Food Dehydrator 5-Tray White
Table of Contents The Finer Points of Dehydration........................................................ 2 Quick Start – Dehydrating Basics...................................................... 3 How to Dehydrate and Succeed...................................................... 4 Pretreating ........................................................................................... 5 Packing and Storing ........................................................................... 7 Rehydrating . ............
easy Just slice, dry and store. The prep work is minimal and the “cooking“ is hands-free. The Finer Points of Dehydration The first step in beginning the process of dehydration is to know what dehydration is. Dehydrating is the process of heating food to evaporate moisture inside the food and then removing the water and vapor that is formed. The second is to know how to keep records of your dehydrated food. This way you’ll develop a system and good pattern of quality food drying.
Dried foods are tasty, nutritious, lightweight, easy to prepare, store and use. • There’s so much variety! Create yummy snacks from strawberry-apple fruit leather, to glazed cinnamon banana chips, beef jerky and more. • The Ronco Dehydrator is so easy to use. The prep work is minimal and the “cooking” is completely hands-free. • Dried foods do not lose nutritional value. You control the ingredients so you know your snacks will be healthy.
en go g reca lly Preserve lo and grown produce n, ow gr me bring ho back s od fo s deliciou hen. into your kitc How to Succeed at dehydrating The fruits and vegetables you are about to use for dehydration should be fresh and fully ripe. We also recommend organic produce whenever possible. Wilted, immature, or over-ripe produce will make a dissatisfactory dried product. To prepare your produce for dehydration, you should wash all fresh food thoroughly to remove any dirt or chemicals.
Pretreating Blanching or covering completely in boiling water for a short period of time brings out the enzymes in fruit and vegetables. These enzymes are the reason for color and flavor changes during ripening. Color changes will continue during the drying process unless the produce is pretreated. Blanching also helps set color and dry faster by relaxing the tissues within the produce, keeping the flavors during storage, and improve rehydrating conditions.
Remember to remove any excess moisture before drying pretreated food by placing the food on paper towels or clean cloths. Trays should be loaded with a thin layer of food as directed. If needed, a clean cheesecloth can be spread on the trays to prevent food pieces from sticking or falling through. For best results, the food being dried should be between 1/8”-1/4” thick and should not exceed roughly 3/4” of each tray’s surface area.
Packing and Storing 1. Fruits cut into a wide range of sizes should be allowed to equalize the remaining moisture among the pieces for a week after drying, before placing in long term storage. To do this, place fruit in non-aluminum, non-plastic container and put in a dry, well-ventilated area. 2. Dried foods should be thoroughly cooled before packing. Package in small amounts so food can be used soon after opening. 3. Pack food without crushing, into clean, dry, insect-proof containers. 4.
fresh fruits in many aspects, dried foods are unique and should not be expected to be exactly like a fresh fruit. Remember; drying does not render the food free of bacteria, yeasts, and mold. It just makes them inactive. Spoiling may occur if soaking is prolonged at room temperature. Make sure to refrigerate if soaking for longer than 1-2 hours. For most vegetables, barely cover them with cold water and soak 20 minutes to 2 hours to replace the moisture.
thickness of the sliced produce, humidity of the air, and the moisture content of the food itself. 5. To test for dryness let the product cool, and then cut a piece open. There should be no visible moisture inside. 6. Fruits tend to dry leathery, and vegetables dry brittle. 7. The presence of natural juices in foods, especially fruits, will vary. 8. Some fruit sugars tend to be stickier than others. 9. Trays may be loaded with foods barely touching, but not overlapping. 10.
ROTATING THE TRAYS Rotate trays every 2-4 hours following the diagram below. We recommend you turn each tray a 1/4 turn every time you rotate for best results. 5 TRAY ROTATION Most Important The Food Dehydrator has two vents (adjustable lid vents and base vents) in order to maintain proper circulation while dehydrating. Do not operate with lid or bottom vent blocked or closed at any time, as this will interfere with proper airflow. Occasionally check to see if your food is dehydrated.
Drying Table For Fruits & Vegetables The times given are approximate. Your drying times will vary with room temperature, humidity, moisture content of the food, how thinly the food is sliced, the number of trays you are using, and personal preference. Rotate your trays every 2-4 hours. Don’t forget to keep the vents open completely when drying moisture heavy foods like watermelon, close vents slightly for low moisture foods like carrots.
Fruit Brussels Sprouts 12 Preparation Cut sprouts from stalks, cut in half length wise through stem. Dryness Test 3-5 Tray Brittle 24-36 hours Broccoli Trim and cut as usual. Steam until tender - 3 to 5 minutes. Brittle 24-36 hours Cabbage Trim. Slice into strips 1/8˝ thick. Leathery 24 hours Carrots Select young tender roots. Steam until tender. Cut into slices, shreds, cubes or strips.
