Healthy Eaters Make 100% natural snacks: fruit rolls, trail mix, and granola Dehydrator Recipes & Instructions Outdoor Enthusiasts Create protein-rich jerky for hiking, fishing, or hunting Gardeners & Cooks Preserve fresh vegetables, herbs, and fruits Crafters Dry flowers, dough art, and make your own potpourri 1
Thank you for choosing a NESCO® dehydrator. We have been developing and producing dehydrators that provide the best drying technology for over three decades. Drying food is inexpensive and one of the least timeconsuming of all food preserving methods. Dehydrating is superior to canning, as the high temperatures needed to process canned foods can destroy much of the original food value, especially vitamin C, thiamin and riboflavin.
IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDS SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS This product is designed for household use only. Polarized Plug Instructions: This appliance has a polarized plug (one blade wider than the other). As a safety feature, this plug will fit on a polarized outlet only one way. If the plug does not fit fully into the outlet, reverse the plug. If it still does not fit, contact a qualified electrician. Do not attempt to defeat this safety feature.
Dehydrator Care and Use Analog Food Dehydrators Cover Digital Food Dehydrators Temperature Control Knob Powerhead The digital dehydrator is the superior garden preserver. It is ideal for people who dehydrate on a regular basis. Regular Trays ◆ The digital dehydrator is expandable to 12 trays using the Add-A-Tray® ◆ ◆ accessories. 2,400 rpm motor, provides air flow to evenly dry your items. Digital control adjustable thermostat offers precise temperature control between 90°F - 160°F. (32°C - 71°C).
Nonadjustable Food Dehydrators 1. Set the base tray on a sturdy countertop or table, away from sinks or any source of water. 2. Stack additional trays on the base tray. Your dehydrator requires a minimum of 5 trays to operate properly. The base tray is included as one of your 5 trays. (You may expand your dehydrator to 7 total trays with the use of Add-A-Tray® accessories). 3. Place the top cover on the top tray, insert the blower into the trays and rotate to lock in place. 4.
◆ To save nutrients and produce a quality product, it is necessary to work fast preparing foods to dry. When placed in your dehydrator, they need to dry continuously at the recommended temperatures and times. Do not turn off your dehydrator or leave partially dried food on the trays as it may spoil or develop “off” flavors. ◆ Spread all foods evenly to dry in single layers. Do not overlap. ◆ Do not add fresh produce to a partially dried batch. It will slow the rate of drying for both products.
◆ Fruits are pliable and leathery with no spots of moisture. Tear in half, pinch and watch for moisture drops along tear. If no moisture then it is sufficiently dry for long term storage. ◆ Fruit rolls should be leathery with no sticky spots ◆ Jerky should be tough, but not brittle ◆ Dried fish should be tough, but not brittle. If the fish is high in fat it may appear moist due to the high oil content.
Preparation Fruit rolls are a favorite snack for young and old alike. It is a chewy fruit product made from puréed fresh fruit, which has been dried and rolled into snack sized pieces. Fruit rolls are easy to make and cost less than those bought at the store. Selection Almost any fruit will make an excellent fruit roll. Most fruits can also be combined with others. Some fruits, such as apples, are high in pectin and fiber, and have an excellent texture when dried. The combinations are limitless.
Fruit Drying Chart Expect a variance in the time needed to dry different fruits. Drying times are affected by the amount of fruit, thickness and the moisture content of the food itself. The guidelines are general. For more accurate drying times, keep records of your own experiences. Refer to page 12 for more information on pre-treatment. Apples 4-10 hrs. Applesauce, pies, cobblers, rings, snacks, breads and cookies. Apricots Cut in half, remove pit and cut in quarters. Pre-treat. 8-16 hrs.
Blanching Most vegetables must be blanched, either by steaming over boiling water or in the microwave oven to slow the enzyme action which will continue during drying and storage. Note: Blanching softens the cell structure, allowing the moisture to escape more easily and also allows vegetables to rehydrate faster. Do not blanch onions, garlic, peppers or mushrooms. Water blanching is not recommended because of the loss of water-soluble vitamins and minerals. Many vegetables are quite good dried.
Vegetable Drying Guidelines Vegetables will also vary in their drying times. Blanching decreases drying times, but not all vegetables are blanched. Again, the average drying times in the following table are general and depend on different variables. For more accurate times, keep records of your own specific experiences. 20 4-10 hrs. Rehydrate for soups, meat dishes, omelets or frying. Onions Remove skins, tops, and root ends. Slice 3⁄8” thick. 6-12 hrs. Soups, stews and sauces.
Preparation Jerky is a favorite snack for school, lunch, on the trail or just about anywhere! It is made by seasoning lean, raw meat in a salt mixture, then drying it. The finished product is a protein-rich, low carb delicious treat! 1 Remove all fat, gristle, membrane, and connective tissue. 2 Cut into strips ¼” to 4⁄8” thick and 5” to 6” long. 3 Prior to dehydrating, marinate cut meats in store-bought marinade or your own recipe for 4-8 hours in the refrigerator.
Drying Jerky Continued Meats should be dried at 160°F (71°C). Depending on how thick the meat is cut, how heavily the dehydrator is loaded, and the humidity, jerky takes from 4 to 15 hours to dry. Pat jerky with clean paper towels several times as it dries, to remove the oil that accumulates on the top of the jerky. When removing jerky from dehydrator trays, wrap it in paper towels and let it stand for a couple hours prior to packaging.
