# Dehydrators Anonymous...



## Chixarecute (Nov 19, 2004)

I was in town today, browsing at a few of my favorite shops...St. Vinnies, etc. Stopped in at a gift shop, the owners also buy estates. They had a practically brand new in the box digital American Harvest (before Nesco bought the company) 2400T with timer, (4) F-50 trays...for just $15. 

I succumbed. I bought it. My old 1983 model trays are getting terribly brittle where the webs meet the outer ring, and my 5 tray Excal just died (again) so I justified the purchase. 

The new 2400T joins the original '83 F-50 with 6 trays, the mid '80s may-be-able to be revived Excal; a 20 shelf, free standing, butcher block top dual unit Nature's Way (60s-70s?); and two 4-tray Nescos that I also picked up...as potential tray donors. 

My name is Chix, and I am addicted to dehydrating


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## GrannyG (Mar 26, 2005)

I don't blame you....I would buy it as well....always a need for them when food is in season...I have been dehydrating canned pineapple....at only $1 for a big can, I will soon have my Christmas fruit ready...besides, love to snack on it....when I can find frozen veggies on sale, they get dried as well...
and Ditto the addiction...LOL


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

I am dehydrating carrots as I write. I've done 25 lbs. so far.

A couple of days ago I dehydrated apples. I sprinkled cinnamon on the slices. That went well until I turned on the machine. The cinnamon got blown across the room because I didn't sprinkle until the apples had been it there for a few hours and the surface was already dry. :smack I have 1 1/2 bushels more to do.

Last week it was beef jerky, 12 lbs. of it.


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

At only 15$ when a new round dehydrator at Walmart is 50$, no justification is needed.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

No need to try to justify it if you're going to use it. If you were buying it to stick in the closet for a few years to use maybe then it's a different story. 

Dh has been shopping for a new one for me. They have really gotten expensive since Mom bought her first one. 

I'm doing apples now too. No cinnamon though.


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

Sounds good to me - but then I now have 4 pressure canners . . . 

The nice thing about having several smaller units instead of one big one is you can get some going and then start on the next group.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Macybaby said:


> The nice thing about having several smaller units instead of one big one is you can get some going and then start on the next group.


So true. If someone hadn't lost the top to my other dehydrator I would be running it now too.


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## Meconella (Dec 21, 2008)

Danaus29 said:


> So true. If someone hadn't lost the top to my other dehydrator I would be running it now too.


Can't you jerry-rig something? 

I 'only' have 3 dehydrators. One (and old L'Equip yard sale find) does not have a thermostat, so I never use the base. But it has 9 trays. But they are retangular. So I cut a cardboard template that allows me to stack the retangular trays on top of the round American Harvestor trays with little air leakage. I have 11 of the AH round trays, plus 9 L'equip. It's quite a sight when I have them all stacked on the base.

Earlier this week I dried about 10 pounds of fresh cranberries, unsweetened, in the Excalibur. Just run them through the slicing blade of the food processor, and put them on the trays. Works like a dream! Then just add the tart little things to some chunked apple, lemon zest, cinnamon, and the sweetening of your choice for a lovely fruit compote.


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## GrannyG (Mar 26, 2005)

Check out this site for some nice tips...

http://www.backpackingchef.com/index.html


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## calliemoonbeam (Aug 7, 2007)

I feel your pain, lol. I'm not a dehydrator junkie...yet, though I'm starting to think another one would be good. I have a 9-tray Excalibur right now.

However...I have six crockpots, three pressure canners, two pressure cookers, a pressure fryer, and an Oster Kitchen Center (like an older KitchenAid for those who don't know) with every attachment known to man, as well as two old ones that I'm saving for parts...and a partridge in a pear tree, ROFL!

:standing up: Hi, I'm Callie, and I'm a kitchen gadget junkie!


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

I have 2- 9-Tray excalibers, 10 Pressure canners - 7 are All - American, 2 bread makers,2 crockpots, 3 Food processors, 3 Kitchen -Aid mixers, I hand mixer,1 deli meat slicer ......
No Justification needed....

My name is Anne, and I'd buy it too!!


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## calliemoonbeam (Aug 7, 2007)

Wow, TDD you've even got me beat! :bow:

I forgot though, I also have a bread maker, and I'm looking for a meat slicer, lol!


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

If it's for food processing, I'm all for it. 

My husband always says "what fun for the people that come to our auction" 

I've only been "collecting" for about four years, so I figure I've got along way to go.


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

Im kind of in the same boat as TDD. We have 4 crockpots, 3 dehydrators, one pressure canner. 2 WB canners, 2 Food processors, a pasta machine, a kitchen aid and 2 dormeyer mixers, a waffle machine, 2 popcorn poppers, 2 vaccuum sealers, 3 coffee pots, a steam juicer and a Berkey. Isn't it stupid? That's what happens when 2 self-sufficient preppers get married.


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## rags57078 (Jun 11, 2011)

I have one dehydrator and looking at building a big one so I can dry a bushell of apples at one time , it would be used for veggies also


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

Have you seen the one the whizbang guy has for his garlic? Its on his blog I think. Its a very tall square with a fan in the bottom that blows up and he uses it on his porch for doing whole garlic cloves. You should take a look.


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## rags57078 (Jun 11, 2011)

no I havent Thank You

Bob


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## MillsFleetFarm (Oct 14, 2011)

For Black Friday, Mills Fleet Farm stores and FleetFarm.com have the Nesco American Harvest Jerky Xpress Dehydrator 50% off!

Nesco American Harvest Jerky Xpress Dehydrator - Reg: $49.99 *Sale: $24.99*


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