# Why I love dehydrating



## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

Yesterday I wanted to make a braised beef dish but did not have fresh celery. No problem- I just took some from the dehydrated celery jar. Not even last years jar but the last from the year before.
I love the freedom of having what I want always there. Of not having to plan everything because I always have back up. Of not having something always going bad because I dry it before then.
Very satisying.......


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## paradox (Nov 19, 2012)

This is something I keep thinking about doing and never seem to get around to it. I get wishy washy about whether I will really use it or not. What all do you dehydrate and what do you use it for? I doubt we would ever eat dehydrated fruits or veggies plain, so how do you use it in your cooking?


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## Homesteader (Jul 13, 2002)

I agree! Such a great help to have dried veggies. Dried fruit speaks for itself, you can just eat in the dry stage, yummy!

The veggies, for us, I use them in soups and stews all fall and winter long. Mushrooms, celery, carrots, peas, green beans, sweet pepper strips and corn are my go-to favorites. A small handful of each into some broth, with whatever meat you like (canned at home of course), if you want meat in it, and some water and spices. Fast, fast and fast! Delicious too!

If we don't have something in the garden to dry, (as an example, we didn't do carrots or corn last year), I just buy frozen ones. First, they are already blanched during the processing best I can tell. So I just thaw them out, and onto the trays they go! Couldn't be easier.


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

I also love dehydrating!
And I too have that jar of celery from the 2012 Thanksgiving celery sales!

And I love that I can put pounds and pounds and pounds of celery into a single jar!
And I do mean pounds! Celery shrinks down to nothing.

And mushrooms. I think I love my dehydrated mushrooms the most. Just grab a couple and toss them in.
I think I am going to go ahead and stock up on carrots etc.. and dehydrate them now.
Twice we have had carrot shortages due to weather.

And whatever else is cheap right now.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

I have several different blends, one is like Mrs. Dash. I grind those up. I use them with chicken, pork, beef and goat meat. I use a lot of dried vegetables in broth used in rice, beans, wheat, noodles and barley....James


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

Onions, garlic celery, herbs, tomatoes, bell peppers and mushrooms are my favorites- anything that is a flavoring, hot pepper too. I gind them mostly to make powders I use as rubs for meat or seasoning for anything. Use for salad dressings.
This year I discovered the various powders make a lovely popcorn flavoring. 
It's reached a point where anything without powdered vegetables is just too boring for words. 
Hmmm........ I just thought of trying some on baked potatoes. I've not tried that although it seems like a natural.


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## unregistered5595 (Mar 3, 2003)

I dehydrate and powder lots of things.
Last year I grew celery for the first time. OH MY it is delicious when it is well watered and HUGE. The bitterness in celery has to do with growing it and packaging it and it sits in the stores for so long. I ended up with way too much of it. I dehydrated it and I use it in stews and soups all the time now. No bitterness.

Yesterday I saw they used beets to color homemade soaps, they were selling it for $4/ounce. They are just BEETS! So I'm dehydrating some now, to grind for soaps. Now I'm looking for something to dry to make blue soaps, maybe blueberries.

I'll be dehydrating this year's extra garlic soon if anyone has anything to barter for it.


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## Guest (Jan 31, 2014)

WTG~ I dehydrated zucchini from my garden last year..so if I get a craving for zucchini bread Ive got my zucchini!

Never thought of grinding the herbs into a powder..something new for me to try..Thanks!


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

Only grind them as needs be.
Try to store anything dehydrated, but especially herbs in big pieces or whole.
Oxidization will rob them of any benefits and strip them of their vitamins etc..
Oxidation can get to more of the material when they are ground.
When they are whole or in bigger pieces, only the very outside is exposed.


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## sss3 (Jul 15, 2007)

Do you use oxygen absorbers, if so where do you get them? This is a new word for me, what about desicants? Where do you get these?


