Dehydrating foods

[drjean]

Forgive me if there's already a thread on this. I've posted in a few what I'm doing...

I bought a cheap food dehydrater earlier this year and it's turned out to be a good idea...wish I had bought it years ago!

I'm beginning to write things down to keep track now. And getting serious about it because I hope to have the house on the market by June 1st I can't leave everything til last day! The homes are selling within a month and I've been told that I'll have 4-6 offers within 24 hours. Would be nice. Anyway...

I've made a few month-long trips, with my service dog of course, already in the van fixed up for living (not fancy, DIY stuff). A few times we had to rely upon the canned food I keep in stock (ugh from both of us). I was shocked when in the AZ desert I had real trouble finding fresh produce (funny huh since it's where winter veggies are grown, and the source of the recent romaine lettuce botulism outbreak!) So I decided I need to carry dehydrated foods, since I don't do well with packaged foods and all those preservatives, GMO, gluten etc.

Then a bit ago someone mentioned about dehydrating the dog's food. I hate giving him kibble from even natural products... and have to be careful with those as they have gluten (cross contamination).

Really now, think about it, those energy bars with all that nutrition began as dehydrated veggies and meats! But they add junk fake food that will do you in, and sugar! oh my.

Today I'm doing carrots, yellow squash, apples, parsley, and...bananas. Oh yeah I also bought a 10 ounce package of frozen chopped broccoli. It filled one whole tray!

I cut the others into large 1/4" slices (I say large bc they aren't quite 1/2"; true 1/4" slices dry up way too small.)

The average carrot and yellow squash and banana give me about 8-10 slices each. This is good to remember bc I cannot eat even a whole banana nor carrot--the natural sugar goes straight into the bloodstream and is not filtered. So 5 slices will be a day's portion on those.

The apples were smaller mediums (larger smalls?) and I got about 5 slices of them, removing the centers after slicing them.

I did anjou pears once before and they rendered about 10 1/4" slices...too thin. I bought canned pears to do next time to see how well they do. (Natural juice no sugar added.)

I also bought a hand vacuum sealer...it uses "food saver" ?? I think that's the name of the bags with the special suction valve...zip lock bags. I tried freezer double zip bags before and I still put them into a lock and lock container for keeping. I feel more comfortable storing meats in the vacuumed bags. (I do meats next, once these fruits and veggies are done! )

Veggies will keep "forever" if they are kept in the dark (are you good at keeping secrets? rofl) Dehydrated foods will keep in heat but they can't handle light well.

Meats keep only about 3 weeks. I have to keep on a schedule bc I will not be carrying the dehydrator about with us in the van, but in the storage. There are other things I could access from storage every so often too so, it's ok.

For the dog food, well, I'll make that in 2 parts, the veggies and rice being one (keeps "foreva" and then meat for him. I've quit buying angus beef bc it's too high in fat for him and I kept becoming mixed up and making him suffer. So I buy the natural no added hormones, antibiotics meat. If I happen upon also not gmo'd fed that would be nicer. The chicken I buy is Perdue or Spring--something (new on market here, also pure and processed in own house.[ Most chicken is processed in the same plant as lesser quality, hormone and preservative type feeds and such---washed in the same cruddy water too (sigh)... ]


The dog food's base is rice. I buy organic non gmo brown rice and cook it in a crock pot, then spread it out on a tray that I put a "fruit roll up" plastic to keep it from dropping through. It only takes about 3 minutes of reheating to rehydrate. I found that by putting it dehydrated into the cooking meat mix will give it time to rehydrate. Of course this will change it the meat is also dehydrated...


Well I guess I went a bit far on information on this. Anyone else dehydrating foods?

 

[Job3315]

Forgive me if there's already a thread on this. I've posted in a few what I'm doing...

I bought a cheap food dehydrater earlier this year and it's turned out to be a good idea...wish I had bought it years ago!

I'm beginning to write things down to keep track now. And getting serious about it because I hope to have the house on the market by June 1st I can't leave everything til last day! The homes are selling within a month and I've been told that I'll have 4-6 offers within 24 hours. Would be nice. Anyway...

I've made a few month-long trips, with my service dog of course, already in the van fixed up for living (not fancy, DIY stuff). A few times we had to rely upon the canned food I keep in stock (ugh from both of us). I was shocked when in the AZ desert I had real trouble finding fresh produce (funny huh since it's where winter veggies are grown, and the source of the recent romaine lettuce botulism outbreak!) So I decided I need to carry dehydrated foods, since I don't do well with packaged foods and all those preservatives, GMO, gluten etc.

