Drying

[shellbellc]

I'm up for it. I just bought a dehydrator over the winter. I've used it once for jerky. I got a round one, but it has a thermometer and the fan forces the air up through the sides and then across the trays instead of just straight down through. I would like to learn about what all you can do with it, especially for our big garden this year.

When drying tomatoes, do you juice/seed/slice them up first?

 

[shorts]

I have one of those round ones with the temp control and the fan. Have always had great results. Now I did get a little tired of the soy sauce and the teriyaki sauces so I took an aus jus paste and made it kind of strong and just used that as my marinade. I soak it for a day or two then sprinkle a little cracked pepper on it. Comes out tasting like a prime rib jerkey. It will be a little salty but you really taste the beef flavor and it really goes good with a cold one.

Now my wife plants a huge garden every year and some how it became my chore to use up the veggies. She plants all kinds of different peppers so I cut them up into chunks and mix jalapeno's bananas onions carrots greenbeens cucumbers and anything else coming in and I pickle em. They're great for football season.

 

[shorts]

If you have a lot of tomatoes I can a blackbean and corn salsa. It's easy with just a hot water bath. You can make up your own too since you really don't need a recipe for salsa! As I always say recipes are nothing more then a guide line! Another good by product of this is if you deseed the tomatoes save the juice!!! Makes a great fresh bloody mary!!

 

[az_redneck]

I have 3 dehydrators. I have a cheapo for when I'm not concerned about food safety or moisture content. I mainly do potpourri in it. Then I have 2 American Harvest units. One is a 4 tray and it was my main dehydrator for years. It's seen its days in jerky, fruit, veggies, etc... My mom just gave me a 10 tray American Harvest. Can't wait to do some raisins or fruit roll-ups in it. I also do jalapeno peppers in them when peppers go 4# for a buck around here. Makes great powder for whatever you like a little spice in..

Has anyone ever done stew or chili in theirs? Do you think yogurt powder (made from dehydrated plain yogurt) would be a good binder for sausage?

 

[shellbellc]

I have one of those round ones with the temp control and the fan. Have always had great results. Now I did get a little tired of the soy sauce and the teriyaki sauces so I took an aus jus paste and made it kind of strong and just used that as my marinade. I soak it for a day or two then sprinkle a little cracked pepper on it. Comes out tasting like a prime rib jerkey. It will be a little salty but you really taste the beef flavor and it really goes good with a cold one.
quote]

Check out HiMtn Jerky seasonings...I've heard a lot of people around these parts talking bout their mixes so I tried them...Excellent. Even their regular flavor is very good. If you like a kick, try the inferno. It's spicy, but it's excellent!
http://shop.himtnjerky.com/online/home.php?cat=248

 

[deejaydebi]

Teacup -

I've sliced potatoes really thin like chips and up to an 1/8 inch and after drying they taste like cardboard. Cubes and grated potatoes are fine but slices just don't work for me.

Green beans end up with no taste either so I freeze them.

 

[monty]

Hey, Folks!

I am a bit late kicking in here but first I must apologize to the folks who have bought quality round dehydrators with temp control and fans. I was once fooled by Mr. Ron Popeil and went directly to the Excalibur brand and have not looked back. There are a number of great dehydrators out there which are not square!

As for potatoes, dice them to one half inch. That has been my best experience.

For tomatoes I usually look for the fleshier varieties to dehydrate; Roma, early girl and some cherry tomatoes are great for dehydrating right to powder. As for the beefsteak and big boy and better boy varieties they carry less flesh and more fluid.

If I wish to dehydrate tomato slices I slice an early girl variety. The slice tends to keep its shape better.

Debi, I am pleased that you enjoyed your Vermont experience. In about two years or so when I have my farm in full swing you and Jessie are welcome to visit here. And that goes for all the SMF Clan!

For now,

Cheers!

 

[deejaydebi]

Monty -

I loved it! I'm hoping things slow down a bit at work by July I want to try to get the 5th and 6th off and go back for a 5 day holiday! We found some great historic sites and fantastic cemetaries. Wonderful farmers and real folks that reminded me of when I was a kid.

http://www.deejaysgravestones.net/ClockStone.htm

Didn't see any deer or moose until we got to CT! There was a moose in our capital city! Weird!

 

[monty]

I'll do a bit of peeking around. My work is primarily on the road but I have resources which can lead to some very old cemeteries. Stay tuned. I will PM that info.

Cheers!

 

[monty]

Almost forgot to mention...I see moose almost every day. They travel up my driveway and romp in my back acreage. Neat place this is!

Cheers!

 

[gypsyseagod]

i didn't read all the posts but a general gardening would be cool. also, here's a link to a great site & forum i visit. http://davesgarden.com/

 

[navionjim]

Ive got an American Harvest and another on I built from an aluminum container for aircraft galley service. I just have to make one point of order here though and not to offend anyone. But if you put brined beef in a dehydrator you end up with "dried beef" by definition, which aint bad stuff at all, but I believe that to make jerky there has to be some smoke involved somewhere.

 

[deejaydebi]

I'll be waiting Monty!

BTW I have two of the original Popiels without the fan (he sent them free) and one with the with fan and never had a problem - but I do have ceiling fans in every room maybe that helped?

I want to build a solor powered dehydrator from some old calculators that died, I figure I can use one of those cheesy hand fans from WalMart the heat source will be sun ... at night I don't know ...

 

[monty]

Good Gosh Golly, Gee, Debi! You are resourceful! I have a hint for your night time solar dehydrator. A small battery pack using NiMh AA batteries will work. NiMh (Nickel Metal hydride) battries can be "topped off" without developing a memory, unlike NiCad batteries. And for about $20 you can purchase a solar panel which will keep a charge in the batteries long enough to complete a drying cycle. Run the fan on solar during the day while the NiMh batteries charge for the night.

Been gathering info and experimenting here. More later

Cheers!

 

[deejaydebi]

I've got a bunch of NiMhs I use them alot. Hate buying one shot batteries!

Thanks Monty!

 

[monty]

OK. So my post ended up being a moot point. I should have known better. Debi, you are on top of things! Kudos to you!

Cheers!

 

[deejaydebi]

I wouldn't say that .... I didn't think of using the solar cells to charge batteries for night time use -

DUH! I think the trees got in the way of my forest again. I get so excited when I get to do things without power!


QUOTE=srmonty;53719]OK. So my post ended up being a moot point. I should have known better. Debi, you are on top of things! Kudos to you!

Cheers![/quote]

 

[richoso1]

I think a poll is a good way of getting some feedback on the subject, You've got my vote!

 

[az_redneck]

So, is a dehydrating forum a go or do we need more deliberating? Oh Jeffffff...

BTW, I did 10# of grapes a week ago. There is a roadside stand close by that charges 25 cents per pound of you pick em grapes.. Wonderful little things..

 

[monty]

I will give a little push!

Cheers!