Food Dehydrator

[GFreeMO]

I just bought a food dehydrator. What can I make with it? I tried making banana chips, they were so hard. It was like eating screws. Does anyone use one of these?

[alex11602]

You make any fruits or vegetables...our favorites were apples, strawberries, cherries and blueberries. If you do a melon when they are in season it turns sweeter, almost candy like. We have also make chips from tortillas in ours and the booklet that came with mine said you can use sliced white potatoes too.

Just remember for any fruit or veggie that can turn you need to use something like lemon juice for it not to turn or there is this stuff in the store called fruit fresh (I haven't used it yet but the ingredients are safe in mine.)

[dilettantesteph]

I make a nice chip from 1 c. cooked potato, 1 c. cooked greens, 3/4 c + 1T water, 2 T oil, 1 T vinegar and a little less than 1/2 t salt. Blend together and that does one pan of my dehydrator, but you need inserts like for fruit leather.

[Juliebove]

I don't use mine any more. I did use it a lot when I was on a raw vegan diet. I made onion bread and nut cheeese.

Those banana chips you buy in the store have been fried. That's why you can't recreate them at home.

[jhuebner]

I've had my Harvest Maid 1000 series for ~25+ years. Only not used it for a couple, but I did use it hundred's of hours this year! I found extra trays on Amazon cheap, added 6+ (now up to 12). It will take up to 30 trays!

I dehydrated every tomato I didn't can. 20# on 12 trays, they dried down to fill one 1/2 gallon jar (stuffed). I think I dried ~250# this year. Add those anytime you need tomato's, 1 cup of dried + 1 cup water = 1 pint of canned tomato's.

Now my real "eureka" ! I powdered tomato in a coffee grinder, 1 quart dried = 1/4 pint powered!

Microwave 1 cup water to boil, add 4 tbl spoons tomato powder, plus 1/2 tsp baking soda. Careful it does FIZZ, adding tomato to water, and baking soda to mix!

You have instant tomato paste! Add Italian spices, instant pizza/pasta sauce!

Other wise, Apple Slices, Pear Slices, Green Peppers (any kind of peppers) Onions, add a plastic plate add-on & you have any fruit leather you'd like!

One trick I use, spray a clean cloth (just a squirt) with cooking spray, & run it on the trays, makes them NO STICK!

Let me know if you have any questions!

JLH

[GFreeMO]

Thanks everyone!!