Then a bit ago someone mentioned about dehydrating the dog's food. I hate giving him kibble from even natural products... and have to be careful with those as they have gluten (cross contamination).

Really now, think about it, those energy bars with all that nutrition began as dehydrated veggies and meats! But they add junk fake food that will do you in, and sugar! oh my.

Today I'm doing carrots, yellow squash, apples, parsley, and...bananas. Oh yeah I also bought a 10 ounce package of frozen chopped broccoli. It filled one whole tray!

I cut the others into large 1/4" slices (I say large bc they aren't quite 1/2"; true 1/4" slices dry up way too small.)

The average carrot and yellow squash and banana give me about 8-10 slices each. This is good to remember bc I cannot eat even a whole banana nor carrot--the natural sugar goes straight into the bloodstream and is not filtered. So 5 slices will be a day's portion on those.

The apples were smaller mediums (larger smalls?) and I got about 5 slices of them, removing the centers after slicing them.

I did anjou pears once before and they rendered about 10 1/4" slices...too thin. I bought canned pears to do next time to see how well they do. (Natural juice no sugar added.)

I also bought a hand vacuum sealer...it uses "food saver" ?? I think that's the name of the bags with the special suction valve...zip lock bags. I tried freezer double zip bags before and I still put them into a lock and lock container for keeping. I feel more comfortable storing meats in the vacuumed bags. (I do meats next, once these fruits and veggies are done! )

Veggies will keep "forever" if they are kept in the dark (are you good at keeping secrets? rofl) Dehydrated foods will keep in heat but they can't handle light well.

Meats keep only about 3 weeks. I have to keep on a schedule bc I will not be carrying the dehydrator about with us in the van, but in the storage. There are other things I could access from storage every so often too so, it's ok.

For the dog food, well, I'll make that in 2 parts, the veggies and rice being one (keeps "foreva" and then meat for him. I've quit buying angus beef bc it's too high in fat for him and I kept becoming mixed up and making him suffer. So I buy the natural no added hormones, antibiotics meat. If I happen upon also not gmo'd fed that would be nicer. The chicken I buy is Perdue or Spring--something (new on market here, also pure and processed in own house.[ Most chicken is processed in the same plant as lesser quality, hormone and preservative type feeds and such---washed in the same cruddy water too (sigh)... ]


The dog food's base is rice. I buy organic non gmo brown rice and cook it in a crock pot, then spread it out on a tray that I put a "fruit roll up" plastic to keep it from dropping through. It only takes about 3 minutes of reheating to rehydrate. I found that by putting it dehydrated into the cooking meat mix will give it time to rehydrate. Of course this will change it the meat is also dehydrated...


Well I guess I went a bit far on information on this. Anyone else dehydrating foods?

Kale chips are the best!

 

[drjean]

ha! I used to eat kale but can hardly call what's left of a dehydrated leaf a "chip"! I was SOOOO disappointed with the crumble from what had been good sized kale leaves. When I checked in the store for the prepackaged kale "chips" I found exactly what I had: kale crumbles.

I have to check my list to see if I can still eat kale... but if I dehydrate any more I will use it simply as a sprinkle upon other foodstuffs.

 

[Job3315]

ha! I used to eat kale but can hardly call what's left of a dehydrated leaf a "chip"! I was SOOOO disappointed with the crumble from what had been good sized kale leaves. When I checked in the store for the prepackaged kale "chips" I found exactly what I had: kale crumbles.

I have to check my list to see if I can still eat kale... but if I dehydrate any more I will use it simply as a sprinkle upon other foodstuffs.

That’s odd. Maybe your dehydrator temperature iis set too high? I take whole leaves and split them in big chunks, I probably get about 4-5 chips per whole leaf. Then I add coconut oil or olive oil and get them wet, but not soaking wet. I find that if they are too wet with oil they end up soggy. I also sprinkle a little salt and pepper. They come out great.

I also like beets and banana chips. My friend has a great dehydrator and she makes fruit roll ups.

 

[drjean]

The packaged ones are the same tiny size as mine... whole leaves... hmmm no, no oils. I won't use any oils as they are poison in one way or another.

I dehydrate at the designated temperature for veggies... 135 I think. Maybe you are eating you own grown kale and the leaves are larger than 3" or so?

