Dehydrating #2: Tools

Dehydrator for Sale!
Only used once!
Will trade for dried fruit.

<vbg>
Bob

-- I want to believe in a lot of things but, in the meantime I have to deal with the truth

hahaha you are funny!! lol
(and I’m adding pictures .. right—- now.

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan

You know what they say…when life gives you lemons make lemonade. :-)
Sorry to hear you had so much trouble Debbie.At least there is a million recipes for strawberries and homemade feezer jam is the best. mmmm mmmm mmmm .
Good luck with the rest of the dehydrating.

-- Bon,Hastings,Ont.....zone 5a....Always room for one more

Man you have certainly had your share of “lemonade” this summer. Sorry to hear about this one; making some extra work for you. You will have to post how you do “freezer jam” cuz I have never even heard of it (guess I am quite sheltered – vbg-). Good luck with it all … and just so you know I am VERY envious of all your strawberries … we have TWO that are finally rippening up. :-)

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

I’ve made freezer jam in the past and it hasn’t been our favourite. So, if I do make jam it will be the traditional method.

My berries dehydrated but the egg slicer made them too slim. They turned out to be little “fruit roll-up” chewies (which is fine).
I did some more but used a knife—much more difficult to get the same thickness. These will, of course, take longer to dehydrate, but I can put more in the dehydrator at one time, which is a good thing.

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan

Russel brought in our FIRST strawberry today and man was it GOOD!!!! Have another one getting red … and lots of flowers …

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

yummy! :)

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan

Went to a strawberry supper last night.Ohhh it was sooooo good .Tons of different salads and cold meats and buns and homemade tarts,cookies,cake etc.Then the strawberries with brown sugar and cream.All you could eat of everything.Loved it.We go to this one almost every year.

-- Bon,Hastings,Ont.....zone 5a....Always room for one more

OHHHH YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can see why you would go to this every year.
Strawberries and BROWN SUGAR … never thought of that … sounds good though.

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

Brown sugar is so much better on fruit than white sugar GramT.Just got some berries this morn. at the farmers market for supper tonight.We’re having those little sponge cakes with the sugared berries and whipped cream.I never get tired of strawberries this time of year.(lol)

-- Bon,Hastings,Ont.....zone 5a....Always room for one more

Well I know I prefer brown sugar with anything thing related to “tomato” ... but just have never tried it on “fruit” ... gonna have to now … ANOTHER reason I LOVE this site!!!!!

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

Interesting, GrandmaT. I also have never tried brown sugar on fruit, other than apples when making an apple pie. I think that I might just go for it. ... on your personal recommendation. :)

-- jroot

hahaha, jroot … well guess we will be trying out that brown sugar and strawberries together! I like a touch of brown sugar in my spaghetti sauce (verses white).

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

I don’t think those beautiful berries would have made it to the dehydrator in my house….slurp.

-- Xploreorganics, 5b Canada, LFD 06-20

I bought a new egg slicer today – it works wonderfully.

• 3 full quarts fill the Excalibur 5 trays
• approximately 7 hours at 135 degrees

—————————————————————————-

yesterday, my aunt brought me a “K-Tel” dehydrator that she had stashed away. The strawberries stick horribly to the trays. I’ll have to see if I can get some of the plastic sheets and cut them to fit the round trays.
The K-tel runs on a much higher temperature and the trays have to be rotated hourly.
I have bananas in it right now. They were too rpe and I think I cut them too thick. But, they seem to be drying ok. We’ll see what they taste like after. They may become too gritty because of the ripeness.

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan

Oh good!! Nice when everything finally works out.

So quite a difference between the dehydrator you bought and the K-Tel. Got to make you feel good that you made such a good choice.

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

yes, I’m pleased with the purchase. Of course, the K-tel one probably cost 1/10th of the cost of the Excalibur :)

For the second day in a row I’ve added dehydrated strawberries to my cereal. I’m addicted!!!! YUMMY.
I might just have to buy some more berries :) Wouldn’t want to run out lol

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan

So glad to hear it’s all going good now Debbie.

-- Bon,Hastings,Ont.....zone 5a....Always room for one more

Smart use of an egg slicer..

So how’s that fancy dehydrator working for ya.. Still happy with it?

-- Planting Daylilies in Kentucky, zone 6b

very. I did lots of strawberries—lots but not enough. I have a handful of dehydrated berries on my cereal every morning. SOOOO GOOD

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan