Dehydrators

[Sue]

Flummery
If I can't reuse it I put it in the recycling bin, even the recycled stuff can be recycled again. I think the guide-dogs must have been selling it for scrap!
After I saw the eyesore of an Alcan factory in Iceland always vowed to use less of the stuff.
Sue

[Seahorse]

I've just found a very reasonably priced dehydrator at Westfalia, £30 delivered. European (I think) power supply but I believe you can get adapters? Worth a shot at that price I should think!

http://www2.westfalia.net/shops/hous...f97599761a7f0c

Claire

[Alison]

You'll have to let us know how you get on with it Seahorse, if it's any good, I could be interested.

[Red]

I bought a dehydrator many years ago - seemed like a good idea for dealing with allotment gluts - and this year for the first time I’ve got round to using it! The reason was that my maincrop onions were huge and plentiful but, probably because of the wet weather, mostly have thick necks and so won’t store well. Therefore I’m drying them - so far it seems to work far better than I’d hoped, and the resultant onions keep their flavour very well.

Does anyone know how long dehydrated food can keep? Is it indefinite?

Also - I’d like to dry the seeds from sunflowers for eating later, but can’t find any instructions on this anywhere. Has anyone here dried seeds?

[Sue]

Red
I've stil got some dried foods I did last year and still OK. I think the best advice I picked up is to use smaller jars instead of one big one for each dried food, so if you find problems it doesn't mean throwing everything out.
As for sunflowers, I think getting the husks off is very fiddly, when the slugs let me grow some I intend to find out, but for now am drying pumpkin seeds
best wishes
Sue

[pigletwillie]

Mine is a Tchibo one, cheap but actually very good. I have used it for tomatoes, onion, mushrooms, banana and lots of other bits n bobs.

Its great for keeping stuff out of the freezer.

[Seahorse]

I used mine for the first time yesterday and I'm delighted with it! I dried pineapple, plums, apple and banana with total success. I also tried blackberries, which came out a bit too small and hard I think and cherry toms, which in retrospect I should have sliced, as they didn't dry out fully. I expect they would have had I left it on for longer though. Both those issues are really 'operator error' though, nothing to do with the machine!

I think for £30, including delivery from Germany, it was a real bargain. It even came with a UK plug fitted.

http://www2.westfalia.net/shops/hous...f97599761a7f0c

My only small concern is I wonder how much electricity they use? I don't think I'd feel comfortable leaving it on overnight to use the cheaper power, just in case of disaster.

Claire

[shirlthegirl43]

My dehydrator arrived from the States yesterday. Can't wait to get it all up and running.

[Snadger]

My Teflon coated oven tray for drying produce cost about £4!

[chickenjane]

Fascinating thread. many thanks. had no idea these things existed.
Q; dothey do anything that the warming oven in the aga, or warm are over the aga doesn't? .eg do they dry things with out heating them ?

[wellie]

chickenjane,
I semi-dry my tomatoes ('Sunblushed' is the term generally used I believe!) in the warming/simmering oven of my Rayburn, and it doesn't heat the produce, but then my Rayburn is one of those gas ones that just 'tick over' until you whack it up. I get excellent results, as Piglet & Mrs. Piglet can vouch for at our Malvern Show Picnic. If your Aga warming oven is too fierce, what about air-drying them over the top?