a shredding disk
A Salad Shooter for slicing potatoes
But what is really necessary? A good sharp knife.
Is it necessary to pretreat foods before drying them?

Pretreatment is not necessary for successful drying, but it can enhance the color, flavor, and texture of certain foods.
Pretreatment options include dipping, blanching, marinating, and sulfuring.
Pretreatment affects the enzymes, a group of special proteins that cause chemical reactions-ripening and eventual spoilage-and determine the color, texture, flavor, and aroma of certain foods. The microorganisms that cause spoilage need moisture to live and reproduce. Drying foods above 140F halts enzyme activity.
Foods also contain simple yeasts, molds, and bacteria, all of which can cause deterioration. Again, reducing the moisture content of food inhibits their growth. When dried, vegetables contain only about 3 percent moisture, and fruits, depending upon sugar content, up to 15 percent water.
F
What is sulfuring?
In the most simple definition, sulfuring helps to preserve the color of some dried foods, like apricots. Fumes from burning sulfur or gaseous sulfur dioxide penetrate the surfaces of foods before they are dried. I do not sulfur the foods I dry. I do not believe that it is necessary when drying foods in an electric food dehydrator. Sulfuring is mainly used as a pretreatment when foods are dried out-of-doors.

What foods can be dried?
You can dry fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, herbs, flowers, and much more, including frozen and canned foods. In fact, you can dry almost anything that contains water-items you may never have considered, such as tofu.
Here are some other ideas that will keep your dehydrator in constant use:
Use it to revive limp potato chips or soggy popcorn.
Dry leftover bread to make crumbs and croutons.
Instead of draping homemade noodles to dry all over the kitchen and dining room, dry them in your dehydrator.
Make your own bagel chips by seasoning thinly sliced bagels with garlic, onion powder, or cinnamon sugar, then drying them until crisp in your dehydrator.

How long does it take to dry food?
This is the question I am asked most frequently and it is the hardest one to answer because many factors affect drying time:
- The water content in the food
- The sugar content in the food
- The size of the piece of food
- The amount of air circulation when the food is dried
- The level of humidity in the air entering the dehydrator
- The air temperature inside the dehydrator.
- Last and most important, the type of dehydrator you are using will affect the time needed to dry food.
The lower the air temperature inside the dehydrator, the longer the drying time. Raising the temperature in the unit will increase the amount of water removed from the food and decrease the length of time it will take to dry. The temperature should be high enough to draw the moisture from the food but not high enough to cook it. Temperatures that are too low may cause food to spoil; temperatures that are too high may cause the surface area of the food to harden and prevent moisture from escaping.

The three food categories -meats and fish, fruits and vegetables, and herbs- require different drying temperatures:

Meats and Fish: 145F and above
Fruits and Vegetables: 130F to 140F
Herbs and flowers: 100F to 110F
Will flavors mingle if I dry different foods at the same time?
I am often asked this question. In my experience, the answer is no, although I do not recommend drying pears and onions at the same time! If you combine foods that are in the same category -fruits with other fruits, vegetables with other vegetables- each retains its own flavor.

How can you know when foods are dry?
The best way of finding out if a food is dry is to touch it. It will feel sticky, moist, leathery, or hard. When touching foods for dryness, remember that they feel softer when they are warm. Therefore, always let the foods cool for a few moments -either turn off the dehydrator or remove the drying tray. If you are not sure if an item is sufficiently dry, it is better to overdry it somewhat than to underdry it. However, know that foods that are overdried in some dehydrators may turn brown and become brittle.

If you are concerned about the safety of a dried food, you can freeze it. The freezer will keep frozen any water remaining in the food, thus preventing spoilage. You can freeze dried foods at any stage of the drying process. A woman I once met at a home show told me that she only half-dries her mushrooms because she likes how quickly they rehydrate.

How do you store dried foods?
Moisture is the enemy of dried foods. Dried foods exposed to the air absorb the moisture in the air and become limp.

Always store dried foods in airtight containers and label the contents. Store the containers in a dry, dark place with a moderate temperature. Your kitchen cupboard is an ideal spot. After all, dried foods take up so much less space than fresh or canned ones that it is easy to keep them in a handy place.
Remember to store any dried food containing vitamin A away from direct light.