 

[Job3315]

The packaged ones are the same tiny size as mine... whole leaves... hmmm no, no oils. I won't use any oils as they are poison in one way or another.

I dehydrate at the designated temperature for veggies... 135 I think. Maybe you are eating you own grown kale and the leaves are larger than 3" or so?

Food can ge tricky, what affects some people might no affect others = /

I buy organic kale from the store, the leaves are big.

 

[paul1149]

How long do you stock your dehydrated food? I have a couple of friends who use a dehydrator, and I don't get it unless the idea is to put by for a crisis.

I won't use any oils as they are poison in one way or another.

Are you getting oils in your food? The body needs healthy oils. They are essential for making hormones and many other things.

 

[Job3315]

How long do you stock your dehydrated food? I have a couple of friends who use a dehydrator, and I don't get it unless the idea is to put by for a crisis.


Are you getting oils in your food? The body needs healthy oils. They are essential for making hormones and many other things.

You can find a list of shelf life for dehydrator foods. We use our dehydrator for snacks, we store other things for emergencies.

 

[drjean]

I get enough fats of nutrition from butter and meats and lots of eggs etc. [Eggs do not contain any trans-fats, which are the inflammatory fats that cause your LDL cholesterol to rise. Eggs also contain approximately 0.18g of omega-3 fatty acids per serve, which are the healthy, anti-inflammatory fats important for reducing the risk of heart disease]

Processed oils are all unhealthy and many cause diseases. (Sorry but I'm rather anti MD at this point, they only make money if we're sick.) Most cause inflammation as well, which increases all people's pain!

The dehydrator has a thermostat, and a guide right on the top as to what you need to process the various foods.

I am going off grid in living: travelling in a van with the face on the left there. As I have said, we have been in areas where fresh food was not available. I have an aversion to restaurant eating now (and fast food is called that for a reason, imo, as it does not leave the site in my body!) Few places have healthy food, fewer still gluten free and from the kitchen worker's opinion they charge for gluten free but it isn't really.

However, remember we are in the prepper forums .

Foods done this way are cheaper than buying weekly packaged foods and they are healthier if you work at it just a little. They also save you money in that you aren't throwing away food that went bad. They also take up less room. They are wonderful for regular cooking... soups, stews, casseroles etc. Though they shrink considerably (water removed) they spruce right back up regular size with water and cooking. (Like the rice I do...cook it and dehydrate it and then add it to a little water/meat juice/melted butter for a few minutes and voila! Rice yummy.

As I also mentioned, dehydrated foods lasts a very long time. Process them to at least 95% dryness, seal in airtight containers without air and perhaps with packets, keep them out of the light. You don't have to keep them cool, but I will if I can. Meat lasts 3 weeks. Veggies and fruits last "indefinitely" if done correctly... years and years...

EGGS are another item though. I eat a lot of eggs. I will NOT dehydrate raw eggs in any fashion though. I'll cook/scramble them first, dehydrate, then blend/grind them into a powder and redehydrate. I doubt I will keep them longer than 9-12 months since I eat so many anyway. (I am allergic to "egg beaters" and other powdered products due to the additives and my body refuses to accept synthetic stuff i.e. fake eggs.)

(I watched a great youtube on the old fashioned lime water soaking of fresh eggs that keeps them many months... have to have fresh farm eggs that have not been washed, and they need to be clean in themselves... so this is not an option for me bc I am travelling and also because I cannot be sure the lime used is pure limestone powder. I am allergic to shell fish and mollusks and often these are ground into the powder.)

I love making my own pure jerky! Last time I used medallions of angus roast but since that is high in fat and I forget, as I said, and give it to my doggie... I just cannot buy it any more. I have two types of beef to do next, and some chicken filets too.... but I'll cook them all before dehydrating, so I can nosh on them at will. I'm no longer a big meal maker... and noshing throughout the day is fine with me... a few banana chips here, a slice of jerky there.

Oh, the frozen packaged chopped broccoli took only 11 hours --amazing since it wasn't unthawed and drained, and it totally filled the "fruit leather" tray! The other items I began are still drying. I dried them 12 hours at 135, rotating twice, and then 6 hours at 95 degrees and now it's been another 6 hours at 135 degrees. I suspect it will be a full 30 hours at least. (I did make thick 1/4" slices remember ).

Eager to move on to the meat, which takes a long time as well... and the canned fruit pears... I also bought a can of plain apple pie filler that I want to see if I can make roll ups with... just a little sweet during the day as a treat?

