Nesco DEHYDRATOR COOKBOOK

Executive Editor David Dornbush
Editor Scott Reinhard
Dehydration Expert Deanna DeLong
Creative Director Mike Esson
Creative Printing
We hope that you will find this book a helpful guide in learning to use your new American Harvest
®
Dehydrator. It was prepared with you, our
valued customer, in mind.
10% Post
Table of Contents
General Drying Guidelines............ 3
Fruits............................................11
Vegetables.....................................19
Jerky.............................................25
Herbs ...........................................29
Crafts & Drying Flowers..............35
Breakfast Recipes.........................45
Desserts, Cookies & Candies.......47
Condiments, Dressings,
Stuffing & Sauces ....................53
Salads...........................................57
Soups............................................58
Snacks ..........................................59
Index ...........................................61
2
If you have any questions about drying times or service, please give us a call. We ar e here to serve you.
1-800-288-4545
T
T
hank you for choosing an American Harvest
dehydrator. Here at our international headquar­ters in Chaska, Minnesota, we’ve been developing and producing our dehydrators for over twenty years. We bring you the best in patented drying technology and let you enjoy fast, easy drying in the convenience of your own kitchen.
Have fun!
David Dornbush
Chad Erickson
Selecting food to dry
Select the best quality produce at the peak of ripeness and flavor. Wash carefully to remove debris, dust, and insects. Cut away any bruised or damaged sections.
Loading Trays
Lay food pieces evenly on trays. Don’t overlap food pieces as this will inhibit drying. As each tray is loaded, place it on the dehydrator to begin drying.
General Drying Guidelines
There are no absolutes and quite a few variables in food dehy­dration. The only way to become proficient is to dry, dry, and dry some more! Certain varieties of produce, the humidity in the air, and even methods of food handling make a difference in the drying time and quali­ty of dried product.
• Experiment with different drying temperatures, thicknesses of produce, pre-treatment versus no pre-treat­ment and different rehydration meth­ods. You will determine what works best for your particular needs and preferences.
• To save nutrients and produce a quality product, it is necessary to work fast preparing foods to dry. When placed in your dehydrator, they need to dry continuously at the
recommended temper-
atures and times. Do
not turn off your dehydrator and leave partially dried foods
sitting on the trays.
The food may spoil or
develop off flavors.
• Spread all foods evenly to dry
in single layers. If slices overlap, the areas that are overlapping will take twice as long to dry.
• Do not add fresh produce to a par-
tially dried batch. It will slow the rate of drying for both products. It is possible however, to combine partially dried foods on to fewer trays.
• Many people have more than one
American Harvest
®
dehydrator. If you have two, it’s easy to combine a load from both dehydrators after a few hours and start a new batch in your second dehydrator using the remaining trays.
3
Drying Time
Because of the unique design of the patented Converga-Flow
®
system of
your American Harvest
®
dehydrator, you’ll be surprised at how quickly most foods dry.
Drying times may vary, depending on the type and amount of food, thick­ness and evenness of the slices, per­centage of water in the food, humidi­ty, temperature of air, altitude and the model of American Harvest
®
dehydra­tor you are using. Drying times may also vary greatly from one area of the country to another and from day to day, depending on the climactic conditions. Keep records to help
you predict future drying times for specific foods.
Drying Temperature
Foods dried in the American Harvest GardenMaster
®
dehydrator generally dry more quickly than in other models.
Fruits, fruit rolls, and vegetables should be dried at 130° to 140°F (55° to 60°C). By drying foods in this temperature range you will minimize the loss of heat-sensitive vitamins A and C.
Because, all foods sweat when they first begin to dry, the temperature may be set higher than 140°F (60°C) dur­ing the first couple of hours of drying. The actual temperature of the food will remain 15° to 20°F (6° to 8°C) lower than the air temperature for the first couple of hours.
Meats and fish should be dried on the highest temperature setting of your dehydrator. Since meats and fish do not contain vitamins A or C, these higher temperatures do not affect nutritional value. These temperatures also keep bacteria and other spoilage micro-organisms, common to meats and fish, to a minimum during the first stages of drying when they tend to multiply.
