Sunbeam KN-128E User Manual

MODEL MODELO

KN-128E

Owner’s Manual with Recipe Guide

FOOD DEHYDRATOR

Manual del Propietario con Recetario

DESHIDRATADOR DE ALIMENTOS

SUNBEAM®is a registered trademark of Sunbeam Products, Inc.

Imported by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Importada por Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

P.N. KN-128E

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

1. READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS, PRODUCT LABELS AND WARNINGS

BEFORE USING THE SUNBEAM

FOOD DEHYDRATOR.

2. Do not touch hot surface.

3. To prevent electric hazards, do not immerse cord, plug or other electrical parts in water or other liquids.

Close supervision is always necessary when this or any appliance is used near children.

5. Always unplug the appliance from wall outlet when not in use and before cleaning.

6. Do not operate appliance if cord has been damaged, or if the appliance malfunctions or suffers serious damage.

7. The use of accessory attachments is not recommended by the appliance manufacturer and may cause injury.

8. Do not use outdoors or for commercial purposes.

9. Do not let the cord dangle over the edge of a tabletop or countertop or touch hot surfaces.

10. Do not place the Food Dehydrator near a hot gas or electric burner or in a heated oven.

11. To disconnect, turn the control to “OFF” before removing the plug from the outlet.

12. Do not use this Food Dehydrator for other than its intended use.

13. Do not run this Food Dehydrator for more than 40 hours in one single use.

After 40 hours, turn to “OFF” position, unplug and allow to cool down for at least 2 hours before operating again.

IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDS

14. Do not pour liquids into the appliance.

15. Do not operate near combustible or pressurized spray cans.

16. To clean the heating base, unplug from wall outlet and wipe with damp cloth or sponge and mild soap. Do not immerse base or cord in water. Top lid and trays may be submerged in warm water and washed with mild soap or washed in TOP rack of dishwasher only.

17. A short power supply cord is provided to reduce the risks resulting from tripping over or becoming entangled in a longer cord. Extension cords may be used only if the electrical rating is as great as the electrical rating of the appliance (120 V). If an extension cord is used it should be arranged so that it will not drape over the counter or tabletop where it can be reached by children or tripped over.

18. To reduce the hazards of potential shock, this item has a polarized plug (one blade is wider than the other), which will ﬁt only one day in a polarized outlet. If the plug does not ﬁt, contact a qualiﬁed electrician for assistance. Never use this plug with an extension unless it ﬁts properly. Do not attempt to defeat this safety feature.

19. Do not operate this Food Dehydrator on a non-heat resistant glass or wood cooking surface, or any tablecloth. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT A HEAT RESISTANT COOKING SURFACE SUCH AS TILE, OR ANY SURFACE PROTECTED WITH A HEAT RESISTANT FINISH BE PLACED BENEATH THIS UNIT.

THIS UNIT IS FOR HOUSEHOLD USE ONLY

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS

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Congratulations on your new purchase! The SUNBEAM

Food Dehydrator is designed to provide you and your family with many years of home dehydration satisfaction. Use your imagination and you can successfully dehydrate most foods and keep them for months.

Please take a moment to read the Important Safeguards on Pages 2 and 3.

AGE

Important Safeguards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 - 3

Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Parts Identiﬁcation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Food Dehydration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

How To Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Cleaning Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Operating Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Tips for Dehydrating Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Choosing Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Pretreatment of Fruits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Pretreatment of Vegetables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Pretreatment of Meat, Fish, Poultry and Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Dried Meat or Game for Stews, Soups, etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Dried Flowers and Herbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Rehydrating Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Fruit and Vegetable Leathers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

(Made on “Fruit Roll-Up Sheet)

Preparing Fruit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Preparing Vegetables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Making a Leather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

“Other” Leather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

“Yogurt Surprise” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Drying Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Fruit Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Vegetable Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Fruit “Timetable” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Vegetable “Timetable” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Warranty Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

How To Obtain Warranty Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

WARNING

Do not operate the appliance on a non-heat resistant glass or wood cooking surface or any tablecloth. It is imperative that an additional heat resistant cooking surface such as tile, Formica

or any surface protected with heat resistant ﬁnish at least the diameter of the unit be placed beneath this unit.This will serve to protect the surface beneath the Food Dehydrator.

