When it comes to dehydrating, one of the most common questions people have is about the dehydrating times and temperatures for various foods. There is no single answer to this question as there are various factors that can affect the dehydrating time and different kinds of foods often need to be dehydrated at varying temperatures.
Excalibur is one of the most well known companies that manufactures different types of dehydrators and related accessories. Excalibur Dehydrators are known for their excellent performance in drying all kinds of foods. These dehydrators are designed to provide stellar usage for small as well as large drying projects.
The patented Airflow Technology used in Excalibur dehydrators add to the efficiency of these well designed appliances. If you’re looking for a reliable dehydrator that will offer you years of usage for dehydrating all kinds of foods, then you can easily choose a dehydrator from the Excalibur range.
When looking at the Excalibur Dehydrators, you can always expect excellent drying times that dry the food properly. The Excalibur Dehydrators have unique features and these are built for maximum drying efficiency. With superior components and durable construction, these dehydrators are considered to be the best in the market.
It is important to not rush drying any kind of foods as improperly dried food might contain bacteria and pathogens that have not been destroyed by the heat. Another factor that matters a lot when you’re trying to dehydrate food is to not overheat it because that will make the food excessively brittle and tasteless.
Fruits Drying Time and Temperature of Excalibur Dehydrator
Even if you’re using a feature packed Excalibur dehydrator, the drying times for different kinds of fruits can vary, depending on a number of factors. While some of these factors can be controlled, there are others that one needs to compensate for by proper preparation. You can also pre-treat the food with a citrus juice to prevent oxidation while dehydrating. Simply mix 1 cup of citrus juice in 1 quart of water and soak the fruit slices for ten minutes. Let’s have a look at the drying times, preparation and temperatures for dehydrating different fruits.
| Fruit | Dehydrating Time | Dehydrating Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| Apple | 7-15 Hours | 135°F |
| Apricots | 20-28 Hours | 135°F |
| Bananas | 6-10 Hours | 135°F |
| Berries | 10-15 Hours | 135°F |
| Cherries | 13-21 Hours | 135°F |
| Figs | 22-30 Hours | 135°F |
| Grapes | 22-30 Hours | 135°F |
| Peaches | 8-16 Hours | 135°F |
| Pears | 8-16 Hours | 135°F |
| Pineapple | 10-18 Hours | 135°F |
| Strawberries | 7-15 Hours | 135°F |
| Watermelon | 8-10 Hours | 135°F |
- Apples
Apples are a top favorite for drying and making into a delicious snack. You can core the apples and cut these into round slices or rings. Dehydrate for 7-15 hours at 135°F till the texture is pliable. - Apricots
Apricots make a delicious dried snack. Cut these into halves, remove the pits, and place on the dehydrator tray. Dehydrate for 20-28 hours at 135°F till the slices are pliable. - Bananas
Peel the bananas and cut into slices or wedges and places on the sheet. Dry these for 6-10 hours at 135°F till the texture is crispy or leathery. - Berries
You can use berries as whole in the dehydrator but for wax coated berries, use a small pin or a needle to puncture the outer skin. Dry for 10-15 hours at 135°F till the structure is leathery. - Cherries
De-pit the cherries and remove the stems. Chop each in half and place on the tray. Dehydrate at 135°F for 13-21 hours till they’re leathery to touch. - Figs
Wash the figs and cut out any blemishes or ripe parts. Cut into quarter pieces and spread skin side down on the tray. Dehydrate at 135°F for 22-30 hours. - Grapes
Grapes make great snacks once dehydrated. Simply wash the grapes, remove stems, cut in half or keep them whole. Dehydrate at 135°F for 22-30 hours. - Peaches
Wash and pit. You can leave the skin on or peel it. Cut into 1/4” slices and dehydrate at 135°F for 8-16 hours till the texture is pliable. - Pears
Pears are rich in nutrients and vitamins. A delicious dried snack for any time. Wash, de-core, peel into 1/4” slices or use 1/4th of the pear. Dehydrate at 135°F for 8-16 hours till the texture is pliable. - Pineapple
A pineapple slice is a popular and delicious dried snack. Peel the crust off, remove the eyes and core the fruit. You can chop it into 1/4” slices or wedges. Dehydrate at 135°F for 10-18 hours till the slices are pliable. - Strawberries
An all time favorite dried snack, strawberries are easy to prepare and dehydrate. Wash and cut off the caps. Chop into 1/4” thick slices and dehydrate at 135°F for 7-15 hours till the slices are leathery and sticky to touch. - Watermelon
Watermelon slices taste great once dehydrated. Simply cut off the rinds and slice into wedges to remove the seeds. Dehydrate at 135°F for 8-10 hours till the wedges are pliable and sticky.
