TIPS FOR DEHYDRATING
When dehydrating fruits, vegetables, nuts, or spices keep these tips in mind:
•Find foods in season, grown organically/locally (for more flavor, keeps prices down, availability up.)
•Use crisp foods (fruits or vegetables), with no soft spots that discolor during dehydrating.
•Remove unwanted parts: stalks, cores, unwanted seeds, rinds that are not wanted, or outside skins, peel if desired.
•Keep the slices the same size: this will help the dehydrating time stay the same as well.
•When using spice
or oily to help the spices/flavorings adhere to the food. Olive oil, miso, liquid marinades, or sweeteners like honey or agave work well.
•Store in airtight glass containers to keep the food dried longer.
•To
FRUITS:
•Fruit chips are tasty and a good way to save extra produce for camping, hiking, or for later use.
•Use crisp fruits, or fruits not overly ripened for best results.
•Most fruits lose their sweetness when
•Make sure to take remove cores, seeds, and other inedible parts (peels, etc.).
•When dehydrating larger pieces of produce (e.g. a small apple or pitted fruits), select those of similar size to optimize dehydration.
GRAINS:
•For best results soak or sprout grains for two or three days before dehydrating.
•Grains can be sprouted and dried back in order to make a sprouted flour.
•Savory or sweet crackers and breads can be made by combining the grains with spices, herbs, vegetables, dried fruits, or even the pulp from juices. The best part of making these foods is that you can improvise. It is not like baking, where exact measurements are necessary for success.
•Grain recipes are done best in the COMBO mode.
NUTS:
•Soak nuts initially in enough water to cover entirely, then add a splash of hydrogen peroxide into the soaking water, and rinse thoroughly after 5 minutes (this gets rid of unwanted mold.)
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