Dehydrating Pasta sauce

[Mishap]

So I just spent 12 hours trying to dehydrate 6 cups of pasta sauce. Temp was in 170 F (as low as it would go) the oven was cracked open about an inch (i do not have a dehydrator on my oven) and the sauce was still wet on the bottom. I dont think i put too much in there, it was about 1/4- 1/2 inch deep. is is supposed to still be moist?

[MintakaCat]

Could be it has a large amount of oil or margarine in it. If thats the case it will never dehydrate. I know how you feel, the same thing happened to me when I tried to dehydrate some store bought alfredo sauce. It came out the same way, ended up tossing it in the trash. The one thing I did learn is that not everything can be dehydrated.

[russb]

half inch deep is a lot! Use 1/4 inch as the maximum, not the minimum. Also, part way though you will want to "flip" it, you will know when.

[hoz]

Agree with russb, you have to flip the sauce leather todry the bottom.

[Grinder]

Now that you mention it, I think I too flipped the "leather" to finish drying it.

Also, I set the temp higher (midway between 200 and "W") and watched pretty close.

Did you prop the door open a bit to let water vapor escape??

I do remember chopping up the leather in a food processor when dry, to get a powder that reconstituted better/faster.

[sarbar]

When I dry sauces I line with parchment paper (makes it a lot easier to remove!). Once the top is set (no wet areas, tacky is OK) I flip it over to get the back side dry evenly. Not everyone does that step, but for me, I like doing it

Then once dry I let cool, break up the leather, freeze for an hour or so, then whirl in my blender to get a powder.

[dradius]

Then once dry I let cool, break up the leather, freeze for an hour or so, then whirl in my blender to get a powder.

yet another ingenious post from sarbar. you are my hero!

[skinewmexico]

Then once dry I let cool, break up the leather, freeze for an hour or so, then whirl in my blender to get a powder.

That could revolutionize my food prep. Bless you! I'm ging to have to try slicing meatballs too, since I got a new dehydrator for Christmas. With a thermostat, so hopefully my veggies work now!

[RangerZ]

When I dry sauces I line with parchment paper (makes it a lot easier to remove!). Once the top is set (no wet areas, tacky is OK) I flip it over to get the back side dry evenly. Not everyone does that step, but for me, I like doing it

Then once dry I let cool, break up the leather, freeze for an hour or so, then whirl in my blender to get a powder.

Unless its real chunky and relatively dry I always use parchment paper on the trays to start. I do a top to bottom rotation and when the top is set, flip the food over without the parchment paper. It can be a juggling act.

Others are right, you need the airflow, that's important.

This week I've done jambalaya from the Hungry Hammock Hanger and Honeymoon Lake Cheese Noodles from "Backpack Gourmet". Waiting for plastic rolls to arrive so that I can vacuum seal the individual meals.

Making your own is better and cheaper than buying meals.

[tommaloney]

...then whirl in my blender to get a powder.

does this make it easier to reconstitute it?

[Mishap]

Hmmmm how long does it normally take?

[sarbar]

Hmmmm how long does it normally take?

Depends on the sauce, humidity and your dehydrator really (and how thick it is spread).

Figure at least 6 hours and up.

Also, sauces with corn syrup can take longer to dry.

[LaurieAnn]

Keep the sauce thinner in the middle of your tray where sauces tend to pool a bit too and never more than 1/4" thick. Others have mentioned flipping and that is helpful.

Good sauce shouldn't have corn syrup or margarine... only a little olive oil and not enough oil to impede drying (sorry - I'm a bit of a sauce snob - lol)

[medicjimr]

I did a batch for the first time last night started it at 5 pm and stopped it at 9 am today when I got up. I just threw it in food processor did'nt get turned totally to powder but close vacuum sealed individual servings and now stored in freezer.

[sarbar]

On the corn syrup: that is an American thing. Fortunately due to backlash from consumers in the past year, HFCS is rapidly disappearing from products. Particularly Kraft has pulled it out of quite a bit - from sauces, to salad dressings, to drinks and more.

Of course they will ignore the fact that corn prices had gone through the ceiling last year ....

Until recently corn syrup has been one of the cheapest sweeteners on the market in the US. No one else uses it like the US does.

[borntobeoutdoors]

Best to spread it as thin as you can over as many trays as you have.
As the others have said, it dehydrates better and faster if you flip it. I usually do it half way through.
Even if your dehydrator has a fan, it helps to rotate the trays.
In the case of the excalibur type dehydratos with the fan in the back, rotate the tray 180 degrees half way through the dehydrating process. Remember the outside will dehydrate faster then the center so make the center thinner then the outside.

Finally, the most important part of the dehydration is the flow of air, not the temperature. The temperature is to kill bacteria, the air flow is for the dehydration.

Hawk

[Engine]

Instead of dehydrating pasta sauce, try dehydrating tomato sauce and then bringing the packets of dry spaghetti sauce to add to mix during re-hydration. I've done it alot and my "Backpacker spaghetti" is one of my kids favorite trail meals.

[sixhusbands]

If you have a garden or even a few patio grape tomato plants , try dehydrating them. One plant will yeild a few gallons and dehydrating is great way to use the excess. It takes a little work to halve the little grape tomatoes and scoop out the seeds. The flavor of these will ad to any meal out there and I have used a hand full , a little olive oil, some dry basil simmered until tender and mixed with pasta. yummy!

[manta]

sounds great I must try this

[Grinder]

I'm drying food for this years hike (one month, start Hot Springs, NOBO)

Doing spaghetti now.I thought I'd report the details:

1. I use the oven on less than warm setting with a spoon propping the door
(while I'm sure a "real dehydrator" is nice and easier to use, you don't need to spend $60 to 100 to find out if it's for you)


2. This time I did a jar of RAGU chunky sauce. It fit on a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Took about 12 hours to get to a good dry leather. I will grind the leather in a food processor. ( I'd appreciate advice on the grinding up part. My memory is foggy on the details. Normal blade or grater?? How much do you have to cut it up before loading into the processor?)


3. I break spaghetti into fourths. (My first attempt was full length spaghetti. It dried into odd shapes that threatened to pierce the freezer bag the meal was stored in. Shorter lengths don't do that)

I will make four meals out of the jar of sauce and pound of pasta, adding 1/4 cup of gravel (deh. hamburger)

TTFN