Here is how I store certain items: I always keep some dried tomatoes in the refrigerator. When I want to make spaghetti sauce, I retrieve the tomatoes from the fridge, take my dried herbs from the cupboard, and collect my dried peppers and onions from the pantry.
Economies of scale make all of this possible, and if you have a small kitchen, you will appreciate the extra space gained simply by using dried foods.

When storing dried foods, contamination from insects may occur. The only insect I have ever found to be a problem is the Indian meal moth, in both the worm and adult stages. A University of Wisconsin food researcher told me that the food may have been contaminated with the insect eggs already sealed in the jar.
To destroy the insects, pasteurize the food right after it has been dried. There are two ways to do this:

Place the food in the freezer for 48 hours, or
preheat your oven to 175 degrees F., or the lowest possible setting, and heat the infested food on a cookie sheet in the oven for 15 to 30 minutes. Let cool before rewrapping.

How long can dried foods be stored?
Dried foods will last from one season to the next. Dry garden tomatoes this year and replace them next year when fresh ones are again dropping from the vines. When fresh tomatoes have gone, I immediately start using dried ones. (And if I run out of dried tomatoes -what an awful thought!- I just promise myself to grow and dry more of them next year.)
For optimum quality, dried fruits and vegetables should be replaced annually. Herbs and flowers, once dried, last a very long time. And although our ancestors may have kept dried meats for long periods of time without benefit of refrigeration, I recommend storing dried meats in the refrigerator or freezer after one month at room temperature. Remember, many jerkies, with the exception of poultry jerkies, have not been cooked.
I repeat, I think it is a good idea to use dried foods within one year of drying them, just as you would canned and frozen foods. First of all, you will enjoy their quality year round by using them at their peak and replacing them when fresh foods are in season again. Second, and no less important, dried foods that have been squirreled away for too long lose their taste and tend to darken in color. Follow the rule of first in/first out and be sure to rotate the containers on the shelf so that you use the oldest dried foods first.

Is it possible to dry food in a microwave oven?
I have never attempted to dry food in a microwave oven. A food dehydrator is always my first choice. I have, however, heard of people who have dried herbs or flowers in a microwave. Before attempting either of those procedures, it is important to check the warranty of the microwave oven you own to see if the manufacturer recommends using it for these purposes. Some manufacturers do not and will not honor the warranty agreement if their machine breaks down when it has been used for this purpose.
 

coopy

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I have dried jerky but have never dried turkey. I think it might be to salty to use in anything. But then maybe not.
I think I would rather can it. Then I could use it in soups or casseroles or whatever.
If anyone knows about drying turkey please let us know.
 

poppycat

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I don't have a dehydrator, and certainly can't afford one right now. But I've wondered if you could dehydrate some things in a convection oven at a low temperature. Has anyone tried this?
 

FarmerChick

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here is more info for anyone interested

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Choose Which Drying Method is Right For You
Sun Drying This is rather difficult because you need three to four sunny days of at least 100 degrees in a row.

Oven Drying Oven drying is an acceptable method of drying food, but it isn't very energy efficient, and foods aren't very flavorful in the end. If your oven cannot obtain temperatures below 200 degrees farenheit, use another method for food dehydration. You will need to prop open the oven door to maintain air circulation during the drying process.

Electric Dehydrating This is the best method of dehydrating food. An electric dehydrator is energy efficient and can be operated at low temperatures needed to maintain nutritive values in the food. Your electric food dehydrator should have some sort of heat control and a fan to maintain air circulation during the drying process.


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The Drying Process
When drying food, don't keep temperatures too low or too high. Temperatures too low may result in the groth of bacteria on the food. Temperatures too high will result in the food being cooked instead of dried. Food that is underdried will spoil, and food that is overdried will lose its flavor and nutritive value.

Food should be dehydrated between 120 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. You can begin drying your food at higher temperatures, but turn the temperature down after the first hour or so. The last hour or so of drying time should be turned down on a lower setting. You must turn the food and rotate the trays while the food is drying.

You will know your food is dried when when you touch it, and it is leathery with no pockets of moisture. If you are testing fruit, you can tear a piece in half. If you see moisture beads along the tear, it is not dry enough. Meat should be tough, but shouldn't snap apart. Vegetables should also be tough but can also be crisp.