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## Marilyn (Aug 2, 2006)

Do you have a vacuum sealer, Sandra? If so, just put your dehydrated goodies into canning jars and seal. Saves the cost of dessicants or oxygen absorbers.


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

For harder dehydrated veggies like diced potatoes, carrots, corn and peas we normally use them in soups, stews and casseroles where they have plenty of time n moisture to get soft again.

Sliced and parboiled potatoes make nerly instant escalloped or au gratin potatoes.

Onions, peppers, celery, and mushrooms rehydrate almost instantly, so we just soak them a few minutes first and use them in every thing, including omelets and salads.

Dried tomatoes can be used unsoaked in a lot of things, like on pasta or salads, or you can add them to paste/sauce/soup while cooking for a punch of flavor.

Dry shredded zucchini makes nearly instant zuke bread or muffins. And most dried fruits work for bread, pancakes and muffins as well, and are also perfect added oatmeal or cream of wheat. You relly don't even have to presoak them, just add a little extra liquid to the recipes.

I normally pack mine in pint or quart jars with a desiccant pack and an oxygen absorber and seal it with my vacuum sealer attachment. Probably overkill, but I want to make sure my harvest bounty remains unspoiled. I also store the backstock out of sunlight, and make construction paper jar sleeves for the jars in use to block as much light as possible.


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## unregistered5595 (Mar 3, 2003)

I haven't found moisture absorber packs, so when I store my dehydrated tomatoes, I put the whole jar with the lid off in the dehydrator for a few hours (after grinding and sifting them), to make sure the moisture level is very low, then seal them.


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

Since I stock a lot of dry, powdered, dehydrated and freeze-dried foods in my every-day pantry and long-term larder, so I get oxygen absorbers and desiccant packs in quantity from either Sorbent Systems or ULine. I haven't had a moldy or rancid batch of anything in storage since I started using both, and all my powders stay powdery not clumps or bricks.


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

We have hamburger meat, hash browns, veggies, spices, cereal. We have had a problem with mice in the past so any pantry item we buy in a box or bag goes in a jar. The little buggars haven't figured out how to get in them yet.

I bought my oxygen absorbers on amazon. I put one in all my vacuum sealed jars.


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## Farmerjonathan (Mar 11, 2013)

Man did I learn something here. Dehydrated carrots, celery, onions and green peppers!?! How do you slice them? Longways, crossways? How thick?

I dehydrated a bunch of apples a couple of weeks ago, had a TERRIBLE time getting it off of the trays. Should I spray some PAM on them?

Thanks all!


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

Cut them in the size you normally use them. Bell peppers rehydrate well and come out almost like a fresh pepper. If I have something I think will stick I put parchment paper under it and turn for even drying.


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## Farmerjonathan (Mar 11, 2013)

terri9630 said:


> Cut them in the size you normally use them. Bell peppers rehydrate well and come out almost like a fresh pepper. If I have something I think will stick I put parchment paper under it and turn for even drying.


Do you have to rehydrate them to use them or just stick them in the slow cooker with a roast and let the juices do the work?

Parchment paper, how does the air flow from the bottom to the top if there is paper? Doesn't this interfere with the air flow?


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## unregistered5595 (Mar 3, 2003)

Someone here advised me to put pam on the trays, then rub them with paper towel, it helped. I appreciate that.
I use saran wrap under very wet things, like fruit leathers or sliced beets.
Parchment paper sounds like a good compromise between the saran wrap and the pam spray. I don't think parchment paper would do anything but wick the water and dry, so it won't interfere with drying.


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## Melesine (Jan 17, 2012)

Wow, this thread is inspiring. I had just gotten my dehydrator out of the box recently since we moved last year. I've been meaning to get going using it again.