WELCOME TO THE

WORLD

FOOD

DEHYDRATING

TABLE OF C

ONTENTS

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PARTS I

DENTIFICATION

INTRODUCTION

Food Dehydration

Food dehydrating is done primarily to increase preservation time. Dried food can be eaten “as is” for convenient snacks and lunches or used in the preparation of meals. Your food dehydrator provides a fast, economical way to dehydrate food. We encourage you to experiment by drying different types of food. In so doing, you will discover a whole different world of taste and texture.

How To Use

1. Before using your SUNBEAM®Food Dehydrator, carefully read the instruction manual and thoroughly wash the trays and top lid of the dehydrator according to the cleaning instructions.

2. Prepare the food, according to its type, as indicated in the “Timetable” on Pages 18 and 19.

3. Load the trays with the prepared food. Remember that it is the hot air circulation that dries the food, so do not overload the trays and never overlap the food.

4. Dry for the period of time suggested in the “Timetable” on Pages 18 and 19, keeping in mind that the times listed are approximate. (See “Drying Tips” on Page 14)

5. Once dried, allow the food to cool. Immediately store the food items in bags or containers and place in the refrigerator. (See “Storage” on Page 14)

Cleaning Instructions

1. Prior to any cleaning operation, always unplug the unit from the wall outlet.

2. To clean the trays and top lid wash them in warm water and soap. DO NOT USE SCORING PADS OR ANY ABRASIVE CLEANERS. The trays and top lid can be safely washed in the TOP RACK of the dishwasher, BUT NOT THE FRUIT ROLL-UP SHEET, as it will not withstand the high temperature reached by today’s dishwashers.

3. Wipe the base clean with a damp cloth. DO NOT IMMERSE IN WATER.

4. Use paper towels or napkins to remove any excess marinade.

DEHYDRATOR

BASE

ON/OFF SWITCH

FRUIT ROLL-UP

SHEET

TOP LID

STACKABLE,

ADJUSTABLE

DEHYDRATOR

TRAYS

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OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

1. Before using your SUNBEAM®Food Dehydrator for the ﬁrst time, wash the trays and the top lid thoroughly in warm, soapy water or on the TOP RACK ONLY of your dishwasher. Wash the fruit roll-up sheet in soapy water only and never place it in the dishwasher.

2. After loading your food on the trays plug in the Food Dehydrator and push the “ON/OFF” switch to the “ON” position. The light will illuminate to indicate that the unit is in operation.

3. Make sure the top lid is always in place when operating the Dehydrator.

4. Once the food is dried to your satisfaction, push the “ON/OFF” switch to the “OFF” position.

5. Unplug the unit.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

The 5 trays must always be stacked, whether you have food on them or not.

XAMPLES

– One tray of food is stacked in the top position with 4 empty trays stacked

below. Make sure the top lid is in place.

– Two trays of food are stacked in the top and “second from top” position

with 3 empty trays below. Make sure the top lid is in place.

• Depending on how many trays you are placing food on, load the ones with food from the top level down.

• The interior safety control switch is set to function at maximum efﬁciency for 5 stacked trays. Stacking all 5 trays will also allow for the consistency of heat levels.

Adjustable Height Trays

The 5 trays are adjustable to 2 heights, but are generally meant to ﬁt ﬂush on top of each other in the lower height position. Lift and rotate 1/4 turn in either direction to achieve the higher position. To drop trays back to the normal level, rotate 1/4 turn in either direction.

Use of the Fruit Roll-Up Sheet

The fruit roll-up sheet is used to make fruit, vegetable and other types of “leathers”. See “Fruit and Vegetable Leather” recipe information on Pages 12 and 13.

TIPS FOR DEHYDRATING FOOD

Choosing Food

Always use good quality foods. Fruits and vegetable in peak season are more nutritious, have more ﬂavor and cost less. Means, ﬁsh, poultry and game should be as lean and fresh as possible.