When storing your dried product, keep in mind that no moisture should be allowed to enter the container...ever. Dried food absorbs moisture from the air, so the storage container must be airtight. Some acceptable storage containers are jars and plastic freezer bags. If storing fruit leather, wrap in plastic wrap and store in a another airtight container. Store your containers of dried food in a cool, dark, dry place. 60 degrees Fahrenheit or below is best.



Vegetable Drying Guide


All vegetables except onions and peppers,and mushrooms should be washed, sliced, and blanched. Dry vegetables in single layers on trays. Depending of drying conditions, drying times make take longer. Dry vegetables at 130-degrees Fahrenheit.
Beans, green:Stem and break beans into 1-inch pieces.Blanch. Dry 6-12 hours until brittle.

Beets: Cook and peel beets. Cut into 1/4-inch pieces. Dry 3-10 hours until leathery.

Broccoli: Cut and dry 4-10 hours.

Carrots: Peel, slice or shred. Dry 6-12 hours until almost brittle.

Cauliflower: Cut and dry 6-14 hours.

Corn:Cut corn off cob after blanching and dry 6-12 hours until brittle.

Mushrooms: Brush off, don't wash. Dry at 90 degrees for 3 hours, and then 125 degrees for the remaining drying time. Dry 4-10 hours until brittle.

Onions: Slice 1/4-inch thick. Dry 6-12 hours until crisp.

Peas: Dry 5-14 hours until brittle.

Peppers, sweet: Remove seeds and chop. Dry 5-12 hours until leathery.

Potatoes: Slice 1/8-inch thick. Dry 6-12 hours until crisp.

Tomatoes: Dip in boiling water to loosen skins, peel,slice or quarter. Dry 6-12 hours until crisp.

Zucchini: Slice 1/8-inch thick and dry 5-10 hours until brittle.


Fruit Drying Guide
All fruit should be washed,pitted and sliced. Arrange in single layers on trays. Dry fruit at 135 degrees Fahrenheit. You may wish to pretreat your fruit with lemon juice or ascorbic acid or it won't darken while you are preparing it for drying. Just slice the fruit into the solution and soak for 5 minutes.


Apples:peel, core and slice into 3/8-inch rings, or cut into 1/4-inch slices. Pretreat and dry 6-12 hours until pliable.

Apricots: Cut in half and turn inside out to dry. Pretreat and dry 8-20 hours until pliable.

Bananas: Peel, cut into 1/4-inch slices and pretreat. Dry 8-16 hours until plialbe or almost crisp.

Blueberries: Dry 10-20 hours until leathery.

Cherries: Cut in half and dry 18-26 hours until leathery and slightly sticky.

Peaches: Peel, halve or quarter. Pretreat and dry 6-20 hours until pliable.

Pears: Peel, cut into 1/4-inch slices, and pretreat. Dry 6-20 hours until leathery.

Pineapple: Core and slice 1/4-inch thick. Dry 6-16 hours until leathery and not sticky.

Strawberries: Halve or cut into 1/4-inch thick slices. Dry 6-16 hours until pliable and almost crisp.


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Fruit Leathers
Fruit leather is easy to make if you have a blender of food processor. The fruit leather is like a "fruit roll-up" and is made out of pureed fruit. Applesauce works great for fruit leather since it is already in puree form. Overripe fruits can also be used since these are easily pureed. For an added flare, you can add coconut,raisins,poppy seeds,seasame seeds, or sunflower seeds to the fruit leather. If you add any type of garnish to your fruit leather however, you will have to store them in the freezer or refrigerator. Otherwise, you can store fruit leather in an airtight container. Just roll up the fruit leather into a roll after it has dried, wrap in plastic, and store them altogether in an appropriate container.
To make fruit leather, puree your fruit. Apples, pears, peaches, and nectarines should be cooked before pureeing. Pour the fruit puree about 1/4-inch deep on special fruit leather drying sheets, or drying trays that have been lined with plastic wrap. Since the center does not dry as quickly as the edges, Only pour the puree 1/8-inch deep towards the center.Dry at 135 degrees Fahrenheit until pliable and leathery. The center should also be dry and have no wet or sticky spots.



