dehydrating

[robin416]

How do you determine it's time to removed food from the dehydrator? That's one of the things I didn't trust myself with and stopped doing it.

 

[skittles]

How do you determine it's time to removed food from the dehydrator? That's one of the things I didn't trust myself with and stopped doing it.

???!?!?!!!

I've got bananas in the dehydrator that got dried a couple weeks ago and I haven't bothered removing them. It's similar to a 9 tray Excalibur. No timer or anything... just had it running for a couple days and shut it off when they looked good enough.

That's a heck of an excuse. Dehydrating is one of the laziest things you can do with a very minimal risk of consequences as long as you're not stupid.

 

[Sewingcreations15]

Thanks @Patchouli and @Terri9630 for your advice. I will be most interested in dehydrating eggs for powdered eggs for the pantry too for backup supplies that are less bulky as well. Read up on how to do it and it would be so much cheaper than buying the dehydrated eggs in the shops that are so expensive.

 

[UncleJoe]

How do you determine it's time to removed food from the dehydrator? That's one of the things I didn't trust myself with and stopped doing it.

For me, I take fruit out when it's firm but still pliable. Meat(jerky) is similar but a little more firm than an apple or peach slice. Veggies I leave in until they're crisp and snap cleanly when you try to bend them.

Thanks @Patchouli and @Terri9630 for your advice. I will be most interested in dehydrating eggs for powdered eggs for the pantry too for backup supplies that are less bulky as well. Read up on how to do it and it would be so much cheaper than buying the dehydrated eggs in the shops that are so expensive.

I have 2 quart jars of dried egg in the basement. I say dried because I don't really turn them into powder. They're more like little, tiny chips. I dry them in late summer/early fall when the hens are spitting out 2-3 dozen a week.

 

[Sewingcreations15]

@UncleJoe thanks for the info on what to look for when dehydrating items. When you dehydrate the eggs do you dehydrate the whole egg including whites or just the yolk I have seen and read varying ways to do it.

 

[Patchouli]

Thanks @Patchouli and @Terri9630 for your advice. I will be most interested in dehydrating eggs for powdered eggs for the pantry too for backup supplies that are less bulky as well. Read up on how to do it and it would be so much cheaper than buying the dehydrated eggs in the shops that are so expensive.

I am not an expert on much but even less of an expert on eggs, especially dehydrating them.

 

[Terri9630]

Thanks @Patchouli and @Terri9630 for your advice. I will be most interested in dehydrating eggs for powdered eggs for the pantry too for backup supplies that are less bulky as well. Read up on how to do it and it would be so much cheaper than buying the dehydrated eggs in the shops that are so expensive.

I haven't had good results with eggs. They don't rehydrate well, come out grainy.

 

[robin416]

For me, I take fruit out when it's firm but still pliable. Meat(jerky) is similar but a little more firm than an apple or peach slice. Veggies I leave in until they're crisp and snap cleanly when you try to bend them.



I have 2 quart jars of dried egg in the basement. I say dried because I don't really turn them into powder. They're more like little, tiny chips. I dry them in late summer/early fall when the hens are spitting out 2-3 dozen a week.

Thanks, I never knew how far was far enough. Didn't want to poison myself or hubs.

 

[UncleJoe]

@UncleJoe thanks for the info on what to look for when dehydrating items. When you dehydrate the eggs do you dehydrate the whole egg including whites or just the yolk I have seen and read varying ways to do it.

I whip them up like you would for scrambled eggs, whites and yolks together. The mixture is then poured onto leather trays.

I also know some folks will cook the scrambled eggs first and then dry them. Personally, I didn't care for that method. I ended up with a bunch of small rocks that didn't seem to rehydrate very well.

 

[NannyPatty]

I have done sweet potatoes in my oven. They make healthy dog treats and my furry girls love them. I slice in approx 1/3 in thick circles, put them on parchment lined cookie sheets at 200° for several hours. I turn them several times . They will feel like leather between your fingers. If they "slide" between your thumb and 1st finger, they need a little longer. I used to do our pears by this way for my kiddos only in a dehydrator.

 

[Sewingcreations15]

Thanks @UncleJoe for the info on dehydrating eggs most helpful .

 

[timmie]

gonna get some cranberries and collards going in dehydrater.

 

[Amish Heart]

Just finished dehydrating 3 bags of mini marshmallows. Now I'm stockpiled again for my cousin's little granddaughter. I give her a mason jar full each time I see her. She totally expects it and stands there till I do.

 

[NannyPatty]

I whip them up like you would for scrambled eggs, whites and yolks together. The mixture is then poured onto leather trays.

