Dehydrating Foods (continued)

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       Fruit
   Drying Chart

  Vegetable Drying Chart

The Actual Chat:

Q.  Zeebee ask about storing dried food.
A.  Store dried food in plastic bags, freezer containers, or canning jars.
      In a dark, cool dry place.
      The ideal storage temp. for dehydrated food is 60 degrees F.
      (15 degrees C.)  to below freezing.  The ideal storage place is your             freezer or refrigerator, particlarly for storing low-acid foods such as          meats, fish and vegetables.
     
      All fruits dried with skins intact should be packaged and frozen for a        minimum of 48 hours to prevent any possibleity of insect infestation.

Q.  Daisy ask about drying in a mico wave.
A.  mars had tried to dry basil in hers, and had it catch fire, even when          following directions.

     Jacki suggests drying herbs in paper grocery bags.
     Put herbs from the garden in paper grocery bag, fold over one corner        and clip to a line.  Forget it for a few days, and they will be dry.                 Protected from dust and dirt, and light.

     Gloria uses the microwave for drying flowers with success.
    
      Daisy dries her lavendar just hanging it in an airy dry area.

      Some discussion about dried tomatoes.  Jacki had never had them,           and wanted to know if they were good.  Gloria loves them,  says                they are like the essence of a tomatoe.  Zeebee said they have thier          own taste.  Daisy says there are lovely in oil or dry chew on their              own.

Q.  Gloria ask about drying corn.
       mars has dried corn...it dried nicely, and can be used in soups and              stuff.  She ate some just plain, and it was good, but a tooth breaker.

      Zeebee dried Orange slices in the oven for Christmas and they looked       great in the windows for suncatchers.

                          About Fruit Roll Ups

Selection:
Almost any fruit makes good roll-ups.  You can use slightly overripe and bruised fruit that would not be good for canning or drying.
Some fruits, such as citrus, should be used in combination with other fruits because they have so much liquid and very little pulp.  If you find your fruit is too runny, cobine it with apple, applesauce, or a similar fruit which will give it more substance. 
Applesauce makes good roll-ups right out of the jar.

Preparation:
Wash fruits and cut away any really bad spots.  Put it in a blender and whip it up till smooth.  You may need to add just a little water or juice
to get the process started.
You can sweeten with honey or corn syrup if needed, but fruit, if ripe is usually sweet enough. 

Drying:
Pour fruit puree onto a Fruit Roll-ups sheet which has been sprayed lightly with vegetable spray to prevent sticking.  Puree should be about 1/4" to 3/8" thick and evenly spread.  (There is more discussion below, concerning what to do if your dehydrator does not have the special solid plastic tray liner for making roll-ups).

Place Fruit Roll-up sheet on dehydrator tray and dry until fruit feels leather-like and is pliable, approximately 8-12 hours.  There should be no sticky spots on the top or underneath the fruit.  Remove the fruit roll-up while it is still warm, roll, cut into smaller sized pieces (if desired) and wrap in plastic wrap.  Store fruit roll-up in an airtight moisture-proof container.

If your dehydrator does not have a special tray for roll-ups, it was suggested trying the plastic lids off of freezer containers or the plastic coffee can lids.
Kitty mentioned she might try to use some fruit butters for roll-ups, that sounds like a good idea.

Most stackable dehydrators dry faster on the bottom, so it might be helpful to put the food that dries fastest there, or rotate the trays.
You have to watch not to overdry foods, you get better with practice.
The time charts seem to be timed too long.  But they can be used as a guage.

                   About Rehydrating Dried Food

Eat dehydrated foods dry or rehydrate for use in recipes.  Rehydrate by placing dried foods in a container (with enough water to cover food) and soak for 30 minutes to 2 hours.  Boiling water rehydrates foods faster than cold water.

Fruits or vegetables may also be rehydrated in liquids other than water, including fruit juices, cider, vegetable juices,milk, consomm'e, etc. 
You can refrigerate these foods while they are soaking to reduce any risk of spoilage.

Do not add seasonings, especially salt or sugar, during rehydration because they slow the rehydration process.

Cooking with Dried Food:
After rehydrating food, cook it as you would normally.  If foods are cooked before they are fully rehydrated, they will cook in a shriveled state and will not be plump.  Most fruits and vegetables will rehydrate to about 80% of their fresh state.  Consewuently, they are a little more chewy than a fresh or frozen vegetable, even when rehydrated.

Dried food used in cooking will aborb additional liquid, so adjust the recipe accordingly by adding more water.

*Vegetables - add one additional cup of water for one cup dried food.
*Stewed Fruits - add 2 additional cups of water for each cup of fruit,          allow to stand for 1 hour and simmer until tender.
*Pies or fillings - use 1 additional cup of water per 1 cup of fruit - less, if you desire a thicker consistancy.

Notes:  When using fruits in baking or for ice cream, they may be softened by covering with boiling water and allowing them to stand for 5 minutes.  Then chop or blend, depending upon use.

Garden Pathway

       Fruit
   Drying Chart

  Vegetable Drying Chart