nice

I have 5 lb of onions going now, with 5 lb more waiting to go in.
Also, 10 lbs of potatoes and watching for deals on all sorts of stuff.
The garden is long done for the year, but lots of produce coming on sale so we buy what we like when it's on sale and dehydrate it.
I made a mistake last year and froze everything I got my hands on. Then, I was left with no freezer room about half way into the season.
This year I have canned more and now that I have my Excalibur, I will be dehydrating as much as I am able to.
Freezing is now my least preferred method.

Dehydrating is an excellent option. I have done a fair amount and love the fact that it takes up little room, and if stored properly, can last a very long time. Also, once reconstituted, I find the taste to be better than canned. I have done a variety of vegetables and make my own tomato powder (great for soups, pasta and rice dishes). This week I tried dehydrating fresh eggs and it appears to be working out well. Of course only time will tell.

There are certain foods I love dehydrated - anything green for instance. My favs are kale and beet greens. Once dehydrated and whizzed in the food processor I can add greens to everything and no one is the wiser!

I must agree that the freezer is no place for anything that can be canned or dehydrated...

You've discovered a new prepper sub genre. Dehydrator porn. 😆

You've discovered a new prepper sub genre. Dehydrator porn. 😆

My cat foolishly snuggled up with me thinking it was safe and warn on a chilly morning - and just got sprayed by coffee! She was not quite as amused by "dehydrator porn" as I was.

I love my Excalibur, too. I can some, but I find the dehydrator awesome not only for the space savings but the lack of clean-up and effort required. There's the "load it and leave it" aspect that means it's working whether I'm there or not. The pressure canner takes so long to build up to pressure and then reduce, if I'm not filling it, it's not worth it a lot of times. The water bath is kind of a "you must be there" tool with the exception of 10-30 minutes that it's boiling. The dehydrator doesn't care how many trays I load or what I'm doing for the next 6-16 hours. It'll just mind its business and do its thing. That's my kind of kitchen tool. 🙂

It's pretty forgiving in a way canning isn't always, whether it's water bath or pressure canning. If stuff isn't quite done, even after an hour or two or the next day, flip it back on. There's no pouring out, rewashing, recooking and reprocessing the way water bath jellies sometimes require (I use low or no sugar recipes and am bad at all three main tests). Plus, I buy a lot of bulk bags of frozen fruit that isn't grown locally or that is expensive and time consuming to process raw, plop it on trays, and walk away again.

Right up there with the dehydrator as my favorite tool ever is the mandolin and whatever bright, shining star created that little beauty is totally my second-favorite person. (The knife-board mandolin, not the instrument.)

Right up there with the dehydrator as my favorite tool ever is the mandolin and whatever bright, shining star created that little beauty is totally my second-favorite person. (The knife-board mandolin, not the instrument.)

awww...and I thought I had a fellow mandolin player on board 🙂 I like both kinds!

So please educate an impressed guy...

Do you can/seal the dehydrated produce afterward? Otherwise, how long does it last once dehydrated? I swear, my wife will think I've gone over the edge if I ever place a dehydrator on the counter, so I better be prepared to make a compelling argument...

I put the finished product in a mason jar and vacuum seal it with my foodsaver and store in a cool, dark place. I have also used these in pre-made meals and sealed them in mylar bags with an oxygen absorber. I am not sure how long it will last because only started doing this about a year ago, so I have no actual product over a year. I can tell you that even after a year (if stored properly) it is still very good. You might have to soak it longer, but it still quite edible. I have read on various sites, that they can last well beyond the 2 year mark. Although I am not sure on the nutritional value after longer periods of storage. The sites' food storage expert is in a better position than I to respond.

Can you dehydrate macaroni / pasta in the excalibur dehyrator with good results ?
Or does macaroni not do well this way ?

( I have a attachment to make macaroni for my kitchenaid . )

KWN came through again and handed me a nifty site, which I then poked through.
This one has a ton of dehydrating "recipes": http://hickeryhollerfarm.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/dehydrated-sliced-potatoes.html#uds-search-results

I don't do everything the way she does, and she's far heavier with the acid than I am, but it and "Prep2Store" on YouTube are great places to start for dehydrating basics and oddball stuff.

This one's got a lot of recipe-recipes for how to mix and use dehydrated stuff: http://www.backpackingchef.com/dehydrated-food-recipes.html
A lot of theirs you have to watch for fat and oil contents.
Whereas plain taters or carrots or apples or berries that are done to dry-leather or plastic-type will last for years with no discernible difference between the ones that only waited 3-6 months, anything that has a bunch of oils is going to tap out at 3-6 months tops, usually, and in super hot places, sometimes sooner.

Will somebody try the asparagus from the top link for me? And tell me how it compares when it's re-hydrated?
I is skeered, but Boy Toy loves asparagus and I'm unwilling to touch, smell or watch anyone consume canned asparagus. He'd be super-duper grateful if he knew.

Cheers!
-P

I read an article in a magazine a year or so ago. The lady said she dries asparagus whenever she can find it. She says it re-hydrates very well. I have not tried it, though, as I am the only one in the family who likes it. I usually just get half a dozen spears when they first come out, and eat them raw. Love them that way.....One feed a season does me good, so there is no reason for me to dry it.