Dehydrating or drying-out of food items is an impeccable technique to preserve foods which are more effortlessly put in storage than the canned products. You may consume these foods during the meals or can also take them with you on hiking or camping. With an invention of a food dehydrator now our life has become easier as the conventional method of drying out the foods was a moderately time -taken job.
In a food dehydrator, you can easily dehydrate numerous varieties of food items like fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, flowers, etc. The fruit that is dehydrated in this appliance is much reasonable than the preserved food that is available in the market.
In fact, these homemade foods are more healthy and nutritious as no additives or preservatives are used while the preparation.
List of Things to Dehydrate in a Dehydrator
The list of foods that can be dehydrated in a food dehydrator is endless, but below are some of the common food items that you can simply dry out in a food dehydrator:
1. Homemade Banana Chips
This is one of the easiest and common food items that can be dehydrated in a food dehydrator. You can prepare it by setting it to the desired temperature. These chips can be stored in an airtight or sealed container for the longer duration.
2. Apple Fruit Leather
You can also make the apple fruit leather in a food dehydrator. This is one of the tastiest foodstuffs that are liked by all age group people. You just need apples for this and can also spread some natural cinnamon over it to enhance its delicious taste more.
3. Crunchy Orange Chips
If you are a big fan of chips then you must like these crunchy orange chips. When you prepare this food in a dehydrator, it’s salty delightfulness will not allow you to keep away from the aroma of deliciousness. It tastes quite different from the other types of chips.
4. Popcorn made from cauliflower
It is quite obvious that most of us does not like cauliflower as a vegetable but have you ever taste the popcorn made up of cauliflower? It tastes marvelous. This is one of the innovative food items that are prepared by dehydrating pieces of cauliflower in the trays of a dehydrator. It is also an addicting recipe that you wish to make again and again for your family.
5. Dry Tomatoes
The tomatoes that are dried in the sun have been one of the oldest food items that we have heard. But now, you can dehydrate tomatoes in a food dehydrator quite easily. The dried tomatoes can be used in fruit salads, Italian pasta, and you can also take it with you while going out on a camp or a trip.
6. Zucchini Chips
You can make zucchini chips at your home very easily. You just have to dehydrate it at 135 degrees in the food dehydrator and after that, by sprinkling some salt and pepper over it, you can serve it to your family members. It normally takes 5 to 6 hours to prepare this food item.
7. Dehydrated Salmon Jerky
The next name in the list is of dehydrated salmon jerky. In a food dehydrator, you can make perfect salmon jerky that can accommodate maximum types of diets all over the world. It is a very good worldwide famous healthy food. You are required to dry out this food at 200 degrees for at least three hours.
8. Dehydrated Pears
A dehydrated pear is a very good fruit for the babies as it benefits a lot to their teeth. This is quite chewy to eat and not so much crispy like banana or apple chips.
9. Cheesy Chips made from kale
Kale is a kind of leaf that is enriched with valuable antioxidants like beta-carotene, quercetin, and lots of flavonoids. This also comprises of vitamin C, folate, minerals, as well as other vitamins. This vegetable also helps in reducing the stress and formation of inflammatory conditions. You just have to place this on a tray of the food dehydrator and dehydrate it at 130 degrees for around 10 to 12 hours.
10. Dehydrated Mangoes
Mango is a fruit that is liked by everyone and so are the dehydrated mangoes. You can find this food in bulk in a supermarket store also but if you want to prepare it in a healthy way then it must be done with the help of a food dehydrator. You are required to put the slices of mangoes in a food dehydrator at 130 to 135 degrees for around 10 to 12 hours. It is a perfect snack if you are going out on a vacation or a camp.
The above names are just a few to include in the endless list of foods that can be prepared with the help of a food dehydrator. These foods are not only healthy but also taste very delicious.
It becomes quite difficult to compare them with the original raw food sometimes. As people are becoming more health conscious, the trend of using a food dehydrator is also increasing. Day by day, new and innovative recipes of foods are getting invented. You can also have these healthy foods not only at your home but also at big eating places like hotels, restaurants.
However, there are some foods that cannot be dehydrated in a food dehydrator like eggs, avocados, olives, etc. because these types of foods cannot be stored for a longer period of time. It is always advisable to read all the guidelines and instructions that are provided with a food dehydrator regarding the names of foods that can be prepared in it. You can also search on the internet in case of any confusion as nowadays every kind of minute information is readily available over there.
HI: First time at attempting to use a dehydrator. Am in the midst of onions. My first thought was to simply not buy packaged assorted chips but to try to make my own. Can I make assorted veggies ie. zucchini and sweet potato at the same time? Where to find an extended list of fruits and veggies to dehydrate. Thanks.
Hi,
That’s good thought actually.
You can give it a try. Most of the time users don’t prefer dehydrating different veggies at the same time because of flavor mixing, and moreover, each vegetable requires different dehydrating time and temperature settings to dehydrate.
What I recommend is, give it a try yourself. If you like the output then you can continue or else you can drop it.
Good topic idea. I haven’t covered about that topic yet. I will Cover that topic in the upcoming post.
I have an old dehydrator from a garage sale thought id try some oranges
Here are a few helpful resources:
Can you Dehydrate Oranges?
How to Dehydrate Oranges in a Food Dehydrator
WHAT SIZE DO I CUT CELERY FOR SOUPS AND STEWS FOR DEHYDRATING CELERY?