Check food for blemishes and bruises. Food in bad condition may spoil the whole batch. Remove pits peal or core food before dehydrating. Pretreated foods often look better and achieve better results. Proper storage is also essential to maintain the quality of foods.

(See “Storage” on Page 14)

Pretreatment of Fruits

Pretreating fruits is optional. You do not have to pretreat fruits to get good results. But some fruits become dark or colorless when dried and stored, therefore we recommend a few suggestions to pretreat fruits.

Use 1/4 cup lemon juice to 2 cups water and dip fruits for approximately 2 minutes, or

2. Use 1/2 tablespoon “Fruit-Fresh” (found in most grocery stores) to 2 cups water and dip fruit for approximately 2 minutes

, or

3. Use any natural fruit juice, such as pineapple or orange and dip fruit for approximately 2 minutes. Keep in mind that these may import a hint of the ﬂavor of the juice and may not always prevent discoloration of food.

NOTE: If you don’t mind the change in color of your dried fruit, there is no need

to pretreat. Fruits like bananas turn brown without pretreatment; however they become very sweet and bursting with pure banana ﬂavor when sliced and placed directly into the dehydrator.

For drying times of fruits, refer to the “Fruit Timetable” on Page 18.

Pretreatment of Vegetables

1. Blanching is recommended for green beans, cauliﬂower, broccoli, asparagus, potatoes and peas. Since these vegetables are often used in soups or stews, blanching will ensure that they retain a desirable color.

To Blanch: Place prepared vegetables in a pot of boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes only. Strain and pat dry and place vegetables in the dehydrator.

2. Placing vegetables in lemon juice for approximately 2 minutes will add a hint of lemon ﬂavor to such vegetables as green beans and asparagus, etc. For drying times of vegetables, refer to the Vegetable “Timetable” on Page 19.

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Pretreatment of Meat, Fish, Poultry and Game

IMPORTANT

NOTE: Cooking all meats and ﬁsh before drying is recommended to ensure

safety. Use only very lean meats and cut away all fat.

The reason to marinate meat before drying is to add ﬂavor to the meat and also to tenderize it. The marinade should contain salt, which helps extract water from the meat and also helps preserve it.

– Slicing meat while partially frozen will be easier, especially if you want a very thin slice. Poultry: All poultry MUST be cooked before drying. Steaming or roasting are the best

methods.

Fish: A good idea is to steam the ﬁsh before dehydrating or, if you chose to bake it,

pre-heat your conventional oven to 200°F and bake for 20 minutes or until ﬁsh is ﬂaky.

Meat or Game:

JERKY

Dehydrating meat without prior cooking will produce the rigid, chewy style meat known as JERKY.

– Marinate meat strips or slices for at least 3 hours in your favorite marinade,

or overnight in a sealed container.

– Place Fruit Roll-Up Sheet on bottom tray to catch the juices from upper trays

and then place meat on the trays.

Dry until it snaps when bent, approximately 6 to 16 hours.

Standard Jerky Marinade

1/2 cup soy sauce 1 clove garlic, mashed 2 Tbsp. brown sugar 2 Tbsp. ketchup 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce 1-1/4 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. onion powder 1/2 tsp. pepper Mix ingredients well

Dried Meat or Game for Stews, Soups, etc.

This type of meat must be cooked prior to drying. Cook, cut into small cubes and place in the dehydrator. Dry until all moisture has been removed, approximately 2 to 8 hours. When ready to use in your favorite stew, simply rehydrate by soaking in water or broth for at least 1-1/2 hours.

Dried Flowers and Herbs

Flowers: The ﬂowers should be picked after the dew has dried and before the evening dampness. Flowers should be dried as quickly and as soon as possible after picking. Discard any damaged or brown leaves. Place in trays without overlapping. Drying times will vary depending upon size and type of ﬂower.

Dry for approximately 2 to 36 hours.

Herbs: Rinse and shake off excess water. Pat dry. Remove dead or discolored leaves. If using seed, pick when pods have changed color. You should leave herbs on the stem and remove when drying has been completed. Spread herbs loosely on tray. Drying times will vary according to size and type.