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

:dance: Just found out that the wood drying rack my sister sent me for Christmas just barely fits inside the stovetop oven that we use on the woodstove. Now I can dehydrate electricity-free with a small fire in the stove and not always have to worry about keeping the mosquitoes off everything and whether I have enough warm dry days in a row to use the solar dryer.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

PlicketyCat said:


> :dance: Just found out that the wood drying rack my sister sent me for Christmas just barely fits inside the stovetop oven that we use on the woodstove. Now I can dehydrate electricity-free with a small fire in the stove and not always have to worry about keeping the mosquitoes off everything and whether I have enough warm dry days in a row to use the solar dryer.


That's efficiency for you- you get to heat the house, humidify it and have lovely scents perfume the house all at the same time.


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

Just don't try to dry mushrooms that way.
The smell will drive you out of the house.

Like burning hair and old man socks...


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## unregistered5595 (Mar 3, 2003)

chickenista said:


> Just don't try to dry mushrooms that way.
> The smell will drive you out of the house.
> 
> Like burning hair and old man socks...


That is so funny, the old man socks part! 

I dry onions and garlic in the dehydrator, outside, I can't take the smell day in and day out.

ETA: Do you think essence of old man socks and burnt hair essence could be infused into bit of soy or gluten 'meat' to replicate mushrooms? This could be a money saving tip. or not.


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

I don't dry horseradish, chile peppers, onions or garlic in the house anymore... and will add mushrooms to no-go list now too. I don't think we'll be drying the smoked salmon strips inside either!

I do most of our drying outside because the smells tend to give me the munchies, but it's nice to know that the soggier or late season things can be done on the woodstove if I need to.


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## karenp (Jun 7, 2013)

I think I know what I want for my birthday. Once dehydrated, how long to things last at room temperature. Any recommendations on a first time dehydrator?


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## unregistered5595 (Mar 3, 2003)

PlicketyCat--what part of Alaska are you in? And once you dry horseradish, how do you use it. I'm asking because I established some horseradish which will hopefully be fruitful this next year. I've only ground it and then with vinegar and salt, stored it in the refrigerator. Does it have heat after drying and reconstituting?

KarenP--the Excalibur.
https://www.excaliburdehydrator.com/

Dehydrators, there are a hundred different kinds out there. They are slightly heated air blowing machines, most work, some are just more efficient, easier to use, and easier to clean. Some microwave convection ovens have a dehydrating function and racks too.

Money wise, get a good used one at a rummage sale or craigslist.
You might spend $2-300 for a new machine and only $25-40 for a used machine.


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## karenp (Jun 7, 2013)

anything to look out for buying a used one?


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## unregistered5595 (Mar 3, 2003)

karenp said:


> anything to look out for buying a used one?


Just have them plug it in. It should heat the air and blow air. There should be trays. 
I have one that heats to 145 degrees F, having one that heats to 155 degrees F is nice too. Because mine only heats to 145, I heat my venison jerky to 165 in the oven for safety reasons after dehydrating.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

karenp said:


> anything to look out for buying a used one?


Check for recalls online. I had one from the people who make Vita-mix blenders that was recalled because it started fires. They sent me a new one but all those old ones could still be around.


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

Feather In The Breeze said:


> PlicketyCat--what part of Alaska are you in? And once you dry horseradish, how do you use it. I'm asking because I established some horseradish which will hopefully be fruitful this next year. I've only ground it and then with vinegar and salt, stored it in the refrigerator. Does it have heat after drying and reconstituting?


I'm near the Tanana/Yukon river delta, between the Alaskan and Brooks Range, about 4 hours west of Fairbanks.

I normally powder my dry horseradish so I can mix up paste when I need it. It does lose a little heat during drying and with storage, but vac-sealing in an airtight container out of sunlight keeps it plenty hot enough for us. We normally mix the powder with vinegar and add the paste to mayo for horsey sauce or tomato paste for cocktail sauce, or mix with rice vinegar and soy sauce for faux wasabi.

I've also pickled & canned a rough mince, and that works pretty well for chunks of horsey flavor without much heat.

I want to try growing wasabi horseradish now that I know common white horseradish will grow here.


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

karenp said:


> anything to look out for buying a used one?


