do you dehydrate?

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Just wondering how many of you here dehydrate items at home?

I did, and plan on cranking it up this weekend. Burger rocks are a must restock item, as well as fruit roll ups.

I had dehydrated bananas, apples, and cantaloupe. Son really loves the cantaloupe chips, and he doesn't believe me that they aren't candy.

I had also taken bags of frozen veggies (mixed) and dehydrated them. Great to add to soups and the like.

What items do you make?

-- Anonymous, September 25, 2001

Answers

All right, what are burger rocks?? I have been busy dehydrating also. I have done onions, celery, green peppers, bananas, apples, kiwi, and peaches so far. This week, the farmers market had carrots on sale, 5lbs for 1$, so I bought 25 lbs, and am canning, and canning...also will be drying some. I also intend on drying (and canning) potatoes. I found a recipe for ground beef jerky and will give my hand a try at that also. I like your idea of drying the frozen veggies. do you defrost and pat dry? In His Grace, Sissy

-- Anonymous, September 26, 2001

Sissy,

You can defrost and pat dry the frozen veggies, but I didn't. I just took them out of the freezer and dried them. I stored them in the freezer zip lock bags in side of coffee cans. I use them when I make casseroles and you can't tell the difference.

Burger rocks. Well, get ground beef (I got the really lean type, as the fat can make it go bad faster, but you can deal with it.) Crumble it up and brown it over the stove until done. DRAIN with water until you see no oil in the run-off water. I usually let it wash off for about 5 minutes just to make sure.

Put on the racks and dehydrate. It will look and feel like little pebbles when finished, with the exception of being dark brown. I stored them in mason jars. I could get about 3 lbs of ground beef in a quart jar.

To rehydrate them, put in boiling water for a few minutes and let set. If they have a rubbery texture (or still crunchie) you didn't let them rehydrate long enough.

I use this in soup, chili, spaghetti all the time. Great for taking camping and the like or for a quick meal when I forgot to take meat out of the freezer.

apoc

-- Anonymous, September 26, 2001


Thankyou, so, just how long do these 'burger rocks' last in a jar on the shelf? Sissy

-- Anonymous, September 26, 2001

Sissy,

I have a jar and a half that was left from when I made them in late 99, and they are still fine. As long as you get all the fat out, they should last a long time. I have a delicate stomach, so I would be the first person to know if they had gone bad. So far, hasn't made me sick.

apoc

-- Anonymous, September 27, 2001


Ah apoc... one of my favorite subjects and thinks to do... I would rather any day dehydrate than can or freeze... however, I could not have dehydrated the grape juice I made yesterday... tee hee...

have you tried dehyrdrating chicken or turkey... I kinda shred it and cut into small pieces... about 1/2" long... that works great... especially when you have left over turkey on those big holidays and you can't stand another bite???

I have done tuna... but it isn't worth the extra electricity... but did it for a camping trip... I did the water type..

I fully understand the dried fruit... my kids just love it... in fact when doing bananas... the top 2 trays are normally empty by the time I get them dried... "hmmmm, who has been eating my bananas" will be my call... of well, they like them and that's what matters...

do zuchinni and rhubarb... as I don't like the freezer type as when it defrosts... you really don't have 3 cups to make the bread with... plus I have a small freezer.

-- Anonymous, September 27, 2001



I just started dehdrating this fall when my son filled 3 deer tags and I had just bought 1/2 beef. What a lifesaver! I tried apple chips and the top 2 trays were empty by the time it was time to start another batch . I love this dehydrater. I have 2 diabetic kids and this natural candy is a nice alternative to the halloween candy they got in Oct. !

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001

Tracie,

I see you are in Brainerd. Is that in the great state of TN? If so, I grew up close to you.

Cantaloupe really is great dehydrated. Give it a try sometime. Also, do the fruit rollups with applesauce. You can get flavored applesauces now, so you can produce grape, raspberry, cherry, and others (Plus they are colored different, adds a little lift to the kiddies).

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001


Just checking to see if I tidied up loose ends :)

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001

I had a busier fall work-wise than I normally do, so I bought a ton of veggies from the farmer's market and froze them.