Dry for approximately 2 to 6 hours.

Nuts: Shell and rinse with hot water. Spread in a single layer onto trays. Allow nuts to cool before storing. Nuts contain a lot of oil and the oil could cause the nuts to become rancid, so you should freeze them to guarantee freshness. When ready to use the nuts, bring them to room temperature.

Dry for approximately 18 to 26 hours.

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Preparing Vegetables

– Wash, peel, steam blanch, chop and purée until smooth. – Add water as needed to make it blend easier. – Add spices to taste before drying.

Making a Leather

– The desired consistency of the purée that works best for leathers is that of applesauce. – The amount of pectin in any food being dried into a leather is of signiﬁcance if you want

the leather to maintain its body. If the pectin level is too low, it will crack while drying.

– Add approximately 1 tablespoon of powdered pectin per 1/2 cup of purée to thicken it,

and the leather should easily hold together.

– Before spreading the purée onto the Fruit Roll-Up Sheet, spray it with a non-stick

cooking spray, as this will allow for easier removal of the leather.

– Spread 1/2 cup of the purée onto the Fruit Roll-Up Sheet. – Place the Roll-Up Sheet on the top tray of the dehydrator, with 4 empty trays

stacked below.

Dry for approximately 5 to 15 hours or until it peels easily from the Sheet.

“Other” Leather

– You can dry almost any food into a leather as long as it is puréed. Some tasty examples

are yogurt, applesauce, pudding, or combinations of these, according to your taste.

– Add approximately 1 tablespoon of powdered pectin per 1/2 cup of purée to keep

the Roll-Up together, especially if it is low in pectin.

– Vegetables are naturally low in pectin. – Fruits high in pectin include apples, blueberries, cranberries, ﬁgs, grapes and peaches. – Fruits low in pectin include cherries, citrus fruits, melons, raspberries and strawberries.

“Yogurt Surprise”

Kids will love this treat.

Simply mix well 1/2 cup of vanilla or any smooth, plain or ﬂavored yogurt with 1-1/2 tablespoons of their favorite ﬂavored jell-o powder. Spray the Roll-Up Sheet with a non-stick cooking spray and spread yogurt evenly. The result is a sweet, colorful and wholesome treat.

Dry approximately 4 to 8 hours.

REHYDRATING FOOD

There are several ways of rehydrating or replacing moisture in dried food.

Do not add seasonings, especially salt or sugar, before or during this process because they may change the ﬂavor of the food and slow the process. You may add them afterwards.

– As a general rule, the quantity of liquid is 1 cup for each cup of dehydrated food.

(Liquids can be water, fruit or vegetable juices, or broth.)

– For stewed fruits, add 2 cups of water for each cup of dehydrated food and simmer

until tender.

– Fruits and vegetables can be soaked in cold water for 2 to 6 hours in the refrigerator.

(Room temperature can create an environment for harmful bacteria to grow.)

– Fruits and vegetables can be immersed in boiling water for 5 to 10 minutes’ or until

desired consistency. – Foods like dried meats can be rehydrated while cooking in stews and soups. – Steaming will prevent the loss of nutrients. Place the dried food in a steaming basket

over boiling water and allow between 5 to 35 minutes depending on the size of pieces. – Microwaving is fast and efﬁcient. Place 1 cup of dried food in a microwavable dish with

2 cups of liquid. Place lid on top, allowing some air to enter and microwave on HIGH

for 2 minutes. Remove and check for doneness. Repeat process for 2 minutes each time

until desired consistency is reached.

FRUIT AND VEGETABLE LEATHERS

(Made on “Fruit Roll-Up Sheet”)

Your SUNBEAM®Food Dehydrator comes with a Fruit Roll-Up Sheet. This is to be used to dry all your “leathers”.

Preparing Fruit

– Choose any fresh, ripe fruit. – Wash, remove stems, pits or seeds and peel and cut out any bruised sections. – Purée in a blender or food processor until very smooth. – Sweeten to taste by adding honey, fruit juice concentrate or corn syrup.

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DO NOT USE SUGAR AS IT WILL CRYSTALLIZE THE PURÉE

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