Quick Question- Food Dehydrators

[DamnearaFarm]

I've been offered a dehydrator without a fan, for ten bucks. Black plastic housing, seven layers. I don't know the brand yet and know nothing about dehydrators (other than I want one ). Is this a good deal?

[Sanza]

They work great, but you have to keep rotating the layers otherwise the bottom one or two will dry out too much and look burnt.

[Danaus29]

When drying tomatoes don't put anything on the bottom layer, they will taste burnt and nasty!

Square or round dehydrator? The square cost more but I like the round ones better. Good price as long as it is complete.

[Jokarva]

I got my Nesco at a thrift store for $7, it does have a fan and temp control. I just started using it this summer - I really like it.

I don't know a lot about dehydrators, how does one without a fan work?

[Pelenaka]

Offer them $4 if it has the manual.
That is about the going rate I have paid @ tag sales for the type that you are talking. I have 4 or 5 Rhonco style and one American Harvester (fan) that came with a set of extra trays. That one was a free bee bought curb shopping.
Fan style dehydrators are quicker but use more electricity. And noisy.
When I have a alot to put up they all come out.

~~ pelenaka ~~

[Danaus29]

Jokarva, you have to rotate the trays every so often. Sometimes a couple times a day. And some stuff on the bottom tray can get overdone.

The round ones new in box sell for $20 and up here.

[PrettyPaisley]

Originally Posted by Jokarva

I don't know a lot about dehydrators, how does one without a fan work?

Yeah, this. I can't see how it would work without one.

[Chixarecute]

If no fan, just the heat rising through the units. IMHO, I wouldn't bother getting a dehydrator without a fan. Heck, I wouldn't even take one if it was given to me!

[Danaus29]

Heat evaporates water, there is a heating element in the bottom. The heat rises and causes the water to turn to steam. The steam leaves through a vent in the top of the dehydrator. By rotating the trays you keep the heat pretty much even though all the layers. You do have to turn the pieces once or twice.

If I ever get the extra time and energy I am thinking of making a solar dehydrator. It would take longer than an electric one but would cost nothing to run.

[DamnearaFarm]

Thanks for the education I did read that the fanless ones were quieter but took longer to dry and had a harder time with thick/pulpy things. I didn't see anything about the rotation thing, though.

I think i'm going to pass and try to get one with a fan- we've so many rooms in this house i'm sure I could find someplace to set one up without having to listen to the noise constantly. Thanks again!

[cc-rider]

I used to have one of those. I bought a little computer fan for about $5 and just sat it on top over the vent with the air going "up" (so it pulled it through), and it worked just fine. Not as good as the ones with the fan in the back, but...for the price...

[mldollins]

mine has a fan with no heating element. You don't want to cook the food. There is enough heat from the motor that moves through the food.

[Danaus29]

I've got a lot of old computer fans laying around here. That is one thing I never thought of.

[Txrider]

Originally Posted by Jokarva

I got my Nesco at a thrift store for $7, it does have a fan and temp control. I just started using it this summer - I really like it.

I don't know a lot about dehydrators, how does one without a fan work?

It would work on the principle that hot air rises, and require free airflow I would think.

I've been thinking about dehydrating, but have questions as well.

How well does dehydrating work vs canning for preservation?

What is the difference with say meats as compared to different types of veggies.

I know some dehydrated canned foods supposedly last up to 30 years according to the dehydrated food manufacturers like Mountain Home, but they dehydrate and vacuum pack.

[cc-rider]

I think some foods especially lend well to dehydrating. I really like dehydrated onions and peppers. Can't do enough of them! I've done a lot of potatoes, too, and found that it was better to cube and blanche them so that they keep their color and don't turn grey. They cook up well in soups. Dehydrated cherries are a big hit here, too. Again...can't do enough of them! I soak them in a bit of a sugar solution before I dry them to help keep the color. (And they were sour cherries to start with).

I was going to buy some of the little "air remover" packets that are sized for mason jars, but I never have the dehydrated stuff around long enough to worry about it. A few months or a year, and it's all gone, anyway. I dry the onions and peppers until they are brittle, so I don't worry about those. I think they'd keep a pretty long time in a sealed mason jar in a dark place. For other things...for longer storage...I'd use the little "air remover" packets. Darn...can't think what they are called!

I like dehydrating things because I can fit a TON of stuff in a small space. For instance, I have dried tomato paste. A mason jar full is DOZENS of tomatoes. I add a couple big spoonfuls to soups. That stuff seems to keep well, too. I dry it like fruit leathers, and then break it into flakes.

[Danaus29]

Mushrooms don't dehydrate well. I would freeze those after dehydrating (saves room in the freezer). Meat should be refridgerated or frozen too. I have kept apple slices in canning jars (lids tightened but not canned) on the counter for a year with no ill effects. I would think if your jars and materials are warm when you close the lids the cooling itself would create a vaccuum seal. But again I have heard you could have condensation issues with that method. Either way, you can't go wrong with freezing your dehydrated product. Dried food takes up only 1/3 to 1/4 the room regular food takes.

[beaglebiz]

Originally Posted by Danaus29

Mushrooms don't dehydrate well. I would freeze those after dehydrating (saves room in the freezer). Meat should be refridgerated or frozen too. I have kept apple slices in canning jars (lids tightened but not canned) on the counter for a year with no ill effects. I would think if your jars and materials are warm when you close the lids the cooling itself would create a vaccuum seal. But again I have heard you could have condensation issues with that method. Either way, you can't go wrong with freezing your dehydrated product. Dried food takes up only 1/3 to 1/4 the room regular food takes.

I dehydrate mushrooms all of the time. My Polish mushroom soup recipe specifically calls for dried shrooms

[Txrider]

Originally Posted by Danaus29

Mushrooms don't dehydrate well. I would freeze those after dehydrating (saves room in the freezer). Meat should be refridgerated or frozen too. I have kept apple slices in canning jars (lids tightened but not canned) on the counter for a year with no ill effects. I would think if your jars and materials are warm when you close the lids the cooling itself would create a vaccuum seal. But again I have heard you could have condensation issues with that method. Either way, you can't go wrong with freezing your dehydrated product. Dried food takes up only 1/3 to 1/4 the room regular food takes.

That's kinda what I was thinking, dehydrate and then store in a freezer seemd like it would be best.

The understanding I have is that things with no fat content last a long time and keep well dehydrated, while things with higher fat content will go rancid even when dehydrated given time and refrigeration would drastically extend that time.

But I have no experience with dehydrating or storage of dehydrated goods other than store bought dried goods.

[Just Little Me]

I still use my oven (no fan) when I have an over load of things to dry. That is what was first used, before dehydrators came out. You just need to know what will dry faster without the fan. I do jerky in the no fan ones and the oven all the time.