During more normal harvest seasons, I dehydrate meat, (make jerky), carrots, apples, oranges, squash, peas (better frozen, I think), and make fruit leathers.

A noodle and beef stew dehydrated mixure runs about $7.25 (or so) at the camping store for one packet, four servings, loaded with questionable chemicals. Someone better at math than I figured out that my homemade dehdrated beef stew runs about $0.71 per serving (including electricity to process) and does not contain as many chemicals (when I use commercial noodles and gravy, there is some BHT present, however).

I use the bulk of my dehydrated food for camping, but with our occasional power outages, it's nice to have a few ready made meals around.

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001


I've successfully dried all sorts of fruit and most vegetables, including cabbage, which I can't make my famous vegetable soup without. Didja know you can fit an entire head of cabbage into a very tiny glass jar? :-)

I usually use the dehydraters, but when there's a really good sale on onions, I'll buy extra and do them in the oven. The result is different, they become brown and taste very much like French Onion soup mix. It's easy to throw a handful of them in a casserole or soup and get a slightly different flavor; we like it. Since celery is ordinarily around $1/bunch, but goes on sale Thanksgiving week for 39¢/bunch, I'm planning on getting a LOT and dehydrating it.

Neat tip: If anyone has one of those vacuum sealers that came with a big container to marinate, etc., try rehydrating stuff using it. It works great! I rehydrated some apple slices using it and not only did it take far less time than usual, they were completely rehydrated (the skins became smooth again!)

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001



I have never tryed dehydrating meat before. Just always canned it. Must try the burger rocks!! Like the idea of making my own "instant meals" also. I just keep learning. :>)

Our favorite dryed snack is strawberry slices. They are like "chips" and I can not make enough of them to suit all the grandchildren.

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001


No I am from Minnesota. I will try those fruit roll ups tomorrow and the canteloupe.

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001

here's something i always do at christmas time...

i dehydrate banana chips and apple slices, but i sprinkle red or green jello on top of the slices after i get them on the shelves of the dehydrater

the jello "melts" as the moisture starts to come out of the slices....and then crystalizes as they get dried out

looks very "christmas-ey"....goes good on a party tray of snackies....and tastes yummy!

apoc...

i love the cantelope chips, too!

have you ever tried watermellon?

it's good, too....but a little trickier to get to JUST the right thickness to dehydrate before it molds, but not so thin that there's nothing left when it's done......heh

-- Anonymous, November 15, 2001


mebs,

Haven't done the watermellon, as I thought there was just too much moisture content for them to come out with any size other than looking like a flea. I did want to try, and someday will get around to it. I've been so busy the past few months, that I haven't had a chance to dry my hair, let alone some delicious snacks. :(

I don't see a let up anytime soon, and it doesn't look like it will slow down until sometime in February. I'll be thinking of spring planting then, not drying. Alas, I hope that my stores keep me thru the winter.

apoc

-- Anonymous, November 15, 2001


Those burger rocks you were talking about, you simply fry you hamburger, drain, then rinse. then put it in the dehydrator? It sounds too simple then I can simply store on my shelf like in a tupperware container? Do you season it when you cook it or rehydrate it? This sure would free up my freezer for important things like ice cream!

-- Anonymous, November 15, 2001


Jeez, deceptive heading... should have put food in the subject line... I was going to reply only when I drink too much wine....

-- Anonymous, November 15, 2001

Tracie,

I didn't put any season on them when I put them up. I guess you could. I stored mine in mason jars on the shelf (or in the box in the garage), and they stored just fine. It was simple to prepare, just as I had written above.

I've used them for tacos and the like, and soups. It is good in anything that calls for browned ground beef. Chili anyone?

apoc

-- Anonymous, November 15, 2001


tracie.....

check the url below....

it has a LOT of good tips, put together by a guy named Robert Waldrop

http://www.justp eace.org/nuggets17.htm

his tip for hamburger rocks is the first "recipe" down on this particular list

near the top of the page, there is a click for "Return to Preparedness Nuggets Index".....which will lead you to more preparedness info than you can believe!

robert is cool.....he put a LOT of effort into helping people be prepared for many things

: )

-- Anonymous, November 15, 2001


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