Food Dehydrator Recipes

A food dehydrator is a very handy item if you want to preserve food like tomatoes, gourds and other vegetables. This is a great appliance if you have a stock of vegetables that you need to preserve which might otherwise get spoiled if you keep it in the refrigerator.

A food dehydrator gently blows air into the food that is very thinly sliced and placed in a single layer. Some items like courgettes and carrots that have a lower water content will dry more quickly than items such as tomatoes and cucumbers which have higher water content. A food dehydrator is essential for your home if you want to use fresh produce from your garden.

Beef Jerky
Ingredients

• 250 g beef Tenderloin, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• tablespoon freshly ground pepper
• tablespoon salt

Method

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, brown sugar, black pepper and salt and mix well. Meanwhile place the sliced beef on a platter in a single layer and spread the marinade on it. Cover the platter with a cling film and refrigerate for 8 to 10 hours.

Now place the pork slices on the dehydrator racks in a single layer, without overlapping. Dry at 240 C to 270 C for 3 to 4 hours. After 4 hours lower the temperature of the food dehydrator to 175 C. Check the beef jerky to see that there are no moist spots on it. Your beef jerky food dehydrator recipe is ready. Cool the beef jerky and store it in an air tight container for up to a fortnight.

Chili Peanuts
Ingredients

• 1 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
• 1 tablespoons chili powder
• tablespoon oregano
• cup hot pepper sauce
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• cup water

Method

In a large bowl combine water, hot pepper sauce, oregano, chili powder and cumin powder and mix them well till you have a mixture of pourable consistency. Place the unsalted roasted peanuts in a baking dish and pour the prepared mixture over them. Allow the nuts to stay in this mixture overnight. Drain the liquid from the peanuts and place them in the dehydrator to dry for 3 to 4 hours until the nuts are crunchy. Store the nuts in an air tight container.

Dehydrated Tomatoes
Ingredients

• 4 large plum tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• A pinch of rock salt

Method

Wash the tomatoes in running water and remove the stems. Dip the tomatoes in a bowl of hot water for 2 minutes and then place them immediately in a bowl of ice-cold water. Remove the skins of the tomatoes and cut them into thick slices. Place them in a single layer in the food dehydrator and dry them at 145 C until the tomato slices turn crisp and leathery.

Fruit Leather
Ingredients

• 1 cup strawberry
• 1 apple
• Juice of 1 lemon

Method

In a food processor, blend together the strawberries and apples with 2 tablespoons of water to get a smooth puree. Spread the puree on a dehydrator sheets into inch thick layer and place it on to dehydrator tray. Dry them in the dehydrator for 6 to 7 hours. When the fruit rolls are leathery and pliable remove them from the dehydrator paper and let them air dry. Store them in glass jars or air tight containers.

So these were some food dehydrator dishes. You can preserve a number of fruits and vegetables in this way and use them later when they are out of season.