Dehydrating veggies, what works for you

[womble]

and how do you use them?

I'm interested in getting a dehydrator and I'd like to know your favourite things that dry well (and the failures) and then how you use them.

Ummm, please, I've never done it, or even seen a dehydrated vegetable before!

For example, is drying tomatoes better than freezing them in a tomato sauce for pasta etc?
Or is drying apples good and what for?

I have read about it on the web before asking but real life usage would be wonderful, before I go and spend my hard earned

Oh oh and what are dried courgettes like?

[OllieMartin]

Well the only thing I've really felt I dehydrated well were tomatoes.

Stupidly I grow quite a few, but don't actually like them raw, but I LOVE sun-dried tomatoes. The flavour's so intense.

[womble]

But I thought (by reading the old threads) you were going to do lots of things? Do you not think it went very well and do you regret a little bit getting the machine?

This is probably a silly question then, but how do you use dried tomatoes?

[Jeanied]

I re-hydrate tomatoes with boiling water for a while, Womble - then use them anywhere I want to intensify tomato flavour - soups, risotto, omelette, quiche.
Or I just chew on them like sweets!
I also dehydrate blueberries, rasps, wild strawberries - these go dried on my breakfast cereal. Kiwi slices too.
I buy lots of punnets of mushrooms - which can go to waste so I dry mushroom slices - and use the same as the tomatoes.
I also make fruit leathers with whatever is going - just puree and sieve the mixed fruit and dry. That lasts about 5 minutes before it gets eaten.

[Alison]

I've used mine mainly for fruit leathers, strawberries, raspberries and mushrooms. The mushrooms were particularly good, last autumn we foraged loads and have only recently used them all up in risottos etc.

[binley100]

I've just had my first go at drying tomatoes. Some were dry after 6hrs then I had to keep checking every half hour. The biggest took about 7 1/2 hrs. It would probably have been more economical if I'd have had a lot of stuff to dry but new gadgy needed to be tested.

[Jillyreeves]

Only used mine for my herbs to date, but still pleased to have it. Planning to use it more but not sure for what yet, so will watch this tread with interest :-)

[Jillyreeves]

Dehydrated some courgettes slices last night, my plan is to add them to soups in particular Minestrone over the winter.

Pleased with the results but the proof will be when I use them I guess.

[binley100]

Ok so far have done tomatoes,mushrooms , mango and kiwi fruit.
Tomatoes were home grown but the others were bought cheap . Mango and kiwi fruit is lovely just to chew on , not tried the mushrooms yet. I've found if you slice fairly thin they dry quicker than the recommended time.

[Jillyreeves]

Tray of home grown tomatoes on the go now, just a trial then if they are good I will do more when I have a glut.