3-in-1 STEAMER · DEHYDRATOR · COOKER INSTRUCTIONS MODELS: PKFDSRC10WT WHITE PKFDSRC11BKT BLACK
Introduction Congratulations on your purchase of a NUTRICHEF Steamer/Dehydrator! With your purchase you are joining the thousands of people who have already discovered the healthful benefits of steam cooking and dehydrating. With this innovative unit in your kitchen you'll be able to improve the quality of the foods you and your family eat, while saving time and money. This unique 3-in-1 appliance will make it easy to: 1.
Table Of Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................. 2 Important Safeguards ................................................................................................. 4 Description Of Parts ................................................................................................... 5 Cleaning ...........................................................................................................
IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDS When using electrical appliances, basic safety precautions should be followed, including the following: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS. To protect against electrical hazards, do not immerse cord, plug or base in water or other liquids. Do not touch hot surfaces. Always use pot holders or oven mitts to handle hot cover to check foods. Close supervision is necessary when any appliance is used by or near children.
Cleaning To keep your Steamer/Dehydrator looking good and functioning properly you will want to clean it before you use it for the first time and after each use. Before using your Steamer/Dehydrator for the first time: Wash Steam Trivet, Steam Inset, Dehydrating Trays, Fruit Roll Trays, Rice Bowl, Chimney Cap, and Vented Dome Cover in hot soapy water, rinse and dry thoroughly; or, wash parts in the dishwasher (top rack). With a damp cloth or sponge, wipe the exterior of the Base.
Dehydrator Assembly and Operation Assembly: Stack Dehydrating Trays in the Base unit. Adjust Trays so the feet rest on the surface of the tray below, leaving a 1 1/4-inch space between each tray. Position Cover over Trays with the rim of the Cover securely set down on the Base. Operation: The Base contains a high speed fan that circulates the heated air through the Chimney where it is diffused, promoting more even, efficient dehydrating. The Vented Cover exhausts moisture and produces a natural air flow.
Dehydrating Terms Dehydrating Time. Dehydrating times vary due to moisture content, size of food, humidity, ambient air temperature, and food arrangement on Trays. To test doneness, remove a few pieces and allow to cool. Fruits should be pliable and leather-like; vegetables should be brittle, crisp, or hard. Be sure to cool foods before testing for dryness. Conditioning. Conditioning of vegetables is not necessary.
Thickness Guide Ideal food thickness for dehydrating is l/8 to 3/8 inch. Preparing Fruits For Dehydrating 1. Choose high quality, fully ripe, unnblemished fruits. 2. Before processing wash all produce to remove dirt and any pesticides. 3. Trim away any bruised or soft areas. Blemished or bruised fruit spoils easily and could spoil the entire batch. 4. If desired, remove peel or rind. The peel contains minerals and vitamins, but can become tough when dehydrated. 5. Remove seeds, pits, stems, etc. 6.
Fruit Dehydrating Tips • Prepare only enough fruit as you can dehydrate on the Trays at one time. • Dehydrate similar sized pieces on the same Tray. • To ensure even dehydrating, restack Trays, moving the top Tray to the bottom two or three times during the dehydrating process. • If adding foods to the Dehydrator while dehydrating is in process, set added Tray on top so moisture from the newly added food does not recirculate through Dehydrating Trays.
Fruit Pretreatments Pretreabnent is ptional; however, it will help prevent darkening through oxidation during dehydrating. A Natural Slice fruit into lemon juice or pineapple juice; let stand 2 minutes. Remove from juice, and blot dry before arranging on Trays. B. Syrup Blanching. This is used to help maintain the natural color of the fruit, and maintain a softer texture and sweeter flavor.
Preparing Vegetable For Dehydrating 1. Select only high quality, crisp, unblemished vegetables. 2. Wash thoroughly to remove bacteria, pesticides, dirt, etc. 3. Remove soft spots, blemishes, and stems. Soft spots do not dehydrate well and could spoil the entire batch. 4. Peeling is optional. The peel and just below the surface contain minerals and vitamins, but skins can become tough when dehydrated. If desired, slice or cut vegetables. Optimum thickness is 1/8 to 3/8 inch.
