Nesco Dehydrator, Jerky Maker user Manual

1-800-288-4545 www.nesco.com

Food Dehydrator & Jerky Maker

Recipe & Use Book

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Blower Assembly

Lid

Trays

Base Tray

Rotate counter clockwise into top cover to lock

Expands to Maximum 7 trays

The Metal Ware Corporation 1700 Monroe Street P.O. Box 237 Two Rivers, WI 54241-0237

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IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDS

—This product is designed for household use—

When using electrical appliances, basic safety precautions should always be followed, including the following:

1. Read all instructions.

2. Do not touch hot surfaces.

3. To protect against electrical hazards, do not immerse blower or any part of the dehydrator cord or plug, in water or other liquid.

4. Close supervision is necessary when any appliance is used by or near children.

5. Unplug from outlet when not in use and before cleaning. Allow the unit to cool before putting on and taking off parts.

6. Do not operate any appliance with a damaged cord or plug, or after the appliance malfunctions, or has been damaged in any manner.

7. The use of accessory attachments, not recommended by the appliance manufacturer, may cause hazards.

8. Sharp utensils should not be used inside the dehydrator.

9. Do not let cord hang over edge of table or counter, or touch hot surfaces.

10. Do not use outdoors.

11. Do not place on, or near a hot gas or electrical burner, or in heated oven.

12. Do not use this appliance for other than its intended use.

—

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS

—

NOTE: This appliance has a polarized plug (one blade is wider than the other). As a safety feature, this plug will fit in a polarized outlet only one way. If the plug does not fit fully in the outlet, reverse the plug. If it still does not fit, contact a qualified electrician. Do not attempt to defeat this safety feature.

Short Cord Instructions — a short power supply cord is provided to reduce

the risk resulting from becoming entangled in or tripping over a longer cord. Extension cords may be used if care is exercised in their use. If an extension cord is used, the marked electrical rating of the cord should be at least as great as the electrical rating of the appliance. The longer cord should be arranged so that it will not drape over the table top where it can be pulled on by children or tripped over unintentionally.

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Dehydrator Use and Care

Before using your dehydrator for the first time, wash the trays and top lid in warm soapy water or in the dishwasher on the top rack. Caution: Do not put the blower in water or in the dishwasher. Wipe the blower with a damp cloth.

• Set the base tray on a sturdy countertop or table, away from sinks or any source of water.

• Stack additional trays on the base tray. Your dehydrator requires a minimum of 5 trays to operate properly, the base tray is included as one of your 5 trays. (You may expand your dehydrator to 7 total trays with the use of Add-A-Tray accessories)

• Place the top cover on the top tray, insert the blower into the trays and rotate to lock in place

• Plug the cord into an electrical outlet, switch power to ON and you’re ready to dehydrate!

Trays and Top Cover — Your dehydrator trays and top lid are easy to clean. Simply soak the trays in warm water with a mild detergent for several minutes. A soft bristle brush will loosen food particles that resist softening by soaking. Do not clean trays with any metal objects or scouring pads as they tend to damage the surface of the trays. Trays and top lid can be

washed on the top rack of your dishwasher.

Blower — It is important that the air vents on the blower remain clean and

unobstructed. UNPLUG BLOWER BEFORE CLEANING. Use a damp cloth or towel to remove dried food particles from blower. Do not use scouring pads, abrasive cleaners or sharp utensils. Avoid dripping any liquid into electrical parts. Do not operate blower alone, or use in any capacity other than the intended use. DO NOT OPERATE NEAR OR IMMERSE BLOWER IN WATER OR OTHER LIQUID..

Precautions

When drying meat and dairy products, blot frequently with a paper towel to absorb excess fat.

Follow these safety rules when dehydrating foods:

• Wash hands thoroughly prior to handling food.

• Clean all utensils and containers with a mild solution of detergent, bleach and water before using.

• Make sure all counter surfaces and cutting boards are thoroughly cleaned.

• Keep foods in the refrigerator before preparing for drying. Store dried foods in the refrigerator.

• After opening sealed containers of dried food, use food as soon as possible.

• Store unused portions of dried food, tightly sealed, in the refrigerator to maintain freshness and quality.

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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 thicknesses of produce, pretreatment versus no pretreatment 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. Once placed in the dehydrator, they need to dry continuously for the recommended time. Do not turn off the 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 partially dried batch. It will slow the rate of drying for both products. It is possible however, to combine partially dried foods onto 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.

Selecting Foods 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.

Service

Should you experience any problems other that routine cleaning, please call Customer Satisfaction at Nesco American Harvest, 1-800-288-4545

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Pretreating Fruits

Pretreating is not necessary for most fruits. However, some fruits tend to oxidize and turn brown more than others. Oxidation can also cause loss in flavor and vitamins A and C. To reduce oxidation, place fruit in a holding solution of ascorbic acid before drying. Pineapple, orange, lemon and lime juice can all be used as a natural pretreatment. Ascorbic acid mixtures, available from your supermarket, can also be used—follow the package directions.