Use an oven thermometer and make sure that it actually gets up the temps it says it does and that the dial is accurate. 

I got an older used one at a garage sale that was 8 deg lower than the dial and couldn't get up to top temp anymore... still good for things that needed lower heat once I'd marked the dial with the right temps, but I couldn't use it for things that needed the higher heat settings. I think I ended up using it to incubate yogurt until it finally died.


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## unregistered5595 (Mar 3, 2003)

PlicketyCat said:


> I'm near the Tanana/Yukon river delta, between the Alaskan and Brooks Range, about 4 hours west of Fairbanks.
> 
> I normally powder my dry horseradish so I can mix up paste when I need it. It does lose a little heat during drying and with storage, but vac-sealing in an airtight container out of sunlight keeps it plenty hot enough for us. We normally mix the powder with vinegar and add the paste to mayo for horsey sauce or tomato paste for cocktail sauce, or mix with rice vinegar and soy sauce for faux wasabi.
> 
> ...


http://www.realwasabi.com/cultivation/index.asp

You sound like you are near Tanana. I've been to Anchorage and then to Fairbanks, for visits, not living there. I can't imagine your weather. Anchorage was so much like Milwaukee weather-wise, and Fairbanks can get so cold -55Â°F. I'd guess you are are inbetween weather-wise. Alaska is such beautiful country, it is hard to describe the solitude, the beauty, and the peacefulness.

I appreciate your information on drying the horseradish. I never would have thought of drying horseradish but now I can see why you do it. 

This is the cabinet we use to dry things outdoors: ETA: we cover it in silver tarp during the winter, to keep the snow off of it, as you can see in the picture.


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

Actually, it's usually colder down here than Fairbanks, slightly less arid and a lot less windy because we're in the valley instead of being up on the plateau. Cold normally flows downhill so we form a cold pocket... unless there is an temperature inversion layer, and then we're warmer because the cold icey air traps the warm air at the ground but Fairbanks is above it and all the heat gets stripped away.

Lucky for us, unless it's actively raining, our oudoor dryers work great no matter whether there is sun or clouds since our relative humidity is low. The big problem we have at the end of summer is getting the harvest to dry before it starts freezing at night. If stuff can handle being frozen, we just leave it to "freeze" dry outside in the winter cuz the relative humidity is next to nothing. Indoors, nothing goes stale from humidity in winter, although you have seal anything you need to stay moist immediately after use. A slice of bread left on the counter will be rock hard overnight! This is great for herbs and whole chiles, I never have to put them in the dehydrator, just hang them up in the loft.

(ETA: PS - I had those exact sticky tiles on the floor of our wall tent while were building the cabin, ahhhhh good times)


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## Melesine (Jan 17, 2012)

Ok you all inspired me to try my hand at celery and bell pepper, I have a batch going now.


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## Melesine (Jan 17, 2012)

So my bell peppers and celery came out great. My only problem is I'm not sure how much dried to use instead of fresh. Is there a good source for converting it?


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## unregistered5595 (Mar 3, 2003)

If you are chopping things and drying them, you can pretty much eye ball it as a similar amount.
If after drying you are grinding it, I have found that for instance, a gallon and a half tomatoes will fit into 3/4ths of a quart jar. That is a huge difference of 7:1.


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

For dried onion, peppers and celery I usually eyeball about 1/3 less than fresh since they plump up a bit when rehydrating. Peppers & onions don't expand much, but celery can poof up on you. Celery also takes a little longer to rehydrate than peppers and onions, so you might want to rehydrate those separately for a while until you know how yours are going to react.


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## Mrs. Thankful (Dec 4, 2013)

Not to be silly but does the tomato look like a regular tomato once re-hydrated?


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

Mrs. Thankful said:


> Not to be silly but does the tomato look like a regular tomato once re-hydrated?


Depends on how you cut it and how it was dried. Nothing dry will ever look exactly garden fresh, but some ways look closer than others.

