Download USER MANUAL FOOD DEHYDRATOR

MK Food Dehydrator 14210 IB A:Layout 1
31/3/10
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Page 7
FOOD DRYING GUIDE
There are no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to food dehydrating. This guide offers
a helpful starting point. Over time you will develop a feel for how long different fruit
and vegetables take to dry. The best way is to experiment with different ingredients
and to keep a record of what works for you.
VEGETABLES
We also recommend pre-treating certain types of vegetable before drying: green beans,
broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus and potatoes. Blanching the prepared vegetables in a
pan of boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes will help to keep their natural colour. Strain and
pat dry with kitchen paper before drying.
1.
For the best flavour and colour, begin with fresh, fully ripe fruit, veg or herbs.
Rinse thoroughly and pat dry with kitchen paper. Discard any damaged, bruised
or mouldy pieces.
Prepared vegetables can also be dipped in lemon juice for 2 minutes to add a hint of
lemon flavour, if desired. This is especially recommended for green beans and
asparagus.
2.
Prepare the produce as below. Food will dry more evenly if the pieces are sliced
to about the same thickness. Thick pieces dry more slowly than thin slices. Fruits
should be sliced across the core. A food processor is ideal for fast, even slicing.
With so many factors affecting drying times – the type of food, the thickness or size of
the pieces, the room temperature – it is impossible to give exact timings. Check the
food regularly, letting it cool before handling it to check for doneness. TIP: it is better
for food to be slightly over-dry than under-dry as moist food is more likely to spoil
during storage.
FRUIT
To help preserve the natural sweetness, flavour and colour of fruit, we recommend pretreating it before drying. Soak the fruit for around 2 minutes in 480ml water, to which
60ml fruit juice has been added. Where possible, the juice should match the fruit to be
dried e.g. apple juice for apples. This method of pre-treating will give the best results.
FRUIT
Apples
Apricots
Bananas
PREPARATION
Peel and core.
Cut into rings
Halve or slice.
Remove pit.
Peel and cut into
3mm slices.
VEGETABLE
Asparagus
Beans
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Chives
DRYNESS TEST
APPROX. DRYING TIME
Garlic
Pliable
5-6 hours
Mushrooms
PREPARATION
Blanch.
Cut into 2cm pieces.
Cut and blanch.
until translucent
Trim and cut. Steam
until tender
Trim and cut leaves into
5mm strips
Steam until tender.
Shred or slice.
Trim and cut. Blanch.
until tender
Chop to desired size.
Peel clove and slice
thinly.
Slice, chop or leave
whole
DRYNESS TEST
APPROX. DRYING TIME
Brittle
6-14 hours
8-26 hours
Brittle
Brittle
6-20 hours
Leathery
6-14 hours
Leathery
6-16 hours
Leathery
6-16 hours
Brittle
6-10 hours
Brittle
6-16 hours
Leathery
6-14 hours
12-38 hours
Pliable
8-14 hours
Onions
Crisp
8-38 hours
Peppers
Cranberries
Chop or leave whole.
Pliable
6-26 hours
Potatoes
Dates
Pit and slice.
Leathery
6-26 hours
Tomatoes
Grapes
Leave whole.
Pliable
8-38 hours
Orange zest
Peel in long strips.
Brittle
8-16 hours
Strawberries
Cut into 1cm slices.
No moisture
8-26 hours
Chop or slice thinly.
Cut into 5mm rings or
strips. Remove seeds
Slice or dice. Steam
blanch for 8-10 minutes
Remove skin. Halve or
slice.
Brittle
Brittle
4-14 hours
6-18 hours
Brittle
Leathery
8-24 hours