food dehydrator: what kind

[HOGFAN]

DH wants one of these for Christmas. I have no idea what kind to get. I know we dont hav the space for a big one and I dont want to spend a whole lot(under $200). If you have one, have you really used it as much as you thought you would?

 

[ilovepcot]

I'm hoping you get *lots* of replies from Disers telling you all about the things they dehydrate. I have a new range with a "dehydrate option" on it and would like to use it but have no idea what to dehydrate. Even says I can dry flowers in there.

 

[doxdogy]

I don't remember the brand that we had that worked the best. It had a temperature control knob on it. I think the highest temp was somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 degrees. I used ours to make homemade beef jerky. Recipe is below:

beef brisket (about 1 - 2 lbs)
dale's seasoning (one bottle)
liquid smoke (one bottle of colgin's)
salt
pepper
montreal steak seasoning

The beef brisket slices easier if it is partially frozen. Trim off excess fat from brisket. Slice brisket paper thin. Mix together the dale's and liquid smoke in a bowl large of enough to hold the meat. Mix in dry ingredients. I do the dry ingredients mostly by taste. The salt is essential for preserving the beef jerky. Let the meat soak for about 10 minutes. Allow the meat to drain before placing on trays. Turn dehydrator up to highest setting. If the day was nice and dry it was usually done in about 4 hours. If it was humid it would take longer. If you do not have a temp control dehydrator it can take up to a day to dry. You will actually be able to judge if the jerky is done. The hardest part will be not breaking on the dried pieces and eating them. I always stored the jerky in the fridge.