Nuts and seeds are high in oil, and if higher temperatures are used, they will tend to become rancid, develop­ing off flavors. The best drying tem­perature for them is from 90°to 100°F (30° to 40°C).
Herbs and spices are most flavorful when they first open and should be harvested while very fresh, before they begin to blossom. Because the aromatic oils are very sensitive, tem­peratures should be 90° to 100°F (30° to 40°C) for drying. Herbs generally dry in an hour or two. Take care not to load trays too heavily as this will prolong the drying time.
Dried flowers, herbs and spices used for potpourri should be dried at tem­peratures ranging from 90° to 100°F (30° to 40°C.). These low tempera­tures maintain aroma and colors.
Use these guidelines for the founda­tion of your dehydrating techniques. Expand on them as you gain skill and confidence with experience.
5
Testing for Dryness
Food must be carefully monitored near the end of the dehydration process to prevent overdrying. Overdried foods lose quality in texture, nutrition and taste. To test for dryness, remove a piece of food, allow it to cool, and feel with your fingers to determine dryness:
Fruits should be pliable and
leathery with no pockets of mois­ture. To check if fruit is dry, tear a piece in half and watch for mois­ture beads along the tear. If there aren’t any, it is sufficiently dry for long term storage.
Fruit rolls should be leathery
with no sticky spots.
Jerky should be tough but
not brittle.
Dried fish should be tough. If the
fish is high in fat, it may appear moist due to the high oil content.
Vegetables should be tough
or crisp.
Packaging
Some pieces may dry in a shorter time than others and should be removed and placed in an airtight container while allowing the rest of the pieces to remain in the dehydrator until sufficiently dry.
Package all dried foods promptly to prevent contamination by insects and to prevent stickiness and rehydration caused by humidity. Store dried foods in airtight, moisture proof containers.
Home vacuum packaging devices are ideal for packaging dried foods. They extend the shelf life of dried foods
3 to 4 times. Home vacuum packaging can be done in bags or glass jars. Manufacturers’ bags, designed for use in home vacuum-packaging, are moisture proof and airtight. Glass jars are vacuum sealed using a lid with a rubber gasket. Only glass jars which have been tempered for canning should be used. Other storage jars may explode under the pressure of vacuum packaging. Be sure to follow the manufacturers’ instructions.
Bag sealers can also be used to pack­age dehydrated foods. Bag sealers do not remove air within the package, but the bags are moisture-proof and airtight. Squeeze the pouch tightly against the food to remove as much air as possible before sealing.
Plastic freezer bags can be used. Plastic storage bags not labeled for use in the freezer generally are not airtight nor moisture-proof and should not be used to store dried foods.
Since most packaging materials are transparent, store packaged dried foods in a plastic or metal container which will not allow the light to penetrate. Do not store fruits and vegetables together in the same stor­age container because flavor and moisture may transfer.
Fruit rolls are best if removed while still warm. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in airtight moisture-proof containers for storage.
Onions and tomatoes are especially prone to absorb moisture from the air and should be packaged immediately after removing from the dehydrator.
6
If foods are insufficiently dried, or are exposed to moisture from faulty packaging, they can lose quality and nutrition, and can even mold during storage.
Labeling
All dehydrated foods should be labeled with the name of the product, date dried, and quantity or weight. Clear labeling allows you to rotate foods so that you minimize waste and nutrient loss.
Storage
The storage area should be cool, dry, and as dark as possible. The darker and cooler the storage area, the longer the dried foods will last with good quality and nutritive value. For every 18°F (10°C) drop in storage tempera­ture, the shelf life of dehydrated foods increases 3 to 4 times.
The ideal storage temperature for dehydrated food is 60°F (15°C) to below freezing. The ideal storage place is your freezer or refrigerator, particularly for storing low acid foods such as meats, fish, and vegetables.
All fruits dried with skins intact should be packaged and frozen for a minimum of 48 hours to prevent any possibility of insect infestation.
Record Keeping
Recording the following information can be helpful in improving your dehydrating techniques and determining quantities of food to dry each season.
