Table of Contents
Advertisement
INGREDIENT PREPARATION
TOOLS YOU NEED TO GET STARTED
•
Paring knife (Stainless Steel Blade)
•
Cutting board
•
Storage containers
ADDITIONAL TOOLS TO SPEED UP THE PROCESS:
•
A food processor or other similar appliance for faster and consistent slicing
•
A steamer and basket, or kettle and collapsible steamer for blanching
•
Blender for making fruit puree for fruit leather
•
A small notebook to keep track of the length of time and recipes which work and do not work
for you.
BASIC FOOD PREPARATION TIPS
•
Fruit and vegetable peels often contain most of the food's nutritional value. Therefore, it is better
not to peel if the dried food is to be eaten as snack or used in cookies. On the other hand,
you will want to peel apples intended for a pie or tomatoes intended for soup. Generally, if you
usually peel the food for a specific recipe, then peel the food before it is to be dehydrated.
•
One of the most important factors in successful dehydration is how the food is sliced. When
drying fruits, it helps to ensure all the slices have the same thickness so they dry evenly. Also,
keep in mind that thick slices dry more slowly than thin slices.
•
During dehydration, moisture escapes best from a cut or broken surface absent of the skin.
Therefore, the larger the cut area, the faster and better the food will dehydrate.
•
For example, thin stalked vegetables, such as green beans, asparagus and rhubarb should be
cut lengthwise, or with an extreme diagonal cut to expose as much of its flesh as possible.
•
Fruits should be sliced across the core and not down through the core. Try to always make thin,
flat cuts.
•
Broccoli stems should be halved or quartered depending on its diameter. Small fruits, such as
strawberries, can be halved. Even smaller berries should either be halved or blanched slightly to
break the skin.
6
FILLING THE DRYING TRAYS
•
When loading food on the trays, you can make use of all of the tray's surface, while allowing
some airflow to be maintained. Place food in a single layer whenever possible to ensure
uniform dehydration.
•
Dehydration removes moisture and will cause food to shrink as it dries. This allows you to
store the same amount of food in a smaller space. Chopped food should not be spread thicker
than 1cm.
•
It may be necessary to stir the finely chopped food once or twice during dehydration to ensure
even drying of all the pieces. To do so, turn the machine off, unplug it, remove the trays, stir, then
reassemble and restart the machine according to the instructions on page 5.
PREVENTING DRIPPING
•
Some foods such as very ripe tomatoes and citrus or sugared fruits may drip juices. Dripping
can change the flavour of different foods on lower trays. To lessen dripping, tap the tray firmly
downward on a towel laid on the counter top repeatedly for a few times to remove excess
moisture before inserting the tray into the appliance.
7
Advertisement
Table of Contents