Fruit Preparation Mushrooms S elect mushrooms with cap curling under-these are young and tender. Wipe off with damp paper towels or brush gently to remove dirt. Nectarines o need to peel. Halve and N remove pit. Cut in 1/4˝ slices and arrange on tray. Onions and Leeks Peels and cut into 1/2˝ slices or nuggets, or chop. Stir several times during drying. Okra se young pods. Trim and cut into U 1/4˝ circles. Orange Rind P eel in long strips and dry.
Fruit Preparation Dryness Test 3-5 Tray Plums Cut in half and remove pits. Pliable 36-60 hours (3 tray max) Pumpkin & Hubbard Squash Bake or steam small pieces until tender. Cut into strips 1 to 3 inches wide, peel and remove pulp. Slice strips 1/2˝ thick. Scrape pulp, place in blender to puree. Dry with paper towels. Leathery 48 hours Rhubarb se only tender stalks. Wash, cut U in 1˝ lengths.
Fruit Recip es 15
Desserts Spiced Peach Pie Soak 1 1⁄2 cups dried peaches in the refrigerator overnight. Then stew until soft (about 45 minutes). Chop peaches and add a mixture of: 1 1⁄2 tablespoon cinnamon 2 tablespoons flour 1⁄2 cup white or brown sugar 4 tablespoons melted butter 2 tablespoons water 1⁄8 teaspoon salt Add mixture to peaches and stir lightly. Pour into unbaked pie crust, cover with top crust. Bake 35 to 45 minutes until golden brown at 350°F. Makes one 9-inch pie.
Healthy Snacks Glazed Banana Cinnamon Chips Slice Bananas into lemon juice or ascorbic acid. Drain on paper towel. Arrange on tray. Sprinkle with a mixture of sugar and cinnamon. Dry to shiny crispness. Honey Glazed Banana Chips Slice bananas and dip into a glaze of 1/4 cup honey thinned with 1/4 cup water. Drain and place on trays. Dry. Dried Candied Fruits Rinse fruits or fruit rinds and cut into thin strips. Simmer slowly in a solution of approximately 2 cups water and 2 cups sugar for 1 1/2 hours.
FRUITY APPETIZER Brie with Dried Fruit 1 round (8 oz) Brie cheese 3 tablespoons brown sugar 1⁄2 cup dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, apricots) Toasted baguette slices 3 tablespoons maple syrup 1 tablespoon orange liqueur 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted (optional) Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheet with foil. Place cheese on cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes or until cheese begins to soften.
Fruit Rollups or Fruit Leather Select fruits such as peaches, strawberries, bananas, apples, etc. Puree with a kitchen blender or food processor and add a little fruit juice. Sweeten to taste with sugar, honey, agave nectar or fruit juice. Pour the puree onto the Ronco Fruit Rollup & Liquid Tray (sold separately). We recommend you use only 1 or 2 trays at a time. Rotation of the trays is necessary for the fruit roll up to cure properly. Dehydrate for 24-36 hours days with the standard models.
Trail Treats Quick Energy Snacks 4 cups rolled oats 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup dry roasted nuts 1 1⁄2 cups coconut flakes 1 cup chopped dates or dried apricots 1⁄2 cup raisins Mix all ingredients together thoroughly in resealable plastic bags for munching on hikes and camping trips.
e l b a t e g Ve s e p i c e R 21
Veggies for Dinner Vegetable Soup 2 cups dried beef, diced (optional) 8 cups water 1⁄2 cup diced dried onions Salt & Pepper 1⁄2 cup diced dried carrots 1⁄4 teaspoon sage 2 tablespoons chopped dried parsley 1⁄4 cup dried peas 1 cup dried tomatoes 1⁄2 cup pearl barley 1 cup dried diced potatoes 1⁄2 cup dried chopped celery and crushed celery leaves Put meat and vegetables in soup pot, cover with cold water.
Salad Spikers Combine the following dehydrated vegetables: 1⁄2 cup onions 1⁄2 cup carrots 1⁄2 cup tomatoes 1⁄2 cup bell pepper When they are dry and crunchy, chop into tiny pieces and add: 1⁄4 cup roasted sunflower seeds and 1 tablespoon of basil or oregano. Mix thoroughly and sprinkle about 1 teaspoonful on salads. Add your favorite salad dressing and toss. Store unused portion in refrigerator to preserve crispness.
Vegetable Crackers 1 cup flax seeds 2 medium tomatoes 2 carrots 2 cloves garlic 1 teaspoon dill seed 1 teaspoon cumin 3 cups water 1/2 medium onion 2 celery stalks 2 teaspoons basil 1 teaspoon sea salt Place the flax seeds in water. Allow to soak overnight. In a food processor, use a setting. Grate the tomatoes, onion, celery, carrots and garlic. Add the basil, dill seed, sea salt and cumin.
