Owner Manual

4
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS
FOR FUTURE REFERENCE
USING YOUR FOOD DEHYDRATOR
Attention: First use may cause a slight odor or small smoking upon heating, it is normal. This is
a result of the heating element chemical reaction. It quickly goes away.
Before first use, rinse the drying trays and top lid in hot water, clean with neutral detergent,
and rinse and let them dry. Switch the appliance on without drying any food and let it operate
for a min. of 4 hours. Switch the appliance off and let all parts of the food dehydrator cool
down and air out. NOTE: This procedure is recommended before using the appliance for the
first time.
PRETREATING YOUR FOOD
1. Blanch vegetables and fruits (this will help with color and flavor)
2. Light-colored fruits (apples, apricots, nectarines, pears, and peaches) will darken during
drying and storage. To prevent this darkening, the fruit may be pretreated by blanching or
dipping the fruit in juice such as Lemon or Pineapple. NOTE: Spice it up or sweeten it up
with syrup, honey, and spices. This will result in sweetened candied like products. Do not
over blanch as this may cause fruit to soften and become difficult to handle.
3. Fruits with tough skins (some berries, plums, cherries, grapes, and figs) blanch to crack
the skin for better dehydrating.
4. Remove any excess moisture from pretreated food with a paper towel or clean cloth.
5. Dehydrator trays should not exceed ¾ of the trays surface area and ¼ inch in thickness.
NOTE: If needed, clean cheesecloth can be spread on the trays, this will prevent pieces
from falling through.
RECONSITUTING FOODS
All dehydrated foods need to be reconstituted. Most vegetables, however, are most taste-
tempting when reconstituted.
To reconstitute vegetables for cooking, merely wash product in clean water, then place in cold
water, unsalted water and cover. Soak 2 to 8 hours, if possible, then cook in same water used
for soaking. Add more water if necessary. Bring product to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer
just until done. Add salt, if desired, at end of cooking time, as salt slows down the
reconstitution process. As with fresh products, overcooking will diminish flavor and texture. To
reconstitute vegetables like carrots, soak in ice water or soak in water in the refrigerator.
Dried foods can be reconstituted by soaking, cooking, or a combination of both and will
resemble their fresh counterparts after reconstitution. However, dried foods are unique and
should not be expected to resemble a fresh product.