•Date dried
•Quantity dried, including weight of produce before and after drying
•Drying time, temperature, and humidity
•Packaging: size of containers and packaging materials used
•Storage temperature
•Length of storage time before use
By labeling storage containers with the contents and date dried, you can keep track of your supply, rotate as needed and avoid mix-ups.
7
Rehydrating Dried Food
Eat dehydrated foods dry or rehydrate for use in recipes. Rehydrate by placing dried foods in a container (with enough water to cover food) and soaking for 30 minutes to 2 hours Boiling water rehydrates foods more quickly than cold water or water at room temperature.
Fruits or vegetables may also be rehydrated in liquids other than water, including fruit juices, cider, vegetable juices, milk, consommé, etc. Refrigerate these foods while they are soaking to reduce any risk of spoilage.
Do not add seasonings, especially salt or sugar during rehydration because they slow the rehydration process.
Cooking Dried Food
After rehydrating food, cook it as you would normally. If foods are cooked before they are fully rehydrated, they will cook in a shriveled state and will not be plump. Most fruits and vegetables will rehydrate to about 80% of their fresh state. Consequently they are a little more chewy than a fresh or frozen fruit or vegetable, even when rehydrated.
Dried food used in cooking will absorb additional liquid, so adjust the recipe accordingly by adding more water:
• Vegetables –add 1 additional cup
of water for one cup dried food.
• Stewed fruits – add 2 additional
cups of water for each cup of fruit, allow to stand for 1 hour, and simmer until tender.
• Pies or fillings – use 1 additional
cup of water per 1 cup of fruit – less, if you desire a thicker consistency.
Note: When using fruits in baking or for ice cream, they may be softened by covering with boiling water and allowing them to stand for 5 minutes. Drain, then chop or blend, depending upon use.
9
F
F
ruits are ideal to dry because they have a
naturally high sugar content. They are high in acid (and consequently less prone to spoilage and microorganisms), and taste delicious! Seasonally, fruit can be obtained in bulk from orchards or farms for consid­erably lower prices than what you may find in the supermarket.
Selection
Fruits picked at their prime have the highest natural sugar content and the best nutritional value. For the best quality product, choose only fresh, ripe, unblemished fruits.
Preparation
Wash fruit thoroughly and remove any imperfections. Remove skins (if desired), stems, and stones. Halve or slice in
1
⁄4" to 1⁄2" circles or slices (a food processor or slicer will speed the slicing and ensure more uniform slices, which will allow fruits to dry at the same rate.) Some fruits have a natural protective wax coating such as figs, prunes, grapes, blueberries, cranberries, etc. If you want to dry these fruits whole, dip into boil­ing water for 1 to 2 minutes (the amount of time needed depends on the thickness and toughness of the skin) to speed dehydration. This makes the skin
more porous by removing the natural wax coating and thereby speeds up the dry­ing time. This process is called checking. Small lines
appear on the fruit skin allowing moisture to escape but may be too fine to be visible. Many fruits can be dried in halves with the pits removed. If they are dried with the skins on, be sure to place them skin-side down to prevent fruit juice and pulp from dripping down through the trays. Check frequently near the end of the drying process and remove pieces as they become dry. To peel or not to peel is a decision only you can make (if the fruit has been artificial­ly waxed, it should definitely be peeled to remove the wax). The skin has nutri­tional value, but skins tend to be very tough when dried and fruits take longer to dry with the skin on. Try fruits both ways – peeled and not peeled – then decide for yourself.
Pre-treat if desired and place the fruit into the preheated dehydrator to dry at 135°F(57°C).
Should I Pre-Tr eat?
Pre-treatment isn't necessary for most
D
RYING FRUITS
11
fruits. The majority of fruits are simply sliced and dried. However, some fruits tend to oxidize more than others. Oxidation causes browning of cut food surfaces when fruit is dried, This causes a loss in flavor and vitamins A and C.
Pre-treatment minimizes oxidation, and gives you a superior-quality, better tasting product with less vitamin loss.
Apples, pears, peaches and apricots are better when pre-treated. They are more appetizing, have a longer shelf life, and higher nutritional value when pre-treated prior to drying. Place cut fruits that tend to brown in a holding solution of ascorbic acid to reduce browning during preparation. Do not keep cut fruit in a holding solution for more than an hour.
