food drying - help // advice needed

a reply to: NewzNose

peeled - then sliced [ 6mm ] - and done in the veg steamer . the first attempt [ boiling ] was hard to get the slices intact into the dryer trays - i lost a lot of " mush "

but they come out the stearmer manageable

oh - and PS - i soaked the slices in cold water for 20 min - then air dried them for 1 hour before they went in the steamer

The macabre in me does wonder If I should dry a frog out in one and try and make it come back alive!.

a reply to: ignorant_ape

Not sure if you've heard this already, but dropping the slices into water and lemon juice helps stop them oxidising before they go in the dryer.

As an aside, look up biltong, its far better than jerky.

Everytime I make a batch my kids demolish it in a day. The more I make, the more they eat :-)

The citric acid should help as everyone has said, but it won't keep the brown away completely. Apples need the acid to keep from discoloring too.

You can dehydrate anything. I kept mine going for about a month and a half this summer and ended up with a ton of jars full of produce. I think my favorite is the quart of soup mix I got from all of my bits and scraps that were too small or left over from dinner or other canning projects. Every bit of it would have been fresh compost of bunny food otherwise.

Good luck with your smoker! It's addicting be careful, haha.
A good basic brine to start with is salt and sugar. Brown sugar tastes the best. The salt is important to keep it safe since the smoke cooks it at such super low temps, it will prevent bacteria from growing during the process. From there you can add in just about anything to suit your tastes. Sssshhhhhh, my secret ingredient is Mae Ploy sweet chili sauce, with a few other things to flavor it up. Molasses is also a great idea, it would add a depth to the flavors. I have a big jar of molasses waiting for my next batch actually, let me know how it comes out if you try it!

Someone mentioned a fridge as a smoker too, be careful, I was warned against that by some old timers here in Alaska since it can impart chemically flavors to the meat. They were never built with heat in mind. I was going to do the same thing with a dead one........ My desire was to produce healthier food for my family, so I ditched the idea. Instead we built it out of cedar slat wood, and it smells so good. Looks nicer in the yard too.

One last thought here for now, potatoes will dehydrate beautifully raw as is. I usually slice mine with a mandolin since all my guys love scalloped potatoes. You end up with the odd darkened slice, but most of them stay pretty white.

a reply to: woodsmom

If you sliced them thin enough would they turn into crisps?.

Beetroot? would that work also?.

a reply to: boymonkey74

Nope without the fat they just dry out. They rehydrate beautifully and I toss them into sound by the handful, or make them into scalloped potatoes. Simply add in more liquid when you put the dish together. They soak it up and cook like normal.

Beetroot would work great! I have an almost full half gallon jar of turnips in my pantry that I use like the potatoes. Carrots work great too!

You could toss them in salt and eat em that way though, I made kale chips like that......

a reply to: ignorant_ape

i have a thought for you- sour things up, and fermentation, its healthy and yummy, and it lasts for ages in glass jars..

a reply to: ignorant_ape

Thanks for the tip!

I wonder if you chilled them in a freezer first if that would help?

We get hot, dry days here, I have 2 driers I keep running on days like that. I find that I give them 2 hours start, turn it off and leave them in the sun and wind and they are usually done by next morning. I sometimes give them another hour. Sometimes on not so hot, dry days, when they feel almost dry, I turn them off for 8 hours, this brings any moisture to the surface, then 1 hour on again finishes them nicely.

I buy vegetables from a fresh produce store when they are in peak season and dry them. A lot of independent greengrocers (we call them fruit shops here) will buy a whole 2-400 kilo bin of beetroot, apples, pumpkin (squash), onions etc. when they are in season and not repackage them, just sell them straight from the bin really cheaply. I can get 4 kilos of zucchini in to a 800 ml jar very easily when dried. Same with most vegies. I use them all winter in stews and soups. Sometimes I buy a yeast free flat bread for my family who are allergic to yeast, they come with a little oxygen absorber sachet and I keep these and put them in the top of the jars, don't know if they do much or how much life is left in them. I'd like to try spinach this year and make my own spinach powder to add to just about everything.

I should do more of this but I am just lazy, freezing is so much easier. Interested in the fish too.

a reply to: Foderalover

thank you!!

Banana's drive me nuts when I tried to dry them. I'll try that, well, later today.

a reply to: boymonkey74

It's better if you smoke fish.

Much better.

JFYI if you dont have a dehydrator, or too much produce to process in a dehydrator, I have had really good success drying "sun dried" tomatoes in the back of my car on a hot day. Quarter the toms lay on a cookie sheet and it can take a couple of days, but the car keeps bugs off the produce. I roll down the windows to let moisture escape for a few minutes at a time.

Other fruits and vegies also work in the back of the car. Yes, it does make your car smell wonderful! If you like the smell of dehydrated foods.

I have 2 dehydrators, but, I use the car method for the toms, cause its really more effective. And can dry a huge amount. I have a station wagon. lol Sun dried tomatoes are bomb in winter soups and stews.

Also, here in California, there are a ton of dehydrators at thrift shops and garage sales. So, look around you can get one for about 5 - 10 dollars. Also, I love my bread machine! Also garage sale $5.

a reply to: misskat1

What a brilliant idea - I never thought to use the wagon to dry tomatoes. My neighbours are going to think I am even more weird now. LOL

One of my projects next year is to sort out a smoker. My other half loves to fish and I love smoked trout. I am currently smoking fish on a bbq with two old roasting pans and an old grill rack. Adequate but not ideal.

S