Misc dehydrator

[Murt]

finally pulled the trigger and ordered an Excalibur dehydrator
I picked the 9 tray with timer
they have a 30% off with free shipping and our garden looks like it will be very good so the timing seemed right
I have been wanting one for a while --I have heard several good reports so I guess time will tell
Any tips or tricks for use and storage of the produce

 

[Gardener]

I like canning jars with vacuum sealed lid for storage. I use a Pump N Seal, a non-electric vacuum sealer.

 

[coloradohermit]

I also use a Pump N Seal for sealing jars. Another option for food processing in case of the loss of electricity is the non-electric Food Pantrie dehydrator. Works like a charm.

 

[Kathy in FL]

finally pulled the trigger and ordered an Excalibur dehydrator
I picked the 9 tray with timer
they have a 30% off with free shipping and our garden looks like it will be very good so the timing seemed right
I have been wanting one for a while --I have heard several good reports so I guess time will tell
Any tips or tricks for use and storage of the produce

Yeppers and you can laugh all you want but it only took me once to realize that when drying onions you want to set that dehydrator up OUTSIDE. I filled mine up, turned it on, and then went to the grocery store. I came back and the cat cussed me out. Our HVAC took forever to get the smell out. And I went through a barrel of fabric deodorizer to get the smell out of the sofa and all the mattresses. A few months later I decided to clean and organize the attic. I get up there and ... oh crap. I hung dehumidifiers up there along with some deoderizers for a month before I finally got rid of all of the smell.

So learn from us poor fools that have gone before you. DO NOT dry onions or peppers inside. Promise you'll be a lot happier you don't make that mistake.

 

[Murt]

Thanks Kathy
I if you have seen my onion posts you can probably tell that I plan to dry a good many
I will do it on the porch
Thanks again

 

[Kathy in FL]

I also use a Pump N Seal for sealing jars. Another option for food processing in case of the loss of electricity is the non-electric Food Pantrie dehydrator. Works like a charm.
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That wouldn't dry fast enough in a high humidity environment like Florida. Maybe if you put a fan near it but not without that. Very buggy environments that would also be a problem.

 

[Murt]

my grandmother used to dry stuff in a 57 chevy
it was my uncle's car --when he wrecked it he just put it out in the pasture near the house
my grandmother would put stuff on the shelf behind the back seat under the window to dry it

 

[aviax2]

I bought a 9 tray Excalibur many years ago for drying fruits and veggies. Then DH liked using it for making beef and venison jerky so we bought another one. They have dried many bushels of apples, pears, blueberries, etc. and I can’t even begin to think how much jerky has been made in them. Still working like the work horses they are.

I remember my husband’s aunt used to go to work and once she got parked she would spread her apples out under the back glass like you said your grandmother did Murt. After a few days the apples would “rattle” as she would say, and she never had to worry if a shower came up.

I’ve heard plenty of horror stories of doing onions, garlic and hot peppers in them inside the house!

 

[Old Gray Mare]

For Newbies If considering getting a dehydrator? If you live in a damp climate get one with a fan. I've tried both convection and fan. Had food spoil before it could dry in the convection dehydrator.

Also do not put portable soup to finish in a dehydrator. You'll end up with a mess.

 

[Murt]

Well --the excalibur is now a used machine
I dried 9 trays of tomatoes and 9 trays of onions on the front porch
It has been raining a lot around here so I moved the device into the kitchen
I thought with all of the humidity around here lately it would work better inside
And the kitchen smells great --I have 9 trays of peaches going now

So far I am really liking it

BTW thanks for the tip about doing onions outside --they were very odifferous

 

[Chicken Mama]

What's the best price y'all are finding on the Excalibur, and where? I've been thinking about one for awhile now.