Dehydrating food

[Elijahsmama]

Does anyone use a dehydrator? We have been talking about trying to get the most of our garden/farmers markets this summer. Just looking for feedback or suggestions. I am not a canner for strange personal reasons I do freeze but my space is limited since I downsized by freezer.

[bohemian]

I don't use a dehydrator, but this is extreme:

buy it here: http://www.mredepot.com/servlet/the-1099/Dehydrated-Canned-Water/Detail

[Elijahsmama]

Totally ordering the water. Thanks for the tip!

[CHecker]

I do dehydrate. Just started. I did lavender, sweet red peppers, onions and....something else I can't remember. I plan on doing much more this year. I want to do tomatoes, carrot, corn, flowers and jerky. I am an avid canner too. My husband loves to clam dig so I have to can clams soon, am running out of freezer space. I'll probably have 30 1/2 pints. I had my pressure gauge tested and had to get a new one so I have to find the "nut" for the underside then I'll be up and running. Clams and black beans are on the list of first things to can. The season is just beginning.

Too much about me...what about you? what do you want to do with your dehydrator?

[Elijahsmama]

So far just bananas and strawberries. I also did sweet potatoes for my dads dog, they were actually delicious. I am planning on dehydrating more sweet potatoes, only thinner with a little salt. This time for people. Monday I am going to process chives and oregano. Also possibly mint. I still want to do fruit roll ups. This year I plan on processing a lot of my garden this way. I always have to many tomatoes. Canning scares me, when I was little (about 40 years ago) a can of tomatoes exploded on me. I still remember it. Even tho my mother stills promises it was fluke, I am scarred.

[LeslieDean]

I use to dehydrat chicken when I was first married--I was 17.  I was afraid of saminella and would cook it till there was no moisture at all left in it.  You could actually blow feathers. But I guess that is not the dehydrating you are talking about...

Edited May 20, 2013 by LeslieDean

[CHecker]

So far just bananas and strawberries. I also did sweet potatoes for my dads dog, they were actually delicious. I am planning on dehydrating more sweet potatoes, only thinner with a little salt. This time for people. Monday I am going to process chives and oregano. Also possibly mint. I still want to do fruit roll ups. This year I plan on processing a lot of my garden this way. I always have to many tomatoes. Canning scares me, when I was little (about 40 years ago) a can of tomatoes exploded on me. I still remember it. Even tho my mother stills promises it was fluke, I am scarred.

Oh fruit, sounds good. Dehydrated food is excellent for preservation. Chives is really good. I wish I had a problem with too many tomatoes. I have to go out and buy canning tomatoes, I need 6 cases of sauce and 6 of mex. style cubed. I hope someday you'll take a deep breath and try the canner again. I just bought a new one from a garage sale today, only $25.00! So now I have 3. But I'm planning on giving the smaller on to a newbie canner. She's just learning. Your mom was right about it being a fluke. I have been canning or helped my mom can when a child- it's XXXXX years now! Nope not gonna reveal the age! He he.

Let us know if you do get brave, OK??

Oh, I did canned potatoes for the first time last fall- did 125 pounds at least, maybe more. I will never be without canned spuds again.

[christine]

When I was young, many years ago, people canned their vegetables using a water bath canner. Now everyone seems to use a pressure cooker to can green beans. IF  processed for 45 minutes in a waterbath and IF  the jars seal correctly, is it safe.?   My brother in law cans several different things this way and has for years. Not that I don't trust him,    well no I guess I don't.    IF  I did, I wouldn't be asking you. Anybody still use   waterbath ?

[LeslieDean]

Most all my friends use water bath method and I don't know anyone who has ever been I'll from it. My sister and I have done salsa, candied balalaika, and zucchini relish all with water bath. The only time I use a pressure cooker has been for meat/stews,

[CHecker]

Water bath has it's place. Non-acidified vegetables, meat, poultry or fish need pressure canning. Water bath is for jams, jellies, pickles, fruits and tomatoes.

I have always pressure cooked my green beans. Did potatoes this way too. I suppose you could water bath them but I don't want them so "cooked". I like my food still firm.

Experienced people can the way they've been taught. Me too, but now a days the new canning books have you over-processing where you end up with mush- like my apricots 2 years ago. We've become a culture of "over doing it" to protect ourselves from any bad. Well, pishaw!

And I agree with Leslie, the things she did are all ok to water bath. I did green salsa verde- oh man was it ever good. I'll have to do twice as much this year, and it's a water bath.