Baby Food Make nutritious baby food without preservative, stabilizers or additives by using any vegetables or fruits you have previously dehydrated. Simply soak any amount of the produce in an equal amount of warm water. Steam for a few minutes and mash with a fork or puree in blender or food processor. Instant Baby Food You can also make instant baby food with your dehydrator by cooking your vegetables first. Cook or steam your desired vegetable until soft.
Herbs Most herbs dry overnight. You will have about one pound of dry herbs for every eight pounds of fresh herbs. Dried herbs retain their flavor best if they are crushed just before using. Home dehydration saves a lot of money. You can dry almost any herb you can find including dry chives, oregano, basil, dill, rosemary, thyme, parsley, mint, and peppers.
J erky Recipes 27
Jerky Recipes Normally raw meat is used for jerky. However, cooked meat as well as raw meat may be dehydrated for later rehydration. Cut meat to size for recipes before dehydration. You’ll find that meat is much easier to work with when its cut to size before it is dehydrated and becomes crispy. USE CAUTION when making jerky from raw chicken or turkey due to food borne bacteria, like salmonella, that may be present in the poultry when you purchase it.
Marinade For Beef, Fish or Turkey Jerky Makes enough for 4 pounds of meat. 1/2 lb brown sugar Spices of your choosing 3 cups soy sauce 1⁄4 cup liquid smoke Mix ingredients in bowl and let stand while you are cutting the meat. Place beef, fish or turkey into the bowl of marinade, secure lid and let stand about 10 minutes. Shake bowl and turn bowl every few minutes to cover all pieces equally. Drain in sieve or colander. Place on trays and dehydrate. Turn and rotate trays every few hours.
Hot & Tangy Jerky Marinade 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 2 cloves crushed garlic 3 tbsp worcestershire sauce 1/4 tsp cracked pepper 1 tsp onion powder 2 tbsp steak sauce 1/2 tsp paprika Combine ingredients and rub thoroughly into meat. Marinade overnight. Drain in sieve or colander. Place on trays and dehydrate. Turn and rotate trays every few hours. Drying time is about 24-36 hours, depending on the thickness of the slices.
Arts & Crafts 31
Arts and Crafts Turn your dehydrator into family fun. You can get creative and make fun decorations, gifts for Mother’s Day & Father’s Day and Holiday ornaments. Great fun on any rainy day.
Food Dehydrator Clay 2 cups flour 1 cup water 1 cup salt Mix flour and salt together, then add water. Blend mixture by hand. Knead by hand 2 or 3 minutes into a pliable, moist ball. Roll dough on a well-floured surface, adding flour to the top of the dough so it will not stick. Keep surface well-floured as you roll and turn dough. Cut into shapes or make figurines and then dry. Holiday Ornaments Roll dough thin - as you would a cookie. Use cookie cutters for designs.
Sachets And Potpourri Now you can save the beauty of spring and summer and enjoy the sweet-smelling plants you have in your flower and herb garden with the Food Dehydrator all year long. Select petals or small pieces of the flower and place them loosely on the fine mesh tray and place them in your Food Dehydrator. When perfectly dried (about 5 hours) store the petals in decorative containers or sachet bags that close with a ribbon.
How to Eat Like the Vikings (A Brief History of Dehydration) Archeologists have discovered that early man sustained himself on natural dehydrated foods. They did this by using the heat from the sun or their fires to preserve food harvested during plentiful seasons. Dried foods have been found in pyramids and other tombs, and even centuries later some of it was still completely preserved! For this reason early civilizations used dehydrated foods on long journeys.
Important Notice Your Ronco Food Dehydrator has a vent on its top and may have another vent on the bottom depending on the model. Do not operate with top or bottom vent blocked or closed at any time as this will interfere with proper air flow. Do not use oil sprays on the trays. ONE YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY Ronco Holdings, Inc., warrants the original purchaser or owner of this new product that it is free from defects in materials and workmanship for one year from documented date of purchase.
Ronco Holdings, Inc. 15505 Long Vista Dr., Ste 250 Austin, TX 78728 1.855.85.RONCO www.RoncoDehydrator.com Copyright ©2012 by Ronco Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in China. 06.
Food Drying Basics Drying is one of the oldest methods of preserving food and compared with other methods, drying is quite simple. In the beginning, a lot of salt had to be used to preserve foods, and they were dried in the sun. Today we have the Ronco Food Dehydrator to help in the process of drying. Whether you garden, buy from local farmers or are conscious of the high cost of store bought dried products, drying foods at home is easy, nutritious and delicious.