Pre-Treatment
Pre-treatments can vary from soaking in fruit juice, ascorbic acid mixtures, syrup blanching, steaming, to sulfating. The results of each of these methods also vary. Experiment and decide for yourself which one you like best.
Use one of the following methods of pretreatment.
Natural Pre-Tr eatment
Fruit juices containing ascorbic acid may be used as a natural pre-treatment
to reduce browning. Although there will still be some loss of color, pineap­ple, orange, lemon, or lime juice can be used. Ascorbic acid mixtures, available from your supermarket can also be used. Follow the directions on the package.
Slice fruit directly into juice or ascorbic acid mixture. Soak 5 minutes and place on trays. Fruits can also be dipped in honey or a honey/fruit juice mixture.
Syrup Blanching
Fruit which has been syrup blanched is sweeter because it absorbs some of the sugar from the blanching solution. It also tends to be stickier, even though it is rinsed prior to drying.
Prepare a sugar syrup by mixing 1 cup sugar, 1 cup white corn syrup, and 2 cups water. Boil and add prepared fruit. Simmer for 10 minutes over low heat. Remove and allow to stand in the hot syrup 30 to 45 minutes. Drain the fruit, rinse lightly with cold water, and place on drying trays.
Sulfating
Soaking fruits in a solution of sodium bisulfite slows oxidation and reduces browning, as well as the loss of vitamins A and C. Sodium bisulfite may be obtained from wine-making supply houses. Sulfating isn’t recommended
for use if individuals are on restricted sodium diets or have asthmatic or respiratory conditions. Dissolve 1
tablespoon sodium bisulfite in 1 gallon water. Soak 5 to 10 minutes. Rinse.
Garnishes
After fruits have been prepared for drying, garnish with spices, gelatin
12
powders or coconut to give fruits a snappy flavor. Granola, chopped nuts, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, or sun­flower seeds can also be sprinkled on fruits. These adhere best to fresh fruits if the fruits have first been dipped in a fruit juice or honey. Use your imagina­tion for other dips or sprinkles.
Conditioning
Moisture will tend to equalize throughout a container of dried fruit when left at room temperature for several days. If some pieces are drier than others, the conditioning process will allow the moisture to equalize. If any condensation appears on the lid of the container, fruits are insufficiently dried. Return to the dryer and check periodically for dryness.
Hints and Suggestions
• Place a cup of dried apple slices in the blender with a cup of water for
instant applesauce.
• Strawberries are perfect for malts, shakes and sundaes.
• Cantaloupe and watermelon slices become candy-like when dried.
• Dehydrate lemon and orange slices and powder for use in recipes calling for grated rind.
• Dehydrate grapes to make raisins that taste better and plump up in recipes better than store bought raisins.
• Dry banana slices until crisp, then powder in blender and use for flavoring in recipes.
• Slice bananas
1
⁄4" thick and dip into a
glaze of
1
⁄4cup of honey mixed with 1⁄
4
cup water. Drain. Place on trays and dry. For variety add 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon to the glaze before dipping bananas.
13
Drying Fr uit Rolls
Fruit rolls, also known as fruit leathers, are a favorite snack for young and old alike. It is a chewy fruit product made from puréed fresh fruit which has been dried and rolled into snack sized pieces. Fruit rolls are easy to make and cost less than those bought at the store.
Selection
Almost any fruit will make an excellent fruit roll. Most fruits can also be com­bined with others.
Some fruits, such as apples, are high in pectin and fiber and have an excellent texture when dried. The combinations are limitless. Use your imagination and have fun!
Use fresh fruits in season. You can also use slightly overripe fruits, irregularly shaped fruits, or slightly bruised fruits which would be unsuitable for canning or drying.
Some fruits, such as citrus, should be used in combination with other fruits because they have so much liquid and very little pulp. If you find that a fruit is too runny, combine it with apple, apple­sauce or a similar fruit which will give it more substance.