As a suggestion get this canning book. I have it and it's at my right hand when I get into canning season, which is actually right now. Clams.

http://www.amazon.com/Ball-Complete-Book-Home-Preserving/dp/0778801314/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369185660&sr=8-1&keywords=ball+home+canning+and+preserving

[LeslieDean]

I have no idea what candied b---------, auto correct did it to me again on this phone! I met candied Jalapeno ! Bare with me please while I try and teach you a new language--called read between the auto correct!

[CHecker]

Eerrr? Wha?? Your auto correct is terrible at correcting! Boy I know that feeling, I just hate that.

What was that again Leslie?

[Toy Poodles]

We are going to do a lot of jerky so that we can store as much as we can in our emergency bags. Just hope we don't get the munchies one day and start going through our bags.haha

Actually we have a pretty big garden this year, I will probably dehydrate and can. I also have a seal a meal which I haven't used much so must get it back out and see if it still runs. lol

[LeslieDean]

I never thught about jerky for the go bags.  Or thought about it either!  HaHa! I caught that misspell this time!  That is the thing with the go bags.  I am going to have to be disciplined with them.  Check for expirations-and quit using from them like they are part of the pantry.  I did have the small cans of prepared tuna salad and the whole 8 pack is gone.  Some one will remain unnamed (my sister) kept taking them in her work lunch...

[CHecker]

Our go-bags are in the front hall closet and I take them out each spring. I replace the water and all the food and put in fresh. But jerky is a really good idea Deenna, we butcher in Sept. so maybe I'll take some out and make jerky.

[normadenardo]

Most all my friends use water bath method and I don't know anyone who has ever been I'll from it. My sister and I have done salsa, candied balalaika, and zucchini relish all with water bath. The only time I use a pressure cooker has been for meat/stews,

 

 

Leslie...  what is candied balalaika ?

[LeslieDean]

Leslie...  what is candied balalaika ?

 

LOL--it was suppose to be candied jalapeno--but it was typing from my iphone and autocorrect got me!

[normadenardo]

LOL--it was suppose to be candied jalapeno--but it was typing from my iphone and autocorrect got me!

haha... so I googled balalaika and learned something new!  guess it would be weird if you candied one!

[normadenardo]

Leslie,

Recipe for candied jalapeno please 

[LeslieDean]

haha... so I googled balalaika and learned something new!  guess it would be weird if you candied one!

 

 

I just googled it too!  Thank goodness it was nothing bad!

[retroHelen]

During the Second World War when food in the UK was rationed and scarce most folk dried/bottled or made into jam different kinds of food to preserve it. I remember one old relative showing me what she used to do then - soaking apple slices (cut across the core) in a weak brine (salt water)because lemons for juice were not available in the War, to stop them yellowing,patting them dry on a towel, threading them onto string and hanging them up on the wooden clothes drying rack above the fire-place (old cooking range) in the kitchen to dry in the air or on the sunny landing windowsill (anywhere warm and dry) for a week. Then she would pack them loose in paper-bags for another couple of weeks in the larder before packing them in jars. After the War when bananas became available, she would do the same with banana slices, though she might put them in a cooling oven she had finished using to cook or bake to hurry the process along.

[Elijahsmama]

We dehydrated apples, about eight red delicious. They were amazing and all we did was slice them on the mandolin and put the dehydrator. Amazing.

[GrumpysWife]

Grumpy and I dehydrate pears from a friends tree. They are awesome too. We also do some of the garden stuff.

 

Then I started to dehydrate jalapeno peppers and then when they are dry, I grind up the dehydrated peppers and use it just like you would use black pepper. It is so good, if you like hot stuff. Sometimes I add salt to it to use like garlic salt. The only problem with that is the humidity causes the salt to get wet and then the peppers swell, so the container has to be sealed tight. 

 

Warning: If you decide to try the peppers, bring the dehydrator outside and do them. They fill the air with mucho hot and sting your eyes while they are dehydrating.

 

But it is sure yummie on almost anything.   Maybe not ice cream, but I haven't tried it that way.

[Elijahsmama]

I have a pear tree that gives loads of fruit every other year. Seems like this is the year. Never even considered dehydrating them. Thanks for the tip.

[GrumpysWife]

I use them to make a pear pie. You soak them in water for a while and use them the same as in apple pie. I also add a cup of chopped walnuts and some dried cranberries. Yum. I don't bake much but this is one of Grumpy's favorites.