Making Jerky
Meats should be dried at 145-150 degrees Fahrenheit. Jerky should dry between 6-20 hours until pliable. It shoud not be brittle. Wipe fat off of the jerky while it is drying. Jerky does not store as long as fruits and vegetables. For long term storage longer than a month, store in the freezer or refrigerator. To aid in the curing of jerky, meat must be marinaded in salt and spices. The pioneers used 1 1/2 cups pickling salt to 1 gallon of water and soaked the meat strips in this for a couple of days. As an alternative to soaking, they also rubbed the meat with salt and spices (like garlic and pepper) before drying. You may want to use one of the following marinade recipes instead. Marinade the meat strips overnight.


Jerky Marinade No.1
1/4 C. Soy sauce
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t. pepper
1/2 t. garlic powder
1 t. liquid smoke
1 t. salt


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Jerky Marinade No.2
4 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1 t. chili powder
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. liquid smoke
1/2 C. water


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Jerky Marinade No.3
1 C. ketchup
1/2 C. vinegar
1/4 C. brown sugar
3 T. Worcestershire Sauce
2 t. dry mustard
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper


How to Use Dried Food in Recipes
You will need to soak or cook your dried foods before using them in recipes. Some foods require soaking and cooking.Vegetables are usually soaked btween 1/2 to 1-1/2 hours and then simmered. Some vegetables can be rehydrated while they are cooking. Fruits are soaked, and then cooked in the water they were soaked in. Don't add extra sugar until the fruit is cooked;otherwise, the fruit may be tough. Fruits are sometimes eaten in their dry state as snacks. You must remember that after a food is rehydrated, it may spoil quickly, so use it promptly. To cook dried food, use the following information and simmer until tender.

Apples: Add 1 1/2 C. warm water to 1 C. apples and soak for 1/2 hour.

Beans, green: Add 2 1/4 C. boiling water to 1 C. beans and soak for 1 1/2 hours.

Beets: Add 2 3/4 C. boiling water to 1 C. beets and soak for 1 1/2 hours.

Carrots: Add 2 1/4 C. boiling water to 1 C. carrots and soak for 1 hour.

Corn: Add 2 1/4 C. boiling water to 1 C. Corn and soak for 1/2 hour.

Onions: Add 2 C. boiling water to 1 C. onions and soak for 1 hour.

Peaches: Add 2 C. warm water to 1 C. peaches and soak for 1 1/4 hour.

Pears: Add 1 3/4 C. warm water to 1 C. pears and soak for 1 hour.

Peas: Add 2 1/2 C. boiling water to 1 C. peas and soak for 1/2 hour.

Potatoes: Add 1 1/2 C. boiling water to 1 C. potatoes and soak for 1/2 hour.




Recipes Using Dried Foods

Apple Pie
3 1/2 C. dried apples
2 C. water
3/4 C. sugar
1 t. cinnamon

Cook apples until tender. The apples wil rehydrate during the cooking and baking process. Add sugar and cinnamon. Fill and top with pie crust and bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.



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Cherry Pie
3 C. dried cherries
3 C. boiling water
1/2 C. flour
1 C. sugar
Cover cherries with water and let soak for 30 minutes. Simmer and add sugar and flour to thicken. Pour into pie crust and add top crust. Bake at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes.



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Peach Pie
3 C. dried peaches
3 C. boiling water
2/3 C. flour
1 C. sugar
2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg

Cover fruit with water and let soak for 30 minutes. Simmer and add sugar, spices and flour to thicken. Pour into pie crust, dot with butter, and cover with pie top. Bake at 400 degress for 30 minutes.



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Creamed Corn
1 C. dried corn
4 C. boiling water
2 t. sugar
1/2 C. milk
1 T. flour
1 T. margarine
salt and pepper to taste

Add corn to water and let stand for 30 minutes. Simmer corn until tender. This may take as long as an hour or so. Drain and add remaining ingredients. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.



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Green Bean Casserole
2 C. boiling water
1 C. dried beans
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Add beans to water and cook until tender. Add soup and simmer.



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Cream of Tomatoe Soup
1 t. Dried Tomato powder
!/2 C. boiling water
1 T. flour
1/2 C. milk

To make tomato powder, blend dried tomatoes in food processor. Add powder to water and simmer. Add flour to milk and stir. Add flour/milk mixture to water and tomatoes. Simmer and stir to prevent scorching.