IME, diced dehydrated tomatoes look & feel pretty close, but freeze-dried diced tomatoes look & feel even closer. Dehydrated slices with look a bit wrinkly and feel a little leathery, but freeze-dried slices don't. Sun-dried or roasted-then-dehydrated slices will never look/feel/taste like fresh even after rehydrating.


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## Mrs. Thankful (Dec 4, 2013)

Thank you so much!



PlicketyCat said:


> Depends on how you cut it and how it was dried. Nothing dry will ever look exactly garden fresh, but some ways look closer than others.
> 
> IME, diced dehydrated tomatoes look & feel pretty close, but freeze-dried diced tomatoes look & feel even closer. Dehydrated slices with look a bit wrinkly and feel a little leathery, but freeze-dried slices don't. Sun-dried or roasted-then-dehydrated slices will never look/feel/taste like fresh even after rehydrating.


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

Heads up -- dried kohlrabi is weird. I experimented with diced and shredded this year thinking maybe it would work like turnips or potatoes. Anyway, both batches have an odd texture and taste bland and a little... musty. :yuck:

Maybe I didn't do something right? I peeled, blanched and Fruit-Freshed them beforehand like other root/tubers. Don't know what else to have done.

Yeah, unless someone here can give me the key to drying kohlrabi correctly, I think I'll just keep krauting my surplus.


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## Melesine (Jan 17, 2012)

I've got yogurt dehydrating right now. I used a piping bag to make dots of greek yogurt on paraflex sheets. I'm not sure how long it's going to take, I've got it dehydrator set for 4 ours and then I'll check them. I'm planning on giving them to our rats for treats.


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

Melesine, that sounds like how I do homemade fruit gummies (here's the recipe). 

Fruit or yogurt, I'm sure the rats will love their treats


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## Melesine (Jan 17, 2012)

Oh thanks, I like the gummy idea too.


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

I'm pretty sure you could make the gummies with normal cornstarch as well. I'm just glad that I can have gummies without HFCS and that are more fruit and less sugar than storebought. Fresh fruit is great... but it doesn't always travel in your purse & pocket well


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## wannabechef (Nov 20, 2012)

PlicketyCat said:


> I'm pretty sure you could make the gummies with normal cornstarch as well. I'm just glad that I can have gummies without HFCS and that are more fruit and less sugar than storebought. Fresh fruit is great... but it doesn't always travel in your purse & pocket well


Wonder if you can use jello mix for this? Cut back the water and dehydrate when finished.

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Tapatalk


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## unregistered5595 (Mar 3, 2003)

[YOUTUBE]?v=WPakqUMCCIA[/YOUTUBE]

This recipe for gummi candies uses 3 packages of plain gelatin and one package of flavored jello.


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

I was thinking you could do them by dehydrating Jell-O/Knox Blox. Thanks for the video!

If you wanted to avoid the artificial colors & flavors in Jell-O, you could probably do the same with plain gelatin and fruit juice/puree.


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## Melesine (Jan 17, 2012)

Reporting back, the yogurt worked out pretty well but I stored the dots in a small jar and they ended up sticking together somewhat. Not that the rats minded LOL. I'm going to try sheets like leather next time. And instead of using my parallax sheets I'm going to use parchment or wax paper so I can store it on it. 

I have a batch of sliced apples going today.


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## Melesine (Jan 17, 2012)

What thickness do you all use for crispy apple chips? I've been doing them at 1/4 inch and getting a nice chewy ones but I'd like some that are more like potato chips. I did the last of my apples today and did a variety of thicknesses from 1/8 inch to 1/32 ( which I think was probably too thin). Batch is in the dehydrator. I did a little bit of cinnamon and sugar on the ones today.


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## puddlejumper007 (Jan 12, 2008)

karen, dried foods can last fore years...