When fresh fruits are not available, canned fruits (either sweetened or un-sweetened) can be used. Simply drain the liquid, and pour the fruit into the blender. Applesauce can be taken directly from the container for wonderful fruit rolls. Frozen fruits can also be used, although they tend to be a bit more runny. Simply thaw and follow directions for using fresh fruits.
Preparation
Wash fruits and cut away any bruised or spoiled portions. Purée fruit in a blender until it is very smooth. In some blenders with some fruits, you may want to add a little juice or water to start the blending process.
Fruits generally need no added sweetening, but if fruits are under ripe or particularly tart, you may add light corn syrup or honey. Add 1 or more tablespoons sweetening for each quart of purée, depending on your preference (sugar added to fruit leather tends to become brittle during storage).
Garnishes
For added variety, sprinkle different gar­nishes on fruit rolls before they are dried. Try coconut, chopped dates, nuts, raisins, granola, poppy seeds, sesame seeds or sunflower seeds. When these garnishes are used, fruit rolls should always be stored in the refrigerator or freezer.
Drying
Place a Fruit Roll sheet on dehydrator tray and spray lightly with a vegetable spray to prevent sticking. Purée should be about
1
⁄4to 3⁄8"thick and evenly spread and dry at 130°- 140°F ( 55°- 60 °C) until fruit feels leather-like and is pliable, approximately 4 to 8 hours. There should be no sticky spots on top or underneath the fruit. Remove the leather while it is still warm, roll, cut into smaller sized pieces (if desired) and wrap in plastic wrap.
Storage
Individually wrapped pieces of fruit leather should be stored in larger airtight and moisture proof containers. See Packaging, page 6.
14
Fruit Roll Recipes
Strawberry Rhubarb Leather
1 cup rhubarb
1
⁄4cup water
2 cups strawberries
1
⁄2 cup honey
Combine 1⁄
4
cup water and 1 cup rhubarb. Simmer on stove over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Add 2 cups strawberries and
1
⁄2cup honey. Purée to smooth consistency in blender. Pour on a Fruit Roll sheet and dry.
Boysenberry Leather
1 quart of boysenberries. Purée boysenberries in a blender. Strain through cheesecloth to remove seeds. Place on Fruit Roll sheet and dry.
Yogurt Leather
Spread home made or store bought yogurt on a lightly sprayed Fruit Roll sheet (approximately
1
⁄4" thick.) Dry at 130° F (55° C) for approximately 12 to 14 hours. Experiment until you find the brand which dries most evenly.
Applesauce Leather
2 lbs. apples, peeled, cored and quartered
1
⁄4cup lemon juice
1
⁄2cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Simmer apples in a saucepan with 1⁄2cup water until softened (about 15-20 min­utes). Place lemon juice in blender and gradually add the apples. Purée. Add sugar and cinnamon. Mix well, pour on a Fruit Roll sheet and dry. If you are going to rehydrate into applesauce, measure purée when putting it on tray.
To rehydrate, add 1 cup of water to each cup of leather.
15
Average
Food Preparation Drying Time Uses
Apples Pare, core, cut in 3/8" 4-10 hrs. Applesauce, pies, cobblers
rings. Pre- treat snacks, breads and cookies
Apricots Cut in half, remove pit 8-16 hrs. Desserts, muesli, meat dishes
and cut in quarters. pies and sauces Pre-treat
Bananas Peel, cut in 3/8" slices 6-12 hrs. Snacks, baby food, granola,
or divide lengthwise cookies, and banana bread
Blueberries Wash and remove stems 10-18 hrs. Breads, baked goods, snacks
ice cream, yogurt and muesli
Canned Dip in boiling water 6-12 hrs. snacks, breads,granola Fruit Drain well. If small, place
on mesh screen.
