View Full Version : Is it done yet????
I've finally figured out my dehydrator and have successfully dehydrated veggies and meats. I'd like to start dehydrating leftovers, but am unsure how to know if they are done. For example, if I have a pasta in a sauce and dehydrate, should it be dry enough to crack into pieces, more like fruit leathers or somewhere in between? Same with a corn, tomato and black bean salad.
I don't want to waste food so any recommendations are appreciated.
hopefulhiker
04-11-2008, 19:47
We dehydrated stuff till it was crackly. The drier it is the lighter it will be...
Is a cheap-o dryer good enough for a beginner or is it better to pony up? What makes one unit 'more gooder' than another.
budforester
04-11-2008, 21:23
I've finally figured out my dehydrator and have successfully dehydrated veggies and meats. I'd like to start dehydrating leftovers, but am unsure how to know if they are done. For example, if I have a pasta in a sauce and dehydrate, should it be dry enough to crack into pieces, more like fruit leathers or somewhere in between? Same with a corn, tomato and black bean salad.
I don't want to waste food so any recommendations are appreciated.
Just wade in and try it. And eat some at home so you get a feel for how it re- hydrates. Try weekend trips to find any pitfalls in your techniques. Assuming this is for your 2008 thruhike, long shelflife is needed… that means dry. Err on the side of safety, but you don’t want to develop burnt flavors. With experience you’ll know when it “looks right”. Be sure any large chunks are dry all the way through. Some sauces may come out flexible, but that pasta will be hard enough to puncture the baggies and corn makes little shriveled rocks.
Skidsteer
04-11-2008, 21:25
We dehydrated stuff till it was crackly. The drier it is the lighter it will be...
And I don't really notice a difference in quality. I just dry it all night usually.
Is a cheap-o dryer good enough for a beginner or is it better to pony up? What makes one unit 'more gooder' than another.
The only feature I think of as non-negotiable is a thermostat. Wal-Mart has the Nesco brand for $40.00 +/-. It does a nice job.
budforester
04-11-2008, 21:39
Is a cheap-o dryer good enough for a beginner or is it better to pony up? What makes one unit 'more gooder' than another.
One can begin dehydrating in a kitchen oven... spread the food on a cookie sheet, turn the oven as low as possible, and prop the door open while drying. I prefer forced air and a temperature control in a dehydrator. There was a thread yesterday (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=35501)on dehydration, with some links you might look into.
One useful tip for fruits and vegetables is that they're not done until you can tear open a piece and not have any liquid bead up on the newly exposed surfaces. But that doesn't mean that you have to dry things to crispiness. Apples, for instance, are usually a bit soft and pliable (though tough) when they're done. I don't thing anything that I dry gets to the point of being crispy.
fiddlehead
04-11-2008, 22:56
The more you dry them the longer they will last (I've eaten stuff 3 years later already)
BUT, the worst they will taste.
I prefer to dry them on the wet (pliable ) side as they taste much better. (fruit anyway)
Think about when you plan to eat the items and then decide how dry you want them. Too dry might mean you'll throw them out later as they don't have much taste and don't rehydrate well.