Preparation 1 Lean fish can be used for jerky. You can also dry fatty fish, but it will not keep at room temperature more than a week. Fish jerky should contain about 15% moisture when it is completely dry. It will be pliable and firm. If there is any doubt about the dryness, store in refrigerator or freezer to avoid the risk of spoilage. Cooked fish may also be dried, although it has different taste than fish jerky. Rehydrating cooked fish is not recommended. 26 2 Selection Choose fresh fish to dry.
Preparation Fresh herbs and spices have a stronger aroma and flavor than commercial dried herbs and spices. They are prized by food lovers and gourmet cooks. Dried herbs and spices are used more often than fresh because they are more readily available and convenient to use. Although some flavor is lost when they are dried, it becomes more concentrated because excess moisture is removed. Most herbs contain 70 to 85 percent water. Eight ounces of fresh herbs will yield about one ounce dried.
Packaging Dark colored jars with airtight lids are ideal for storing herbs. They don’t allow light in, which tends to fade and weaken herbs. You can use other containers as long as they exclude air, light and moisture. Air and light result in flavor loss; moisture results in caking, color loss or insect infestation. Storage Herb Drying Guide Most herbs may be dried in your NESCO® dehydrator right on the plant stalk and stem. Seeds and leaves are easily stripped from the plant when dry.
Coriander Seeds Clip entire plant. Dip in boiling water, pat dry. 2-5 hrs. Sausage, pickling spices, apple and pear dishes. Cumin Seeds Rinse in cold water, pat dry. 2-5 hrs. Curries and chili dishes. Dill Leaves Rinse in cold water, pat dry. 1-3 hrs. Salads, vegetables potatoes and fish. Fennel Rinse in cold water, pat dry 1-3 hrs. Salads, soups or stews. Fennel Seeds Rinse in cold water, pat dry. 2-5 hrs. Cakes, cookies, breads. Garlic Clove 6-12 hrs. Salt powder, recipes.
After rehydrating food, cook it as you would normally. If foods are cooked before they are fully rehydrated, they will cook in a shriveled state and will not be plump. Most fruits and vegetables will rehydrate to about 80% of their fresh state. Consequently, they are slightly more chewy than a fresh or frozen fruit or vegetable, even when rehydrated. Dried food used in cooking will absorb additional liquid, so adjust the recipe accordingly.
’ Ingredients ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ 1 cup boiling water 3 cups wheat bran*, divided 1 cup boiling water ½ cup butter or margarine 2 cups buttermilk 2 eggs beaten 1 cup granulated sugar, divided ½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed ◆ 2 ½ all-purpose flour ◆ 2 ½ teaspoons baking soda ◆ 1 cup chopped dried apple, ◆ dates, raisins, or pineapple ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans *Optional: Substitute 1 cup oat bran for wheat bran for an oat taste.
Ingredients ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ Ingredients ¾ cup butter or margarine 1 1⁄2 cups sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 ½ cups mashed ripe banana (4 to 6 medium size) 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt ½ cup buttermilk ½ cup chopped dried banana ½ cup chopped pecans ½ cup chopped dates* ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ 6 cups popped popcorn 1 cup butter or margarine 2 cups brown sugar, packed ½ cup light corn syrup 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon vanilla Optional: 2 cups finely chopped dr
Ingredients ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ¼ cup butter or margarine 1 ½ cups dried mushrooms ½ cup dried onions 2 cups hot beef broth or stock 4 cups milk 1 teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons flour Instructions 1 Sauté mushrooms and onions in butter or margarine in a large heavy saucepan for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 2 In separate bowl, combine broth or stock, milk, salt and flour. Whisk until smooth. 3 Add to sautéed mushrooms and onions. 4 Cook an additional 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly.
Ingredients Instructions ◆ 1 quart strawberries, washed 1 Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor, blend until puréed. 2 Pour onto NESCO® Fruit Roll Sheets. Dehydrate 4-8 hours at 135°F (57°C). 3 Remove roll ups from sheets while warm. 4 Let cool, then roll in plastic wrap to store. ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ and hulled ½ cup slivered almonds, toasted 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese 1 (8 oz.
Instructions: Drying Flowers Preserve garden and natural favorites for attractive dried flower arrangements, Christmas and holiday decorations, party favors, place cards and corsages. Help your children dry specimens for their science class. Many lovely flowers, foliage, flowering grasses, seedheads, cones and nonflowering plants may be dried simply by placing on drying trays.
Supplies ◆ Mod Podge® sealer (available ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ in craft supply stores) Brush 1500 mgs. Vitamin C (dissolved in 1 gallon of water or lemon or pineapple juice.) 8 or more apples (depending on the size of the wreath) Hot glue gun & glue sticks ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ Styrofoam wreath Grapevines Straw Cardboard Ribbon Thin wire Baby’s breath Cinnamon sticks Instructions: 1 Slice apples into 1⁄8” uniform slices. 6 Secure a hanging device on the back of the styrofoam wreath form.
Limited One Year Warranty & This warranty applies to NESCO® appliances that were purchased for personal or household use. This warranty is not available to commercial purchasers or owners. We warrant that your appliances will be free of defects in materials or workmanship, under normal home use, for a period of one year from the date of purchase.
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