Cherries Wash, remove stems and pit 18-26 hrs. Breads, baked goods
and snacks
Citrus Peel, if desired. 6-12 hrs. Flavorings when powdered Fruits Slice 3/8" thick
Cranberries Wash and remove stems 10-18 hrs. Breads, baked goods, snacks
ice cream, yogurt and muesli
Coconut Remove dark outer skin, 3-8 hrs. Cakes, cookies,
slice 3/8" thick. Dry at 110°F desserts and granola
Figs Remove stems and halve 8-15 hrs Fillings, cakes, puddings,
breads and cookies
Expect a variance in the time needed to dry different fruits. Drying times are affected by the size of the load, fruit thickness, the moisture content of the food itself, as well as other variables discussed in Drying Time, p.5. If pre-treatment is suggested, use one of the pre-treatments indicated on p. 12. The guidelines below are general. For the most accurate drying times, keep records of your own specif­ic experiences in the space provided under each general time guideline in the table below.
1. Spread fruits in single layers unless otherwise noted.
2. Usual drying temperature is 135°F (57°C)
Fruit Dr ying Guidelines
16
Average
Food Preparation Drying Time Uses
Grapes Leave whole, remove stems 10-36 hrs. Raisins; use in baked
goods, cereals and snacks
If blanched 6-10 hours
Kiwi Peel, slice 3/8" to 1/2" thick 5-12 hrs. Snacks
Mangos Remove skin, slice 3/8" 6-16 hrs. Snacks, cereals and
thick from seed baked goods
Melons Remove skin and seeds. 8-20 hrs. Snacks
Slice 1/2" thick
Nectarines Quarter or slice 3/8" to 6-16 hrs. Snacks, desserts and
1/2" thick. Pre -treat baked goods
Oranges, Slice 1/4" thick 2-12 hrs. Crafts, snacks, baking limes, lemons
Peaches Peel if desired. 6-16 hrs. Snacks, breads, cobblers,
Halve or quarter cookies and granola
Pears Peel, core, and slice 6-16 hrs. Snacks, breads, cookies,
3/8" thick. Pre-treat fritters and granola
Pineapple Peel, core, slice 3/8" to 6-12 hrs. Snacks, baked goods,
1/2" thick baked granola
Plums/Prunes Halve or quarter 8-16 hrs. Snacks, cookies, muffins,
and remove pit bread and granola
Rhubarb Slice in 1" lengths. Steam 6-14 hrs. Pies, tarts and other desserts
until slightly tender
Strawberries Halve or slice 1/2" thick 6-12 hrs. Snacks, cereals, and
baked goods
Fruit Dr ying Guidelines
17
S
S
ome vegetables are quite good dried.
Others lose their appeal and are better frozen or fresh. Some vegetables are far better frozen than dried, if you must preserve them. Vegetables have a low acid and sugar content that makes them more subject to spoilage, and tend to have a far shorter shelf life than dried fruits. Packaging and ideal storage conditions are key elements to producing dried vegetables which will taste as good in December as they did in the summer from your garden!
Selection
Choose fresh, crisp vegetables for a high quality dehydrated product. Just like fruits, vegetables should be picked ripe and dried as soon as possible to minimize nutritional loss.
Preparation
Wash vegetables thoroughly and remove any blemishes. Peel, trim, core, and/or slice vegetables.
Blanching
Most vegetables must be blanched, either by steaming over boiling water or in the microwave to slow the enzyme action which will continue during drying and storage. Water blanching is not recom­mended because of the loss of water soluble vitamins and minerals.
Note: Blanching softens the cell structure, allowing the moisture to escape more eas­ily and also allows vegeta­bles to rehydrate faster.
There is no need to blanch onions, garlic, peppers, and mush­rooms. Herbs also are not blanched.
Steam Blanching
Use a commercial steamer or a pan with a tight fitting lid and a steaming rack. Bring about 1 inch of water to a brisk boil and drop in sliced vegetables. Cover. Steam until vegetables are heated com­pletely through, but not cooked. This is usually about
1
⁄3of the time required to cook the vegetable. Vegetables should still be crunchy. Drain in steamer rack and place immediately on dryer trays.
Microwave Blanching
A microwave is ideal for blanching vegetables. Prepare them in the same manner as for steam blanching. Place them in a microwave-safe dish, cover, and cook on high for about
1
2
of the time required to completely cook the fresh vegetable. Depending on the age and design of your microwave, you may want to stop the cooking half way through and stir the vegetables to achieve a more even blanching.
DRYING
VEGGIES
19
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