[domlachhan]

Does anyone have a food dehydrator? What do you use it for? I have wanted one for ages, and I found one on sale this morning....but I couldn't bring myself to buy it

I would like to use it to make beef jerky, and to dry/semi dry the tomatoes from my garden - but not sure what else I would use it for and you can only eat so much beef jerky! What other yummy things could I use it for (besides dried apples or apricots which my kids don't like) that would make it worth the money (and cupboard space it would take up...)?

[sir_mix-a-lot]

I don't actually have one, but if you grow bananas or mangoes in your backyard, the dried fruit that they produce is awesome.

A friend also uses hers to dehydrate meals for hiking and camping - curries, bolognese sauce etc.

[laridae]

DH uses it to make jerky.
I use it to dehydrate fruit. Mainly the apples that grow on our trees - but anything that AI get in bulk and buy too much of.
You can also use it to make fruit leathers (like rollups).

[Airene]

Common items to use a food dehydrator for are: bananas, strawberries, cherries, apricots and apples as well as dear meat and beef.

You can also use it to dry nuts and seeds soaked in salted water, until these are nice and crispy. The nuts taste better afterwards. Also, dried vegetables are good for future use for soups and stews. If you're a fan of homemade yogurt as I am, you can use a food dehydrator for that.

You can also use it to make granola and coconut macaroons. You can find other recipes online.

Preserving foods this way is better in such a way that you don't have to add sugar, compared to canning.

This post has been edited by Airene: 20/11/2012, 03:31 PM

[domlachhan]

Thanks for the replies so far.
iwasthedoctor - I wish I could grow mangoes in my backyard...but unfortunately Canberra is a bit cold I am envious of anyone who lives somewhere warm enough to have a mango tree!! We do have heaps of fruit trees though (mainly stone fruit) and I usually bottle the fruit - I could dehydrate them and maybe the kids would each dried peaches?

Airene - I like the idea of using it to dry nuts. Maybe once our Almond tree gets enough nuts on it we could dry them. I also like the idea of making yogurt in it.

Off to check out more online recipes....the dried orange slices dipped in dark chocolate almost sound good enough to justify purchasing a dehydrator

[PrincessPeach]

I love dried fruit, plus just think - any home dehydrated fruit wont have any added nasties with it.