47 Food Dehydrator Recipes! - The Organic Goat Lady (2024)

FAQs

What foods can you not dehydrate? ›

Therefore, avoid drying foods like peanut butter or avocados and be sure to trim meat to remove any fat before dehydrating. While nonfat dairy products can technically be dehydrated, it's not recommended and may be associated with a higher risk of foodborne illness.

Avoid overlapping foods and overfilling the trays. Lay foods flat on the dehydrating trays. Check dryness after 6 hours, then check every 2 hours until crisp, pliable or leathery depending on the product. Check foods to make sure they are completely dry before removing.

Now back to how long dehydrated food will last if vacuumed-sealed. Vacuum-sealed dehydrated products can last for up to 10 years. This is because the vacuum seal bag prevents oxygen from entering. Bacteria and mold cannot develop or destroy dehydrated food without oxygen.

Hard and crunchy or breakable pieces are done. Yes, items can be over-dried and as a result are more difficult to rehydrate. There is a balance and experience will provide answers. High indoor humidity, air conditioning or breezes may alter the time needed to dehydrate foods.

Dehydrated foods have a higher calorie content by weight and can be high in sodium and sugars, depending on the food. In excess, these nutrients can cause weight gain and increase your risk of obesity, heart problems, and diabetes.

They are commonly misconstrued to be inherently safe from food borne pathogenic bacteria. However, there are many reported cases where many food borne illnesses were caused by the consumption of dried foods contaminated with Salmonella spp., Cronobacter spp., Staphylococcus spp. and E. coli.

Pretreating Fruits

Place cut fruits in a solution of 3¾ teaspoons of powdered ascorbic acid (or crush 20 500-milligram vitamin C tablets) or ½ teaspoon of powdered citric acid in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes before placing on trays to dry.

Freeze-dried foods rehydrate faster and also retain their original shape, texture, and color. A far greater variety of foods can be freeze dried than can be dehydrated. Imagine trying to use a home dehydrator to preserve an ice cream sandwich, a raw egg, or cheese. It would fail miserably.

Can I store dehydrated food in mason jars? ›

If you use your dehydrated food often and want to be able remove the oxygen and reseal it after each use, the canning jar sealer kit is a great option! The other benefit is that you have visibility into the mason jars and can see if the food still looks good.

For the cook-dry method, eggs are beaten (scrambled) and cooked in a pan. The cooked scrambled eggs are dehydrated for about four hours until brittle, then pulverized in a blender or food processor. Numerous online tutorials have admitted the results are inferior, though the shorter dehydration time was a benefit.

When selecting bananas for dehydrating, make sure they are firm, and not too over-ripe or bruised. Firmer bananas will go more chip-like while over-ripe bananas will remain sticky. You can cut them into circular pieces or lengthwise slices depending on your preference.

They also recommend dehydrating in interrupted intervals so that residual moisture has ample time to come to the surface and be removed in subsequent sessions. When pausing dehydration in an electric unit, turn off the machine, but don't open it.

Water is the best, most natural way to keep yourself hydrated. But sometimes you just need to mix it up. Besides water, there are some drinks that can also keep you hydrated or help you to rehydrate when needed. Those include low sugar drinks with electrolytes and fruit infused waters.

Eat foods with high water content.

Cantaloupe, grapefruit, strawberries, watermelon, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, lettuce, sweet peppers, radishes, spinach, zucchini, and tomatoes are all at least 90% water. Soups, popsicles, water ice, and gelatins are also high in water.

Some favorites include watermelon, strawberries, cucumber, and herbs such as mint. Crush them up to release their flavors and then put them in the water and let them sit for a while. Try frozen fruits and vegetables to save money. They retain their water, don't spoil, and taste great in a smoothie.