Many preppers have gotten into dehydrating their own foods, but is it really worth the investment? Like almost anything in life, there are pros and cons.
Some years ago, the Excalibur brand of dehydrator exploded into the preparedness market. Many preppers jumped on them, myself included. This somewhat reminds me of the “following the crowd” post, but at least it wasn’t a complete waste of money. In fact, I use my Excalibur on a somewhat regular basis.
One popular use for dehydrators is drying herbs from the garden. The Excalibur does an OK job of this, but you may need to omit every second tray as there is not much space between them for fluffy, leafy herbs. Also, turn off the dehydrator before opening it up to check. Herbs weigh nothing when dry and they tend to fly out under the power of the fan. In all honesty, I’ve tried this and found that I get as good of an end product by finding a place to hang herbs on string for drying.
Who doesn’t like some good ol’ jerky! In fact I have a batch of beef marinating right now that will be going into the dehydrator in the morning. Jerky does not last forever though, so dehydrating it for long term storage isn’t really feasible. Depending on the recipe and storage methods, jerky is shelf stable for up to 3 or 4 months.
Hamburger nuggets were a popular dehydrator project in the prepper community for a while. However, you may notice that not many people are talking about it anymore. The reason for that is that it is a complete waste of time and money. Hamburger nuggets last a few weeks at best and only if every trace of fat was removed beforehand. I tried it once and a couple months later the smell coming from the bag was enough to cause a gag reflex. If you need something that will last a few weeks for backpacking then go for it. Other than that, avoid at all costs!
Fruit snacks are a sweet treat anytime. Using a dehydrator to dry fruit takes a bit of practice, but the results are great. Dried fruit will last quite some time, not decades, but for a year or so for sure. Dehydrating fruit is a great way to save on fresh produce by buying it in season when it’s cheap so you can use it in winter when prices are up. Some people make a slurry for homemade fruit leather. I’ve never tried this as my family just isn’t into it, but go ahead and try for yourself and let us know how it worked out for you.
Dehydrating vegetables is my favorite use of my Excalibur. I tend to dehydrate a variety of vegetables and mix them all together for use in soups and stews during the winter months. I’ve also used the dehydrator to dry carrots that are crooked and misshapen that are not easily scraped. These were a great treat for the chickens!
For the most part, I’ve been talking about and showing the Excalibur dehydrators because that’s what I use and have the most experience with. There are other less expensive models out there such as the Salton or you might get lucky and find an old Ronco model at a garage sale!
The are really two issues when considering a dehydrator for long term storage.
1 – Storage time. If you are looking for something that will create foods that are shelf stable for years or decades, there are better options.
2 – Power use. You can’t really expect to use a dehydrator in a grid down scenario. They use too much power for anything but the largest solar system. Forget about them unless you have your own micro-hydro power supply.