Pretreating Vegetables

Some vegetables need to be blanched. Blanching softens the cell structure, allowing the moisture to escape more easily and also allows vegetables to rehydrate faster. You can blanch vegetables by steaming them until they are heated through, but not cooked. Vegetables should still be crunchy. Drain and place immediately on dryer trays. See preparation guidelines in the vegetable drying charts.

Drying Time

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 the air and the altitude. Drying times may also vary greatly from one area of the country to another and from day-to-day, depending on the climatic conditions. Record keeping helps you predict future drying times for specific foods.

Testing For Dryness

Food must be carefully monitored near the end of the dehydration process to prevent over drying. Over dried 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 roll-ups 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.

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Fruit Drying Chart

Expect a variance in the time needed to dry different fruits. Drying times are affected by the size of the load, fruit thickness and the moisture content of the food itself. The guidelines below are general. For more accurate drying times, keep records of your own drying experiences.

Average

Fruits Preparation Drying Time Uses

Apples Pare, core and cut in 5-9 hrs. Applesauce, pies, snacks,

" rings. Pretreat. dumplings and fritters.

Apricots Cut in half, remove pit 7-12 hrs. Desserts, muesli, meat

and turn inside out or dishes, pies and sauces. cut in quarters. Pretreat.

Bananas Peel, cut in 3/8" slices 7-12 hrs. Snacks, baby food, cookies,

or divide lengthwise. granola and banana bread.

Blueberries Wash and remove 7-12 hrs. Breads, baked goods,

stems. Freeze snacks, ice cream, to crack skins. yogurt and muesli.

Cherries Wash, remove 14-20 hrs. Breads, baked goods

stems and pit. and snacks.

Citrus Fruits Peel, if desired. 7-12 hrs. Flavorings when powdered.

Slice

" thick.

Grapes Leave whole and 18-24 hrs. Raisins; use in baked

remove stems. goods, cereals and snacks.

Kiwi Peel and slice 9-13 hrs. Snacks.

/8" to 1/2" thick.

Melons Remove skin and 7-12 hrs. Snacks.

seeds. Slice

/2" thick.

Nectarines Quarter or slice 3/8" 7-12 hrs. Snacks, desserts

/2" thick. Pretreat. and baked goods.

Peaches Peel if desired. 10-14 hrs. Snacks, breads, cobblers,

Halve or quarter. cookies and granola.

Pears Peel, core and slice 7-12 hrs. Snacks, breads, fritters,

/8" thick. Pretreat. cookies and granola.

Pineapple Peel, core and slice 9-15 hrs. Snacks and baked goods.

/8" to 1/2" thick.

Plums and Halve or quarter 9-15 hrs. Snacks, breads, muffins, Prunes and remove pit. cookies and granola.

Strawberries Wash and halve 7-11 hrs. Snacks, cereals, baked

or slice

/2" thick. goods, cookies and granola.

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Average

Vegetables Preparation Drying Time Uses

Beans Remove ends and cut 6-10 hrs. Soups, stews Green/ Wax into 1" pieces. Blanch. and casseroles.

Beets Steam until tender. 6-9 hrs. Soups and stews.

Cool and peel. Cut into

/2" pieces.

Broccoli Wash, cut as for 6-9 hrs. Soups, quiche, souffles,

serving and blanch. cream and cheese sauces.

Carrots Peel, cut ends, slice 3/8" 6-9 hrs. Salads, soups, stews

thick or shred. Blanch. and carrot cake.

Cauliflower Wash, cut as for 13-19 hrs. Soups and stews.

serving and blanch.

Celery Trim, wash and 5-8 hrs. Soups, stews, powder for

cut stalks in

/8" celery flakes or salt (add

slices. Blanch. equal parts celery and salt).

Corn Husk, remove silk and 7-11 hrs. Fritters, soups, stews

blanch. Remove from cob. or grind for corn meal.

Garlic Separate, peel cloves. 10-14 hrs. Powder for seasoning.

Onions Remove skins, 6-10 hrs. Soups, stews and sauces.

tops and root ends. Powder for seasoning salt. Slice

" thick. Package immediately.

Peas Shell, wash and blanch. 7-11 hrs. Soups, stews and

mixed vegetables.

Peppers Remove stem and seeds. 10-14 hrs. Soups, stews, pizza, meat

Cut into

2" pieces. dishes and seasoning.

Potatoes Use white potatoes. 5-8 hrs. Stews, soups and

Peel and slice casseroles, or rehydrate

8" thick. Blanch. for hash browns.

Rinse and dry.*

Tomatoes Wash, and slice into 3/8" 7-11 hrs. Soups and stews. Powder

circles or dip in boiling in blender and add water water to loosen skins, for paste or sauce. Dry in halve or quarter. roll-up form for pizza sauce.

Zucchini Wash, remove ends and 6-9 hrs. Breads, chips with dip,

slice

/8" thick or grate. soups and casseroles.

Vegetable Drying Chart

Vegetables will also vary in their drying times. Blanching decreases drying times, but not all vegetables are blanched. Again, the average drying times below are general and depend on different variables. For more accurate drying times, keep records of your own drying experiences.