 

[paul1149]

Sounds like you've given it good thought. We also like coconut oil, a saturated fat that also has healing properties. And I agree with you on the financial interests of the medical industry. It's a business, and a very lucrative and corrupt one. I would put it on a par with the used car industry, except I have a friend who sells used cars who is golden.

 

[SavedByGrace3]

You are doing a good thing! We purchased a dehydrator 6 years ago. We wore that one out and are using our second one. Great investment. I cannot tell you how much of our preps have come out of that dehydrator. Our newest effort will be to dehydrate cooked beans. IOWs make 2 gallons of pinto beans in the pressure cooker. Simmer them down to where there is very little moisture left. Add a few things like onions, garlic salt, and tomato paste. Dehydrate the mix and vacuum them with the food saver with 1 Oxygen Absorber. This stuff is good because all you do is add water and it turns to beans! No real need to cook. Excellent for a situation where there is little or no fuel for cooking.
With our larger garden this year well will be putting the dehydrator to use... and soon!

 

[drjean]

The previous run went 36 hours. Some of the thicker fruits are only 95% dry and I bagged them anyway and put into refrigerator until the meat/jerky is done. Then I will open it back up and finish fully dehydrating those fruits.

I choose lean cuts of ground round, sirloin tip steak, and eye of the round steak. The latter 2 were already sliced thin, easy peasy. The ground round (read hamburger meat) I pressed into a microwave corelle cooker < gasp > to form it while cooking, then once cooked I sliced it 1/4" slices about 5 " long.

I learned to cook meat first, then slice it for jerky strips. Cooking it of course shrinks it some,then dehydrating shrinks it too.... so cook it first then cut into slices. I will be able to eat size it comes out though .

The meats should only take about 4 hours at 160 degrees. However, I do not marinate so it will probably take another hour or so. We will see. I read that one needs to leave dehydrated meats/jerky out for a few hours before bagging up.

For those following along:

eye of the round is probably the leanest beef you can buy considered "extra lean" at 4 gm fat and 1.4 gms sat fat per 3.5 oz serving.

next leanest are sirloin tip side steak, top round roast or steak, bottom round roast or steak, and top sirloin steak.


"lean" cuts include brisket, round top roast or steak round steak, shank cross cut, chuck shoulder pot roast, sirloin tip center roast or steak, chuck shoulder steak and bottom round steak...

If it has "round" "chuck" or "loin" in it's name it's extra lean or lean.

I would use a marinade (if I could) for round or chuck steaks as they are tougher. Since I'm making meat to savor in my mouth as a meal, not cooking a big entree, then tough won't matter---it'll take a little longer to break it down .

Trim any fat you still find (it will turn rancid and limit storing time)
Feel free to blot any meat moisture from cooking: this saves dehydrating time

I have the Nesco Snack maker so I do not have to turn/rotate trays. Check to see if your dehydrator requires that you do.


As I speak it appears the hurricane season is beginning early again. We've received 7" of rain lately (yesterday, night before). The system is expected to go into Gulf and develop (and go north I'm sure?) I need to be ready to bug out in event of a hurricane ... or even a named tropical storm assuming it isn't going to follow me up the state! Food would be nice to have.

 

[drjean]

You are doing a good thing! We purchased a dehydrator 6 years ago. We wore that one out and are using our second one. Great investment. I cannot tell you how much of our preps have come out of that dehydrator. Our newest effort will be to dehydrate cooked beans. IOWs make 2 gallons of pinto beans in the pressure cooker. Simmer them down to where there is very little moisture left. Add a few things like onions, garlic salt, and tomato paste. Dehydrate the mix and vacuum them with the food saver with 1 Oxygen Absorber. This stuff is good because all you do is add water and it turns to beans! No real need to cook. Excellent for a situation where there is little or no fuel for cooking.
With our larger garden this year well will be putting the dehydrator to use... and soon!

Thanks! You are welcome to guide me anytime!

O2 Absorber..yeah that's what I've seen in youtube videos... but do you have to?

I can't do tomato. I can't do beans. I won't do oils and I won't do pork... Ok but that is part of my problem.

The ground round came out perfectly dry at 5 hours. This is going to be great! Even one day in a week I'll spend at my assistant's (once house sells) 10 hours and plenty of time to do this!
The other is now at 6 hours....need to check it.

