What Did You Dehydrate Today?

[murphysranch]

I hated Physics. Oh wait.....this is math. Hated it too!!

 

[FarmerJamie]

Yay for this thread!

Went to the first night of the local farmer's market. Talked to the local mushroom grower and he got me thinking about dehydrating some.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I dehydrated cooked rice yesterday. Why? Hurricane season is here! If we are without power for an extended amt of time I don't want to use up all my fuel boiling rice for 20 minutes. With this - just boil water and pour over and it rehydrates. I generally mix canned chicken and rice with the dogs food so this will make it easy. Occasionally I have a bit with soup or a side. So simple to grab a handful and throw in the soup pot. I haven't tasted it yet so...

 

[Hinotori]

I dehydrated cooked rice yesterday. Why? Hurricane season is here! If we are without power for an extended amt of time I don't want to use up all my fuel boiling rice for 20 minutes. With this - just boil water and pour over and it rehydrates. I generally mix canned chicken and rice with the dogs food so this will make it easy. Occasionally I have a bit with soup or a side. So simple to grab a handful and throw in the soup pot. I haven't tasted it yet so...

Have you looked into making or buying a little rocket stove for emergencies? You can feed the things with twigs. Efficient use of fuel for cooking.

 

[Britesea]

I DO prefer using my freeze dryer for eggs- whisk the raw eggs, freeze them in oblong/square plastic containers to make little "pucks" that I can place on the tray (less risk of it sloshing over the edges!) and then powder them. Reconstituted and cooked, I find them indistinguishable from my fresh ones. BUT, I have done them in my excalibur, and they came out pretty good too, not QUITE as good, but very acceptable. For storage, I prefer putting them in a mason jar with a desiccant rather than an Oxy absorber, and using the vacuum sealer. I store them in the coolest spot I have - the water tank house. We used up the dehydrated ones in the first year, but I have some freeze dried that are about 4 years old now, and they were fine when I used some this winter. Now I'm trying waterglassing, because DS doesn't like scrambled eggs. So far, I have about 10 dozen in a couple of buckets.

 

[FarmerJamie]

Threw in one tray of jalapeños too.

I think this is a success. The wife asked when we will do more

 

[FarmerJamie]

The onions turned out perfectly, 2+ days and no sign of moisture in the sealed zip top bags, without desiccant packets.

Between the humidity and rain possibly slowing things down, I doubled the run time (24 hours) and cranked the temp up from 145 to 165 degrees for the last six hours.

 

[Mini Horses]

I haven't used mine in several months but, produce will be coming. Y'all talking about timers, temps, fans on your units made be start looking. Oh, I'm still using my old $8 one with no controls just manual use. But I ordered a much newer one to go alongside 😊. NOT the wonderful and expensive named ones...but will suffice and good reviews. On sale at $90. Cannot have figs ready and no dehydrator! 🤣. A stackable model with temp, timer controls...and a fan. All I need as I do fruits and veggies. 🤷 Plus 8 trays , other just 4....that's 12 all together!! I'll be in high cotton, as they say.

Of course, ordered oxygen thingies and the moisture ones???? Yeah...you've cost me $$$. Thankfully I'm stocked with bags and two vac sealers and the jar lid suction attachment. I'm wondering if I needed all but on the way! I have dehydrated elderberries from last yr. In a jar, alone, doing very well.....

I want to try some veg chips this year. Maybe some dog treats for DD dogs. 😊 I have a mandolin for fine slicing the potatoes. Love the sweet potato ones, not the bag price. This will be useful....l buy cases of sweets on sale in fall.

 

[FarmerJamie]

I haven't used mine in several months but, produce will be coming. Y'all talking about timers, temps, fans on your units made be start looking. Oh, I'm still using my old $8 one with no controls just manual use. But I ordered a much newer one to go alongside 😊. NOT the wonderful and expensive named ones...but will suffice and good reviews. On sale at $90. Cannot have figs ready and no dehydrator! 🤣. A stackable model with temp, timer controls...and a fan. All I need as I do fruits and veggies. 🤷 Plus 8 trays , other just 4....that's 12 all together!! I'll be in high cotton, as they say.

Of course, ordered oxygen thingies and the moisture ones???? Yeah...you've cost me $$$. Thankfully I'm stocked with bags and two vac sealers and the jar lid suction attachment. I'm wondering if I needed all but on the way! I have dehydrated elderberries from last yr. In a jar, alone, doing very well.....

I want to try some veg chips this year. Maybe some dog treats for DD dogs. 😊 I have a mandolin for fine slicing the potatoes. Love the sweet potato ones, not the bag price. This will be useful....l buy cases of sweets on sale in fall.

Any thing else we can do to enable you?

 

[Mini Horses]

I have, on hand, both sweets and white potatoes.....thinking those will be sliced and drying next week. How convenient! 😁. Unless a Fall sale, or garden harvest, I rarely have more than one or two on hand. How convenient?!