* Blanch for 5 minutes or until translucent. If not steamed long enough,

they will turn black during drying and storage.

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Best Banana Bread

Chunks of dried bananas, nuts, and dates make this a delightful breakfast bread.

/4 cup margarine or butter 2 cups flour 1-

/2 cups sugar 1 teaspoon soda 2 eggs

/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla 1-

/2 cups mashed ripe banana

(4 to 6)

/2 cup chopped dried banana

/2 cup chopped pecans

/2 cup buttermilk

cup chopped dates

2 tablespoons cup raw sugar,

turbinado style

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously grease and flour 3 small (3" x 5") loaf pans or two medium (3-1/2" x 7-1/2") loaf pans. Cut waxed or parchment paper to fit bottoms and line pans.

In a large bowl, cream margarine or butter with sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Mash banana in separate bowl with a fork. Add to margarine/egg mixture.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, soda, and salt. Stir until well mixed. Add flour to creamed mixture alternately with 1/2 cup buttermilk, blending just until combined. Fold in dried banana chunks, pecans, and dates.

Pour into prepared pans. Sprinkle raw turbinado style sugar over tops of loaves. Bake in preheated oven about 45 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan. Remove from pan and cool on a cooling rack. Makes 3 small or 2 medium loaves.

Variation

Add dried pineapple instead of dates

Fruit Hors d’Oeuvres

Serve these savory Hors d’Oeuvres at your next party.

24 pieces halved dried fruit

(apricots, peaches, pears, or prunes)

/8 teaspoon paprika

/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack

cheese

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

/3 cup shredded sharp Cheddar

3 tablespoons plain yogurt

cheese

/4 cup chopped slivered almonds

Dried fruits should be pliable. If too hard, allow to stand in boiling water 5 minutes to soften. Drain. In small bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Stir in sour cream, paprika, Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese and chopped almonds. Spoon 1 teaspoon filling into pit cavity of each piece of dried fruit. Garnish with parsley. Makes 24 appetizers.

Awesome Bran Muffins

Make these for breakfast, and pop the extra in your children’s lunch box!

1 cup bran 2-

cups all-purpose flour 1 cup boiling water 2-

/2 teaspoons baking soda

cup margarine

/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups buttermilk 1 cup chopped dried apple,

dates, raisins, pineapple 2 eggs, beaten 1 cup granulated sugar

/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

2 cups bran

/4 cup coarse sugar

Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Fill 24 muffin pans with muffin liners. Spray muffin liners with vegetable spray.

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In large bowl, pour boiling water over 1 cup bran and let stand. Add 1/2 cup margarine to bran/boiling water mixture. Stir in buttermilk, eggs, sugars and bran.

In large bowl, sift together dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Add chopped dried fruit and stir.

Combine with wet ingredients and stir only until dry ingredients are moist. Mixture should be lumpy.

Spoon into prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle coarse sugar on tops. Bake at 400°F (205°C) for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from pan and place on rack to cool. Makes 24 of the best bran muffins you’ve ever tasted!

Variation

Substitute 1 cup oat bran for wheat bran for an oat taste.

Homemade Chili Powder

Add to your favorite Mexican recipe or use in ground meat for tacos.

3 ounces dried chilies (mild

peppers such as Anaheim, or a combination of mild and hot

peppers) 1 tablespoon ground cumin 2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground allspice 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon ground oregano

/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground coriander

Peppers dried in a dehydrator retain their original color and flavor. They may either be dried whole or in halves, skin side down. Hotness and flavor will vary with the chilies used. Removing the seeds will decrease the hotness. Make sure that peppers are completely dry and stored in airtight containers.

Remove and discard stems and seeds. Whirl pods in a blender until finely ground. Allow powder to settle. Add

remaining ingredients and whirl briefly. Store in an airtight container. Makes 1/2 cup.

Cup-of-Vegetable Soup

This soup cooks in your thermos and is ready to eat by lunch time.

/3 cup dried vegetable flakes

(any combo of tomatoes, peas, onions,

broccoli, zucchini, celery, carrots)

1 tablespoon bulgur wheat 1 tablespoon small pasta

(spaghetti, linguini, etc.), broken

/4 teaspoon dried parsley

/4 teaspoon dried sweet basil pinch garlic powder pinch onion powder

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups boiling chicken or beef

broth

Place the dried vegetables in a dry blender and whir until the size of flakes. Measure

cup. Save remaining vegetables for

another day.

Place

cup flaked vegetables in a pint thermos. Add parsley, basil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Add bulgur wheat and pasta to thermos.

Bring broth to a rolling boil and pour over dry ingredients. Quickly cover thermos and close securely. Yield: 2 cups.

Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil

These tomatoes taste better than the expensive “sun dried” ones at the supermarket .

1 cup extra light olive oil 1 teaspoon fresh basil, chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced

(or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil) 1 cup dried tomato flakes 1 teaspoon dried oregano

Flake dried tomatoes in blender to make 1 cup. In 1 pint canning jar, add tomatoes, olive oil, minced garlic, basil and oregano. Close jar with a canning lid and keep refrigerated up to 6 months. Makes 1 pint.

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