I also know some folks will cook the scrambled eggs first and then dry them. Personally, I didn't care for that method. I ended up with a bunch of small rocks that didn't seem to rehydrate very well.

How do you store them?

 

[UncleJoe]

How do you store them?

3- pint canning jars. I don't vacuum seal. We only need them for a couple months. The girls will start laying again in Feb.

 

[NannyPatty]

3- pint canning jars. I don't vacuum seal. We only need them for a couple months. The girls will start laying again in Feb.

Thx!

 

[Dani]

When I dehydrate eggs, I turn them into a powder to use for baking while the girls aren't laying as well. I'm just wondering @UncleJoe, is there a reason you store them in the chip form instead of making a powder?

 

[UncleJoe]

I'm just wondering @UncleJoe, is there a reason you store them in the chip form instead of making a powder?

Too lazy to go through another process?

I just never saw the need. They rehydrate well enough from the chip form.

 

[Dani]

OK. . . makes sense . I thought maybe they lasted longer when stored that way.

 

[UncleJoe]

I came across pics of my eggs. The jar with yellow contents on the left is corn. The ones in the middle are the eggs.

 

[NannyPatty]

How do you reconstitute the dried eggs? How much water to the dried egg?

 

[UncleJoe]

How do you reconstitute the dried eggs? How much water to the dried egg?

2 parts egg and 1 part water.

Mix them together and wait about 5 minutes for the water to be absorbed. Whip it up again and you're ready to go. I've used them to make ice cream, cookies or just plain old scrambled eggs.

But I'm afraid you won't be able to have any sunny side up.

 

[NannyPatty]

2 parts egg and 1 part water.

Mix them together and wait about 5 minutes for the water to be absorbed. Whip it up again and you're ready to go. I've used them to make ice cream, cookies or just plain old scrambled eggs.

But I'm afraid you won't be able to have any sunny side up.

That's ok, I'd rather have and omelet or scrambled eggs with cheese and lots of veggies in both!!

 

[Resto]

Ive got a Nesco, haven't used it yet. Im looking at an Excaliber to make deer Jerky. That's my Favorite way to eat Deer meat. Desert Mulies don't taste as good as Corn Fed White Tails to me. I stopped hunting deer years ago after I tasted Elk. Theres alot of Big Mulies down here, might as well eat a few.

 

[Amish Heart]

Just bought another 30 lbs of Romas for the dehydrator. They were still 50 cents a lb yesterday

 

[goshengirl]

I need to get some potato slices in the dehydrator. I didn't store last fall's crop in a dark enough place, and they're really starting to sprout - figure I can dehydrate them before they're gonners. I love the look of dehydrated potato slices in half gallon jars, they're so pretty.

I have a L'equip dehydrator, and I actually like it better than the Excalibur I used to have. The trays are much stronger (they're part of the structure). And it fits on the counter better, lol.

 

[Tank-Girl]

I'll be buying my very first ever dehydrator next pension day!

It's a large square one with ten trays.

I've been watching "Our Half Acre Homestead" on YT and WOW! Mrs. V can fit so much shelf stable food into a small space.
I know it chews a lot of electricity on the front end BUT I'm looking at the massive crop - grain, veggie and fruit failures all across Europe, Spain and the US
and I'm going to want my freezer space to store oatmeal, flours and other grain products.
I want to dehydrate fruit and veggies now before the prices of everything goes sky high.

WINTER IS COMING.

 

[Peanut]

I have an old Nesco “round” dehydrator and an Excalibur which is square. I won the Excalibur in a contest. Both are good dehydrators, they work as advertised. I dry a lot of medicinal herbs. Some plants have odd shaped blooms or fuzzy fluffy leaves.

The only thing I don’t like about the Nesco is the trays are only about an inch deep. The Excalibur is much more versatile. I can put trays 1 inch apart or 2, 3 or 4 inches apart. It allows me to dry odd shaped plants. If I could have only one it would be the Excalibur, not because it dries any better, it just suits my needs a little better.

 

[Amish Heart]

I second that. I've gone through a number of round ones, but my Excalibur keeps on going.
Storing dehydrated is alot easier than storing wet canned...lighter, takes up less room.
Ours has a permanent spot in our front room because I usually have it loaded with something
Tomatoes again the last few days. Because I bought them cheap.

 

[Tank-Girl]

I have a physio appointment next week in the big smoke which falls on pension day.

As God would have it I found a fruit and veggie wholesaler that sells to the public close to the hospital.
They currently have 20kg bags of brown onions for $20 and red beeroot for $1.50 a kg and 500grm bags of peeled fresh garlic for $3.50.
I may buy a 18kg case of celery while I'm there.
All are going to go in my new dehydrator.