juliev
Minnesota
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Joined: 07/29/2004
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I just picked up a used dehydrator from Craigslist to experiment with. Has anyone tried to dehydrate fresh corn? (cut off the cob of course) How about tomatos?
I would love to experiment with some of the fresh veggies coming out of the garden so I can use it in my camping meals.
I would appreciate any advice or tried and true recipes that you could provide!
Julie
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A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving. ~ Lao Tzu
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bmet2000
North Carolina
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Joined: 07/09/2008
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Have not tried dehydrating corn, but did so some tomatoes for the first time this year and they are awesome! Just like gourment food! I did it with the little roma tomatoes, less water in them and better flavor than the bigger tomatoes. I sliced them thin and it took a few days. I have not made anything with them yet and am also looking for some recipes and things to do with them. Hope some others will have some good recipes to share!
Good luck and let us know how the corn turns out if you try it!
Angie
(Larry the RV) 2007 Jayco 26L Tornado Installed, Ipod Mod
(Rambo the Ram Truck) 2006 Dodge Ram MegaCab 4x4 5.9L Cummins Turbo Diesel 6 Speed Manual Transmission, Dark Blue
Prodigy Brake Controller, Equal-i-zer Hitch
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maddog348
Bakersfield,CA
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juliev, Just recently bought a dehydrator -- have not done much as of yet. A little canned &/or cooked chicken/beef to take 'dry' camping next week - to add to soup/stew/etc. Also have a supply of(commercially) dried/dehydrated veggies/beans. Am trying to lessen the weight of 'canned' foods in the MH and eliminate need for 'ice' in dry(tent) camping. Do know a 15oz can of fruit cocktail 'dries' to 3oz. Anyhow lots of other things I want to try. Next week will be the TRIAL. GoodLuck, K
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juliev
Minnesota
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OK Maddog - you try it first and let me know what works and what doesn't 
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ladymc53
Canyon Lake, Texas
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Joined: 04/20/2007
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Oh, one of my favorite subjects - I've done lots of dehydrating and will be getting a new dehydrator soon (gave the old one to my daughter in law). Dehydrated food has more nutrition than canned or frozen.
Corn: Cut off the cob of course: It's great - especially if you have a sweet variety. Just pop it in the dehydrator...try about 5 or 6 hrs. at first - from memory I don't think it takes TOO LONG. Very delicious to grab as a snack and pop in your mouth or throw into a pan, cover with water and rehydrate - throw it in stews..I like it as a snack.
Any veggies: squash, okra...
Tomatoes: Roma's are the BEST, but you can do any. Slice (not THICK, but just regular). You can do them plain, but we put salt and pepper on them, dehydrate and you have "sun dried tomatoes"...Makes a great Christmas Gift in a jar with a ribbon around the top...very expensive in the store and if you have lots of veggies, you can make those Christmas gifts right now! From memory I would load up the dehydrator and come back around 5 or 6 hrs. I THINK...it's been several years.
BEST JERKY: At WalMart get the jerky gun by the dehydrators. It's like a cookie gun that you load with dough. You load it up with very lean ground meat with all your seasonings (salt is your preservative, so be sure and read the directions). Shoot the jerky out the desired length onto the trays, cut it off with a knife. Dehydrate overnight while you sleep. THE bomb! Tender, easy to eat, delicious...I've had so many people want my jerky that I actually sold it for a time. You can put any and all spices in it. Also, you can make turkey jerky, deer jerky...many options. Just use the ground version. I personally bought the ground sirloin - no grease. If you use reg. ground meat it's very greasy and NOT good...even with the lean meat I would blot (very little).
DON'T try watermelon...been there, done that...You can puree fruits and have the plastic tray to put on top of the reg. trays, pour the puree in and make fruit leathers.
Apples: I had the apple core'er/slicer from the grocery store, would peel each individual slice, dip in lemon juice and dehydrate. You can also put sugar and cinammon on them before you dehydrate and then put in a pie (rehydrate with a little water first). We ate them as a snack. Then, I'd take all the "trash" from the apples, (cores, peelings, seeds,not the stem), grind it all up in the food processor and then cook it down and made apple butter out of it,using the recipe for apple butter in the Ball Blue book...ZERO waste.
Peaches for some reason didn't seem to do too well - I think I let them go too long...not sure.
Banana chips - not my favorite cause I don't like bananas - but Bill does.
STORAGE OF DEHYDRATED FOOD: DO NOT vacuum seal JERKY...botulism grows in a vacuum. Just put it in a paper sack or a zip lock bag - it keeps forever if dehydrated enough. You can vacuum seal all veggies if you want or just zip lock them.
I love the fall and can't wait to get started again...I was just thinking the other day about getting another dehydrator and gun...love to do that. Have fun!
* This post was
edited 09/08/08 01:01pm by ladymc53 *
Bill & Linda
Ladymc & Shuttlebird
2008 Silver Dodge Diesel Dually 3500 - "The Silver Bullet"
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READY TO ROLL!
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swtgran
Brimfield, Ohio
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Joined: 06/18/2005
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My kids loved it when I dehydrated canned pineapple rings and maraschino cherries for the their lunches. I have also done watermelon. It is really a lot like taffy when done. The sweetness is really intensified. You can also make your own fruit leathers with apple sauce and other fruits.
Peppers are so expensive, especially in the winter. I dehydrate them and freeze them to throw into recipes during the winter. Once you have dehydrated tomatoes they work well to powder and add water to for sauce.
Beef jerky is also pretty tasty for those road trips. I also dry my own herbs for the winter.
I usually always freeze what I dehydrate, unless I know it will be eaten quickly, to extend its shelf life indefinitely. Just seems safer. Terry R.
Swtgran
2007 Casita 17ft SD
2005 Toyota Tundra
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johnna
Southwest, Utah
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Joined: 07/28/2003
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My grandmother used to slice corn off the cob. Put into a pillow case, rinsed to get rid of residual laundry soap and hung on the clothes line next to the kitchen door. Every time anyone walked by, they would fluff it up a bit. After three days (depending of he weather) it was done. Best snacks I ever had.
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2004 Ford 350 Super Duty 2W Dirve Long Bed PU
2008 327RLT Montana Mountaineer 35 ft. 5th wheel
2005 Alaska and other Trip Logs
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juliev
Minnesota
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Wow, these "recipes" sound great. I can't wait to try them this weekend when I have some time. Thank you all!
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karylkoch
Md home state, but anywhere USA
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Joined: 05/27/2002
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I never had a dehydrator, or wanted one. A lady at our seasonal resort, started giving our dog, dehydrated chicken strip. Not only did our dog go crazy, when she saw our friend, but every dog she gave some to, started wagging there tail, when they saw her. .
We had been buying our dog chicken strips at Walmart, which was her favorite treat. We found out they came from China, so we stopped buying them. We bought a dehydrator, just to make these treats. We were told to slice the chicken thin, while semi-frozen. She also puts garlic, salt on them. It took about 30 some hours, to dehydrate. Now, not many would go to the trouble to do this for there dog, but they are a healthy treat, that all the dogs we know love.
I really like the idea for the tomatoes. I am going to try this too.
Fulltime RVer's
2003 Newmar MountainAire, 38ft, Saturn tow
George, Karyl and Susie-Q, our Tibetan Terrier
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juliev
Minnesota
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I was also planning on making some chicken jerky treats for our mutts too. They love the stuff, but if we buy the organic (USA made) chicken jerky at our local pet food store - we'll go broke! One use of the $10 used dehydrator will pay for itself just in chicken jerky for the dogs.
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