Dehydration Guide www.drying123.
Introduction Working on a simple premise, the Excalibur® Dehydrator removes water from food by a continuous circulation of thermostatically-controlled warm air. A variety of foods, from bright golden kernels of farm-fresh corn to rings of island-sweetened pineapple can be dehydrated. Produce, however, is not the only food commonly preserved in a food dryer! Slices of beef, chicken, fish or even venison can be marinated in a combination of sauces and spices and easily transformed into homemade jerky.
Contents Introduction inside front cover Safeguards & Operating Instructions 2-3 Time & Temperature Guide 4 Timing 4 Cleaning 4 Preparation 5 Pretreatment 5 Dipping 5 Blanching 5 Storage & Reconstitution 6-10 Food Drying Guide – Fruits 7 Food Drying Guide – Vegetables 8-9 Leathers and Fruit Rolls 10 Fruit 10 Yogurt 10 Vegetables 10 Jerky 11 The Process 11 Dehydrating 11 Storage 11 Raw & Living Foods 12 What Are Living Foods 12 12 Why Excalibur® is Superior for Living Foods Food Temperature vs.
Safeguards Important SafeguardS When using electrical appliances, follow these basic safety precautions. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 2 Read all instructions. Save these instructions. Do not touch hot surfaces. To protect against electrical hazards do not immerse any part of the dehydrator, cord, or plug in water or other liquid. Close supervision is necessary when any appliance is used near children.
19. 20. 21. 22. appliance. Only persons who properly understand the safe use of the appliance the hazards involved shall use this appliance. Children should only operate the appliance under close supervision and in no case should they play with the appliance. Cleaning and user maintenance shall not be made by children without supervision. This appliances is not intended to be operated with an external timer or separate remote control system.
3. Plug the power cord into standard 120 volt outlet or 220/240 volt outlet depending upon your voltage. Set the thermostat to desired temperature.** When the food is dehydrated and dry, allow it to cool. Then package in an airtight food storage container. 4. 5. time & Temperature Guide For your convenience, a colorful temperature guide has been affixed to your Excalibur® unit. Following this guide will ensure the use of proper temperatures when drying foods.
Preparation Pre-treatment Pretreating food isn’t essential but may help maintain the food’s color, nutrients and texture. Dipping A treatment used to prevent fruits and vegetables from oxidizing. After using one of these treatments, blot off excess moisture with paper towels before placing food in dehydrator. Excess moisture extends drying time. • Sodium Bisulfite: Available directly through Excalibur. It is the most effective and least expensive anti-oxidant. Use only food-safe grade.
Storage & Reconstitution The ideal temperature for food storage is 50˚ – 60˚F / 10˚ – 16˚C. Use containers safe from moisture and insects. Glass jars with tight lids, sealed bags, and vacuum-sealed bags are recommended. You can store bags in metal coffee cans or cookie tins. Reconstitution Reconstituting foods adds yet another dimension to the versatility of daily food preparation. Properly dried food, rehydrate well. They will retain much of the aroma, flavor, minerals and vitamins.
Food Drying Guide - Fruits Dry best at 135ºF/57ºC Food Preparation Test Time Apples Pare, core & cut into ¼” slices or rings. May be sprinkled with cinnamon if desired. Pliable 7-15 hours Apricots Wash, cut in half, slice and remove pit. Push in backs dry skin side down. Pliable 20-28 hours Bananas Peel & cut into 1/8” slices. Leathery or Crisp 6-10 hours Berries Leave whole. For wax skin berries pretreat by crazing. Leathery 10-15 hours Cherries Remove stems & pits.
Food Drying Guide - Vegetables Dry Best At 125ºF/52ºC Test Time Asparagus Food Wash & cut into 1” pieces. Brittle 5-6 hours Beans, Greens or Wax Wash, remove ends, cut 1” pieces or French style. Brittle 8-12 hours Leathery 8-12 hours Beets Remove all but 1/2” of the top scrub thoroughly, steam until tender. Cool, peel & cut 1/4” slice or 1/8” cubes. Broccoli Wash & trim, cut stems into 1/4” pieces. Dry florets whole. Brittle 10 -14 hours Cabbage Wash, trim & cut into 1/8” strips.
Food Drying Guide - Vegetables Dry Best At 125ºF/52ºC Food Preparation Test Time Pumpkin Cut into pieces, remove all seeds. Bake or steam until tender, scrape pulp from skin and puree in a blender. Pour onto Paraflexx™ sheets or kitchen parchment paper. When dry cover with plastic wrap & roll. Leathery 7-11 hours Summer Squash Wash, peel if desired, cut into1/4” slices.
