When the first batch of fruit was dried, they were eaten within 12 hours!!
The second batch was a vegetable one – sliced cucumber, carrot and pepper. The pepper dried fairly quickly, but has stained the tray. The cucumber looks and taste bizarre – more like a courgette than cucumber. Carrots look good.
Third batch was a fruit batch. Another lot of bananas, 2 apples (though this time coated with pineapple juice instead of lemon, one sliced into rings), and cherries (stone removal made easier after cherries steamed for a couple of minutes).
Below is a pic of the finished products in bags..
Currently drying mushrooms on their own – they are being dried on a lower temperature than that used for fruit and vegetables, but a too high a temperature for the herbs (the herb oils could be destroyed in higher temperatures).
The next batches
5 July 2007 at 4:20 pm (Drying food)
vegmonkey said,
5 July 2007 at 8:43 pm
What you are doing looks fantastic. I had no idea it was so easy to preserve things in this way…if we get too many courgettes though i may bear this in mind. Does it become expensive when the dehydrator is plugged in for a long period of time though?
Mia said,
5 July 2007 at 10:56 pm
I am not sure about the cost, but I did notice the plug had a 3amp fuse, and the manual says 450W. OH has ordered more trays, so that should help it become more economical…
Mushrooms look ok, and are now bagged. Starting more fruit off tonight.
OH said,
6 July 2007 at 9:16 am
At 7p per kWh, the unit costs about 3p per hour to run, a 10 hour run therefore costs about 30p at full power.
OH said,
9 July 2007 at 1:08 pm
Works out 10p per tray per 10hours. Having sent off for another 4 trays that should work out as 4p per tray per 10hours.
vegmonkey said,
11 July 2007 at 7:42 pm
Cool, thanks for that, that’s nothing really! Cheers