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Food Dehydration Tips and Ideas
Here are some tips and suggestions to get started on food dehydration:
• Fruit and vegetable peel is often the most healthful part of the food. It is best
not to peel fruits and vegetables unless a recipe specifically calls for it.
• As much as possible, slice food evenly and with wide, diagonal cuts so that
the food dries best and most evenly.
• Vegetables can be pre-treated by steaming until slightly tender.
• Green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, potatoes and peas can be
blanched by placing in boiling water for 3-5 minutes.
• You can make cheap and delicious fruit leathers with the dehydrator. Simply
wash, remove pits/seeds as necessary and skin according to taste and puree,
adding liquid (honey, fruit juice or water) to produce a suitable texture.
• Lean meat can be used for dried meat or jerky. White meat must always be
cooked and other meats should be cooked unless being made into jerky.
To make jerky:
• Choose a high-quality cut of beef.
• Prepare by cutting away fat and connective tissue.
• Freeze partially (30 minutes one side, turn and freeze another 15).
• Cut into strips about 3-5mm thick.
• Marinate overnight or for upwards of 3 hours.
• Season with salt, pepper, garlic/onion powder or other spices to taste.
• Note that flavours intensify during dehydration, so use strong flavours like
salt sparingly.
Food Preparation Tables
Vegetable Preparation Dryness
Test
Approx.
Time (hrs)
Artichokes Cut into 1/2 inch strips. Boil about 10 minutes brittle 6 to 14
Asparagus Cut into 1-inch pieces. Tips yield better product brittle 6 to 14
Beans Cut and steam blanch until translucent brittle 8 to 26
Beets Blanch, cool, remove tops and roots. Slice brittle 8 to 26
Brussel Sprout Cut sprouts from stalk. Cut in half lengthwise crispy 8 to 30
Broccoli Trim and cut. Steam tender, about 3 to 5 min. brittle 6 to 20
Cabbage Trim and cut into 1/2 inch strips. Cut core into 1/4
inch strips
leathery 6 to 14
Carrots Steam until tender. Shred or cut into slices leathery 6 to 12
5