Leathers & Fruit Rolls Puree yogurt, leftover fruit or vegetables. Sweeten or spice. Spread 1 ½ to 2 cups of pureed produce thinly (about 1/8” thick at the center and ¼” on the edges) on Excalibur Paraflexx sheets or wax paper and dehydrate at 135˚F / 57˚C for 4-6 hours. When leather has dried it will be a bit shiny and not-sticky. Let it cool and peel it from the tray. Roll and serve as a quick-energy, chewy snack. Strawberries and rhubarb or bananas and pineapple make great combinations.
Jerky For jerky, pick lean cut of raw meat as free from fat as possible. The higher the fat content, the shorter the storage life of jerky. Cut in uniform pieces 1”wide, 3/8” thick and as long as you want. Once sliced, cut off all visible fat. Jerky cut with the grain will be chewy; cut across the grain will be very tender but more brittle. Season with Soy, Worcestershire, Tomato, or BBQ sauce; garlic, onion or curry powder; salt or pepper.
Raw & Living Foods What are Living Foods? Raw foods or living foods are uncooked, free from animal products, easy to digest, rich in enzymes, and highly nutritious. As you bit into a raw fruit or vegetable, you are experiencing the full potential of vitamins, minerals and enzymes in one compact package. Raw foods are high in nutritional value because no nutrients have been loss by the heat of cooking.
Other Dehydrator Uses Herbs and Spices Create special seasonings and tea. It’s simple. Trim off any dead or discolored plant parts. Wash in cool water. Blot with towel. Preheat dehydrator 95˚F/35˚C - 115˚F/46˚C. Line the tray with the provided mesh screens. Over the mesh screen, lay a solid Paraflexx® sheet. Load the herbs on top of the Paraflexx® sheet and put another polyscreen on top of the herbs to weigh down the herbs. Dry 2 to 4 hours. Time can vary greatly.
Other Dehydrator Uses Cheese Make un-ripened cheese, such as cottage cheese. You’ll need: 1 gallon of pasteurize milk, 4 tablespoons of unflavored yogurt, ½ cup fresh buttermilk, or ¼ tablet of rennet dissolved in ½ cup warm water. Pour the milk into a crock, warm to room temperature about 72˚F/22˚C. Mix in yogurt, buttermilk or rennet. Cover crock with cheesecloth.
Recipes Banana Blush Leather 1 cup strawberries 1 banana Puree fruit in blender. Pour onto Paraflexx™ sheets or plastic wrap and dehydrate at 135ºF/57ºC until leathery. Peachy Pear Leather 1 cup peaches, peeled 1/2 cup pears, peeled Blend together and sweeten if desire. Pour onto Paraflexx™ sheets or plastic wrap and dehydrate at 135ºF/57ºC until leathery. Persimmon-pineapple Leather 1 cup persimmon pulp 1/2 cup crushed pineapple Puree in blender.
Recipes Creamy Mushroom Soup 1 1/2 cups dried mushrooms 2 cups hot beef bouillon 4 cups milk 6 tbsp flour 1/2 cup dried onions 1/4 cup margarine 1 tsp salt parsley or garnish Saute mushrooms and onions in margarine in a heavy saucepan for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine bouillon, milk, salt & flour. Blend until smooth. Add to sautéed mushrooms and onions. Cook over low heat until the mixture comes to a boil, stirring constantly. Garnish with parsley. Makes about 8 servings.
Questions & Answers One side of my drying trays seems to be dried before the other. What should I do? Because your dehydrator may dry one side faster than the other, halfway through the drying cycle you may want to turn the trays 180º. This will speed up the dehydration process and will reduce energy consumption. My apples and pears have darkened to a rusty-brown color while drying. Are they safe to eat? Yes. Fruits that have turned brownish color are safe to eat.
Trouble Shooting Guide All Excalibur® Dehydrators are checked three times for any electrical or mechanical problems. They are shipped in perfect working order. If you see any damage to the machine due to rough shipping you must report it to the shipper or dealer you purchased from. Excalibur® will not be responsible for damage due to shipping. Technical support may be contacted at (800) 875-4254 or (916)381-4254 from 8am-5pm Mon-Fri Pacific Standard Time.
Excalibur’s® Convenient Lift-off Door Medium 5 Tray and Large 9 Tray Models To install the door hold it at a slight angle, (see Fig. 1). Place the hooks on the inside top of the door on the ledge at top of dehydrator, (see View A). Be sure there is an even space between the door and the side of dehydrator, (see Fig. 2), and that the bottom of the door does not hit the sides, (see front and side View B). This allows moist air to exit. View A Fig. 2 Fig.
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