A few days back, I blogged HERE about our new dehydrator purchase. We couldn't wait to use it! We tried tomatoes for our first attempt. Here is how they looked when I sliced them and put them in. I think next time they should be sliced a bit thinner.
And here they are after about 12 hours at 125 degrees. It's amazing how much they change during their time in the dehydrator.
We did four trays of tomatoes (the machine comes with six, next time we'll max it out). We periodically rotated the trays so that they dried more evenly.
We put them in jars, just sort of layered them in, they even sort of stacked up nicely and in an orderly fashion.
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| Dehydrated tomatoes in jar |
They filled 3 jars nicely and then I vacuum sealed the jars with the Foodsaver.
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| Dehydrated tomatoes |
They are so pretty aren't they?
I think for our first attempt, it went very well.
Then Sunday, we used some of them in pasta. 2nd Man crumbled them up (they are crispy dry) and put them in a white sauce with some pasta to cook and they rehydrated. Oh my, they are super concentrated and had a wonderful deep and rich tomato flavor.
This machine might just become our favorite new purchase. For those interested, the brand we purchased was from Amazon it's the Presto 06301 Dehydro Digital Electric Food Dehydrator and we are very pleased. There are other versions, less expensive, without digital timers and temperature controllers but that really makes it so much easier to use. We can't wait to use it for our own fresh vegetables from the garden later this year, fingers crossed.
I think for our first attempt, it went very well.
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| Dehydrated tomato pasta |
This machine might just become our favorite new purchase. For those interested, the brand we purchased was from Amazon it's the Presto 06301 Dehydro Digital Electric Food Dehydrator and we are very pleased. There are other versions, less expensive, without digital timers and temperature controllers but that really makes it so much easier to use. We can't wait to use it for our own fresh vegetables from the garden later this year, fingers crossed.
hahaha...you have dehydration fever! isn't it fun?
ReplyDeleteI've got the fever!!! yes, definitely fun.
DeleteThanks for sharing. I have always wanted one and now I must have one. I have never canned anything and have limited freezer space. This may just be the trick for me. That pasta looks delicious!!
ReplyDeleteHa, it's fun. And oh yes, the pasta was so yummy. It's amazing how the tomatoes took on such a rich concentrated flavor.
DeleteThat pasta looks so delicious. I'll take an order to go!
ReplyDeleteHa, thank you much, it was very delicious. I say was because it's all gone, ha. I'll keep you posted next time, lol.
DeleteSo much easier than canning! It wouldn't work for me off grid but I can dream... :)
ReplyDeleteProbably easier (I hope to can this summer though) but it's a different kind of preserving for sure. Off grid is so awesome. I think this sacrifice would be a worthwhile tradeoff to be off grid, ha.
DeleteLast summer I found a blog, Hickery Holler Farm, where the woman cans, freezes and dehydrates tons of stuff. You'll see if you find the picture of her pantry. Anyway, she recommends "oxygen absorbers" for the jars with your finished dried products. Somewhere in her posts she tells you where to find them for the best price.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to your future posts about what you will be dehydrating. I think I want to buy one too so I'm experimenting vicariously through you! It's too early for anything edible here in northern VA yet. We just got whomped with eight inches of snow yesterday. My daffodils are not happy.
I will check that out, thank you!! I'm going to try all sorts of things for dehydrating. That's why I post, I figure if I am learning something, maybe I can share that with others. Thank you for the tip! And stay warm! This is a crazy Winter for sure!
Delete1st Man,
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Katie C's post above. Oxygen absorbers will extend the life of all you dehydrate. Place the absorbers in your jar based on the size of the container. You can find oxygen absorbers relatively inexpensive. I used both the oxygen absorber and my food saver machine with the jar attachment when storing dehydrated items.
I will look for them. They are bound to sell them somewhere in Houston. I mean I know I can order them but it would be nice to find some in a store somewhere. Used the jar attachment but the oxygen absorbers Katie C and you suggest are a great idea. Thanks!!
DeleteWe had an overabundance of home grown potatoes last summer, so we sliced them very thin and dehydrated them, peels and all. They came out great. Go for it.
ReplyDeleteHmm, that sounds interesting. Were they like potato chips? Or different? How will you use them? I might add that to the experimenting list, ha.
DeleteWell done, they look great. Yesterday, a lady offered me a piece of her drying larder and it was something I would never have thought to dry. She had sliced, very thinly, a mandarin, skin and all but seeds removed, and dried it in her machine for 10 hours. They were amazing.
ReplyDeleteWhat? That sounds wonderful!!! No sweetener on it? Just the mandarin? Yum!!! Thanks for the tip....
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