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Cooked Fruit
3 C. dried fruit of your choice
2 C. boiling water
1 t. cinnamon
Sugar to taste

Let fruit soak in the boiled water for 20 minutes. Simmer for another 20 minutes and add cinnamon and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved and serve.



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Vegetable Soup
1 C. diced cooked meat
3 C. dried mixed vegetables
salt and pepper
Cover dried vegetables with boiling water and soak 1 hour, then simmer for 2 hours or until tender. Remember you can add fresh vegetables, in case you don't have a particular dried one, to the pot as well.
 

FarmerChick

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Poppycat

yes you can use the oven.

never tried it.

this will be my first adventures in dehydrating. never owned one and I want to use the oven first to "just try it" and see what I get....before spending money on dehydrator. Just for me to try it on some apples or something as a first try.

I wonder if anyone else has used it like you asked? I would like to know also.
 

2dream

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I tried the dehydrator for jerky - turned out ok - I like the oven better for jerky. Apples, tomatos, and zukes did better in the dehydrator. The oven just did not seem to work for them. I have a gas oven and it was really difficult to keep the temp down because you have to leave the door open.

I am going to try drying more fruits this year.

Dehydrators are not to terribly expensive and totally worth the money.

The directions for mine say even after you dehydrate the food to place in an airtight container and store in the freezer for at least 3 days to kill any leftover bacteria.

Personally I think if you store in the freezer for 3 days and then plan on taking it out to store on a shelf you need to either place in dehydrator or oven again for a short period to remove any moisture picked up in freezer.

A sure way to make sure all moisture is removed from food is after you think it is dehydrated is: Let it cool completely, place in a plastic bag and let it sit out for a few minutes. If there is moisture it will condense on the inside of the bag. Food has to be completely cool for this to work and left in a realativly warm place.
Not hot, but slightly warm. Kitchen counter is usually suffiecent.

If you see moisture - back to the dehydrator or oven of a little longer.

I have a recipe for pemican somewhere but could not find it to post. Will keep looking. It was a major dried food source of mixed meat, berries and sometimes nuts for Native Americans.

Jerky can be shaved off into water to make a broth and you can add what ever is on hand to the broth. Also a major food source for Cowboys and early travlers.
 

2dream

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Found it - This recipe is copied from Native American Recipes.
There are lots of recipes there - Hope I don't get into trouble for telling about that site.
If I should not have please just scold me so I will know better. Just felt like I need to give them credit for the recipe. Copyrigths at stuff.

Pemmican

This traditional Native American food made from dried meat pounded into a paste could be preserved for long periods of time in the form of pressed cakes. It was especially useful on long journeys or hunting expeditions.

2 ounces dried beef jerky
blender or food processor
rubber spatula
4 dried apple slices
handful of raisins, dried cranberries, or dried cherries
wax paper
rolling pin
Grind the dried beef jerky in the blender until it is chopped very finely. Add the dried fruit and raisins. Grind until fine. Empty the mixture from the blender onto a sheet of wax paper. Lay another sheet of wax paper on top and roll over the top sheet with a rolling ping until the pemmican is approximately 1/8 inch thick. Let dry between the wax paper a day or two in the sun. To dry in an oven: Flip the pemmican from the wax paper into a pie tin. Set the tin in a 350 degree oven for two hours, turning over several times as it dries.

When completely dry, break of pieces to eat as a snack. Store leftover pemmican in a sealed container or plastic bag in the refrigerator.

My note: If the pemmican is properly dehydrated/dried I don't think the fridge is necessary.
 

FarmerChick

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ok 2dream

native american recipe

did they have food processors?

HA HA HA HA---funny how people made food with nothing, no gadgets, and we have to have plug in equipment to do it..HA HA HA

just busting your chops.

thanks for the great info!!!!!
 

2dream

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FC - you ain't knowed - they used squirrels running around in little cages to generate electricity. :gig

They were an industrious lot those Native Americans.

Once again a spelling edit. If it were not for Dac I would not even bother when my fingers get happy on the keys.
 

FarmerChick

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well that is a renewable source and super efficient, when the little squirrel legs are tired, they eat them! Make jerky..HA HA HA

for me, I sure don't bother editing for spelling most times unless the word is totally unrecognizable...LOL
I'm too lazy..hmm...
 
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