I added 2 trays of cooked rice for the part of the last haul, after removing and reorganizing meat. It's in for the higher temp for meat... should be done quickly lol [This is wonderful for the dog kibble... he's been getting more of the Beyond and frankly neither he nor I like it much. Someone said the FreshPet was now dehydrating but I cannot find it---only some stuff that has no shelf life.]

The meat did not shrink any more... guess that's the advantage of lean meat! It did weep out some oil/fat which I blotted up.

Rather than buying mylar bags, I've kept the dental sticks from my dog's nightly "treat". (I'd rather he get one of these each night than put him under for cleanings.) The bags are mylar---I do want to get a bright label to note what dehydrated foods are in it (in their own bags of course).

 

[drjean]

It was all done by 11 pm. Since I had to stop the process for 2 1/2 hours, that works out to... ummm 6 hours!

The rice is much faster at 160 degrees, natch. Is there a reason they say to do it at 135?

I let the meat cool a bit before packaging it. But I cannot see letting it sit out for a few hours first, like I "learned" online. I mean, it would just soak up moisture that way!

Ok recap.
The ground round done at 5 hours at 160 degrees
The rice done at 4 hours at 160
The sirloin and eye of round done at 6 hours at 160


YUM!

I'll begin the canned fruits tomorrow...and or the fresh melon depending upon space. (Only have 4 trays).

 

[drjean]

The fruits I ended up doing took nearly 36 hours and still don't "snap" but are probably 95% dry.
Apples, bananas, and pears.

The bags I got with the dehydrator itself work great.

The bags I bought (same brand) at Walmart will NOT keep a seal.
This is not the first product I've bought at walmart to find they are not high quality. I think they buy seconds, or are being bamboozled by China...either way the cheapness comes through and it's nearly a waste of my time to go to walmart more than twice a year. I used to never go. grrrr

I am now dehyrdating frozen summer squash, canned anjou pears, a banana and some frozen green beans (for the dog). I probably won't rehydrate the beans directly but smash them up with a hammer and add to his wet rice kibble when it's time. Crunchy helps keep his teeth clean

 

[drjean]

Slowed down due to the health of my doggie, and that the bags I have won't stay sealed...and with TS Albert at the door, IDK if I want to go out into the rain, traffic, local flooding and repurchase bags!

I scrambled (read COOKED) 6 vegetarian organic eggs and am dehydrating them along with some of "left over" melon that is not fully dry (yet!) I have turnips, onions, carrots and pumpkin to dehydrate yet. Not sure that will get done by Tuesday when I have PT and will recontact Vet for doggie.

 

[drjean]

I think I will put dehydrated food into double zip freezer bags and put into freezer and transfer them to sealer bags when I purchase more?

 

[SavedByGrace3]

I think I will put dehydrated food into double zip freezer bags and put into freezer and transfer them to sealer bags when I purchase more?

The wife does this.

 

[drjean]

Rather than return half the package, I'll wait and see with the newer package, and maybe it will also have half of them that won't seal?

I've begun slicing very thin... oh well. It takes far less time to dehydrate, natch.
I am currently doing a tray of pumpkin (plain pie "mix)... spread it out but as it dries it's growing thinner near the center of the tray, and that's disintegrating!

I'm also trying a mix of rice, peas, potato, lima beans.... was mixed veggies and I added rice, but removed all the corn. The corn still has effect through the former liquid but oh well. I'm talking survival, in case of emergency food anyway. Hopefully the dog will still eat it.

God willing... he's quite ill right this moment.

 

[drjean]

Today I began another cantalope and also cucumbers.

I've tried cutting them differently. The cantalope I cut into halves and halves (that would be quarters?) and then halves again (so eighths?) THEN I slice them thinly TO the rind.... after all the slices are done, like an accordian, I cut the rind off and voila! a handful of slices to easily place upon the rack.

For the cucumber I skinned it/ peeled it. My peeler is in the van somewhere (still haven't made inventory and lists of what is where) so I just used my knife and sliced the skin off. Then I cut the cukes LONGWISE into, yep, halves and halves .... this makes quarters and the seeds slice right off the point longwise, just like filetting a fish. Then cut into halves twice more = thin strips.

BTW I will NOT do onions again, but will buy dehydrated or onion salt. lol the whole house smells of cooked onion---and it must be strong if I can smell it! (Who knew I could smell this?) I have the house ac fan on and also an air cleaner and have used neutralizing spray... it slowly diminishes. SO Caveat: Onions smell up the place so if you want dried onions do them outside or in a basement?