Vegetable Not Recommended For Dehydrating Brussels Sprouts Cabbage Cucumber Eggplant Radishes Spinach Winter Squash Vegetable Pretreatments Pretreating vegetables before dehydrating will improve quality and increase the shelf life. Vegetables lose quality faster than fruit inhibits of the ripening action of the enzymes. The natural sugar in fruit inhibits this ripening action. Enzymes are destroyed by heat. Pretreat by blanching to preserve color and shorten the dehydrating, rehydrating, and cooking time.
Tips For Rehydrating Vegetables Rehydrating vegetables is recommended. Vegetables rehydrate more slowly than fruit. If dehydrated vegetables are added to soups, stews, etc., before they are rehydrated they will be tough. • Place dehydrated vegetables in a heatproof bowl or sauce pan. Use just enough water or broth to cover vegetables. Use boiling water or broth to shorten rehydrating time. • The time required to rehydrate foods will vary, depending on thickness, liquid temperature, weather conditions, etc.
Dehydrating Spices/Herbs 1. Gently rinse cold water. Shake excess moisture from leaves. Remove and discard large stems and any dead or blemished leaves. 2. Preheat Dehydrator. 3. Arrange prepared herbs on Trays. Do not dehydrate herbs or other low moisture items with fruit or vegetables which have a relatively high moisture content. 4. Dryness test: Herb leaves will crumble and stems will snap when bent. Seeds will take longer than leaves and stems. 5.
Marinades For Jerky Marinade 1 1 pound trimmed beef, sliced 1/4 cup soy sauce 2 tablespoons liquid smoke 1 tablespoon molasses Mix all ingredients in a cup, or small bowl. Put meat in plastic storage bag and pour marinade over. Squeeze out air and seal. Marinate 1 hour at room temperatue. Drain and discard leftover marinade. For a stronger flavor extend marinate time. Refrigerate if longer than 1 hour.
Making Fruit Roll Snacks Fruit Roll Snack are made from pureed fresh, canned or frozen fruit, or combination of fruits. These leathery, sweet snacks are popular with kids of all ages and provides a healthful alternative to traditional snack foods. 1. Wash and remove stems, soft areas, and large seeds. Peel, if desired, or when it might detract from the dehydrated product; such as, pineapple, kiwi, etc. 2. Using a food processor or blender, puree fruit until smooth.
Fruit Roll Tips • Use fruit that is in season. Blemished, bruised or very ripe fruit that is not suitable for dehydrating work well for fruit roll snacks. Discard blemished parts. • Citrus fruits have lots of liquid and should only be used in combination with other fruits. • If using canned, or frozen fruit that has been thawed, drain fruit and reserved liquid. If necessary, add a little of the reserved juice to nake a smooth puree.
Steaming Steam cooking is an easy, healthy and fast method of preparing fish, poultry, vegetables and more. This centuries-old method of cooking is perfect for today's healthier lifestyles. Steaming gives you food that looks better, tastes better and are better for you. Steaming is simply cooking food over gently boiling water. The water vapors cook the food rather than the boiling water.
Steaming Tips • Steam time will vary, depending on size, starting temperature of food, altitude and desired doneness. Approximate cooking times are listed in the chart on page 24. • Always use potholders or oven mitts when removing or replacing the hot Cover, or Steam Inset with cooked food. • Do not place Steamer directly under cabinets during cooking; the escaping steam could damage the finish of the cabinets. • Use the Steam Trivet, Steam Inset, and all other parts, with this Steamer/ Dehydrator only.
Cooking Dehydrated Beans And Legumes Sort and discard any damaged beans; rinse with cold water. If beans require soaking, see chart (page 28). Place in Rice Bowl and add water to generously cover. (Most beans will double in bullk with soaking.) Allow beans to soak 6 to 8 hour, or overnight. For quick-soak method, place rinsed beans in Rice Bowl and cover generously with water. Follow steps 1-3 and 9-12 on page 25 for Rice Cooker Assembly.