Operating Your Oven

Dehydrating/Defrosting

Your oven can be used to dehydrate or defrost foods at low heat settings in the Pure Convection mode.

warning

To avoid food poisoning, cook meats immediately after defrosting them.

To dehydrate or defrost foods:

1.Adjust the racks to the appropriate level.

2.Place the food on the center of the oven rack. (If you are dehydrating, prepare food as recommended, then place it on a drying rack.)

3.Press the PURE CONV key.

4.To defrost meats, enter the temperature up to 150°F on the keypad. To dehydrate, start by setting the temperature according to the table below. When dehydrating, you may need to experiment with higher temperatures.

5.Press START.

Food Type

Dehydrating Temperature

 

 

Fruit

100°F

 

 

Vegetables

125°F

 

 

Meat

150°F

 

 

Dacor recommends that you use one of the timers to time the process.

Dehydrating Tips

Equipment Recommended:

•Half sheet pan or jelly roll pan with ½” rim all the way around

•Baking rack that fits inside the half sheet pan

•Cheesecloth

•4 quart sauce pot with lid

•Steamer basket that fits inside 4 quart saucepan. One that is perforated and opens up will work well.

•Slotted spoon

•Paper towels

•A sharp knife

When you dehydrate:

1.Wash and remove excess moisture from all fruits and vegetables before dehydrating.

2.Cut fruits and vegetables into uniform pieces.

3.You can add honey, spices, lime juice, or orange juice to give the fruit a different flavor.

4.It is best to dehydrate on a baking rack with a pan underneath to catch any juices. If the fruit is small, use cheesecloth over the rack. If you use a rack, it will allow for maximum air circulation around the fruit. The cheesecloth will prevent the fruit from sticking to the rack.

5.Place the food onto the center of the oven rack.

Solving Discoloration Problems:

•To prevent darkening during dehydration and storage, you should steam blanch apples, apricots, peaches, nectarines, pears or foods that will oxidize.

To steam blanch:

1.Add 1 inch of water to a 4 quart sauce pot. Insert the steam basket and place the fruit in it.

2.Cover the pot and steam for 1 to 2 minutes.

3.Remove with a slotted spoon and dab with a paper towel to remove excess moisture before dehydrating.

Apples, pears, pineapples and some other fruits will brown or darken during dehydration. To prevent discoloration, dip fruits in pineapple juice or lemon juice after steam blanching.

Creating a Candied Effect

To give the fruit a candied effect and to help retain color, blanch them in a simple syrup. You can candy the fruits mentioned above as well as figs and plums. The basic ratio for a simple syrup is 1 cup of sugar to 1 cup of water. Add these ingredients to a 4 quart stock pot and bring to a boil. Stir until all the sugar dissolves. Remove the saucepan from the cooktop and allow it to cool. Dip fruit into the simple syrup after it has cooled.

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