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## scwit (Mar 2, 2011)

Got to jump in here. I am giving a class in a couple of weeks on dehydrating and have learned quite a few new tricks in the last few weeks.
First off some of my favorite things in the dehydrator are pumpkin/squash seeds, peppers of all sorts, mushrooms, apples, cranberries, pineapple, strawberries, carrots, celery,cucumbers, zucchini, sauerkraut, and now rice. 

I have been doing quite a bit of reading and have discovered that if you precook food then dehydrate it, it basically becomes instant. I tried rice today, cooked it then dehydrated it, it cooked up beautifully in just a few minutes(I heated it up then let it soak). You can even do chili or stews that way. 

I figure next time I do carrots-and I plan on trying broccoli-I will steam it for 7 minutes then dry it. I think it will have a better time reconstituting itself.
www.backpackingchef.com has some great ideas and recipes to use with the dehydrated items!!

I can't wait to try his pumpkin pie bark.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

I have simply fallen in love with veggie powders- my latest is an instant dip. I didn't want to go to town but got a craving for it. A little sour cream and veggie powder (the one with tomatoes and sweet peppers) and voila- yummy instant goodness with no perservatives.


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## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

Where I Want To, is your veggie powder just tomatoes and peppers or are there any other ingredients besides the sour cream? What do you grind your dried veggies in? 

And this is not related to dehydrating directly, but did you get enough rain recently to help your garden?


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

Tomato, onion, garlic , sweet pepper, salt, sugar, hot pepper. I used a cheapo coffee grinder. 
And thank you for asking. Although we will be hurting later, for now it is wet enough. And such a relief. I was looking at a year with no rain- not just too little.

oh and on the veggie powder, I use different things for different dishes. You can grind whatever you think sounds tasty.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

scwit said:


> Got to jump in here. I am giving a class in a couple of weeks on dehydrating and have learned quite a few new tricks in the last few weeks.
> First off some of my favorite things in the dehydrator are pumpkin/squash seeds, peppers of all sorts, mushrooms, apples, cranberries, pineapple, strawberries, carrots, celery,cucumbers, zucchini, sauerkraut, and now rice.
> 
> I have been doing quite a bit of reading and have discovered that if you precook food then dehydrate it, it basically becomes instant. I tried rice today, cooked it then dehydrated it, it cooked up beautifully in just a few minutes(I heated it up then let it soak). You can even do chili or stews that way.
> ...


There was a woman on here last year (mpennington) who dehydrated cooked beans, made instant beans out of them and she ground them for bean flour to use a thickeners. I haven't got that far yet, but it's in my future.


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## sdnapier (Aug 13, 2010)

Farmerjonathan said:


> Do you have to rehydrate them to use them or just stick them in the slow cooker with a roast and let the juices do the work?
> 
> Parchment paper, how does the air flow from the bottom to the top if there is paper? Doesn't this interfere with the air flow?


I read somewhere that you can start with the parchment and as the apples get drier you can remove it


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## TJN66 (Aug 29, 2004)

I really need to start using my dehydrator more. Is there a site that all of you prefer or like with helpful tips? I mostly use mine for herbs.


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## JoshandDiane (Sep 2, 2013)

PlicketyCat said:


> :dance: Just found out that the wood drying rack my sister sent me for Christmas just barely fits inside the stovetop oven that we use on the woodstove. Now I can dehydrate electricity-free with a small fire in the stove and not always have to worry about keeping the mosquitoes off everything and whether I have enough warm dry days in a row to use the solar dryer.



What is that? I like that idea.


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

JoshandDiane said:


> What is that? I like that idea.


We have a Perfection portable stovetop oven from Lehman's. It's built for the Perfection cookstoves, but just fits on top of our Harman Oakwood heatstove.

The wooden 4-tray passive oven/sun dehydrator rack my sister sent is also from Lehman's and fits inside the Perfection portable oven, after removing the oven racks, with about an inch to spare on each side.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

Today I was drying some sweet peppers and had most of one tray that was empty. Had some tomatoes that were not going to last for much longer so in they went.
I just love my dehydrator.


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