Vegetables Drying Time and Temperature of Excalibur Dehydrator
Vegetables, once dried, can be stored for a long period of time and these are easy to re-hydrate and use in a variety of recipes for cooking. One important preparation step is to blanch the vegetables in steam or hot water so that any harmful enzymes are destroyed. Blanching allows vegetables to keep their color and taste for a long time. Let’s have a look at the dehydration guidelines for vegetables in Excalibur Dehydrators.
| Vegetable | Dehydrating Time | Dehydrating Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| Asparagus | 5-6 Hours | 125°F |
| Beets | 8-12 Hours | 125°F |
| Broccoli | 10-14 Hours | 125°F |
| Carrots | 10-14 Hours | 125°F |
| Celery | 6-10 Hours | 125°F |
| Corn | 6-10 Hours | 125°F |
| Mushroom | 3-7 Hours | 125°F |
| Onions | 4-8 Hours | 145°F |
| Peas | 4-8 Hours | 125°F |
| Potatoes | 6-14 Hours | 125°F |
| Tomatoes | 5-9 Hours | 125°F |
- Asparagus
Wash the asparagus and cut it into small pieces of 1” inch. Dehydrate at 125°F for 5-6 hours till it achieves a brittle texture. - Beets
Remove the top scrub. Steam the beets till it is tender to touch. Let it cool and then cut into 1/4” slices or cubes as per your requirement. Dehydrate at 125°F for 8-12 hours till it achieves a leathery consistency. - Broccoli
Wash and trim the Broccoli and cut the stems into 1/4” pieces. You can easily dry the pieces whole in the dehydrator. Choose 125°F and dry for 10-14 hours till it achieves a bitter consistency. - Carrots
Wash and cut the tops off the carrots. Slice into lengthy pieces or cut into cubes or circles as desired. Set the pieces in the dehydrator and dry at 125°F for 10-14 hours till the pieces are brittle. - Celery
Wash and chop into 1/4” strips. Place on sheet and dehydrate at 125°F for 6-10 hours till it’s leathery. - Corn
Corn can be a unique dehydrated vegetable for use in soups and broths once re-hydrated. Shuck the corn and steam it. Remove the corn from the cob and place it all on the dehydrator tray. Dehydrate at 125°F for 6-10 hours till it’s brittle to touch. - Mushrooms
Wash and clean the mushrooms. Slice from the cap through stem ends and spread on the tray. Dehydrate at 125°F for 3-7 hours till it’s leathery in consistency. - Onions
Slice onions in rings and or divide in slices. Dehydrate at 145°F for 4-8 hours till leathery in consistency. - Peas
Dehydrated peas can be used in soups and other vegetables. Prepare by shelling, washing and steaming the peas. Rinse with cold water and blot dry. Dehydrate at 125°F for 4-8 hours till brittle to touch. - Potatoes
Wash the potatoes and steam them. Let them dry and then cut in the desired shape. Dehydrate at 125°F for 6-14 hours till brittle or leathery in consistency. - Tomatoes
Wash the tomatoes and remove their stems. Slice in circles or half as per your preference. Place on sheets and dehydrate at 125°F for 5-9 hours till leathery or brittle.
Jerky Drying Time and Temperature of Excalibur Dehydrators
Cooking jerky in a dehydrator is one of the most popular uses of the device. There are virtually unlimited ways to make jerky from any kind of meat, but some of the basic guidelines for cooking jerky are as following.
- Choose a lean cut of raw meat and use a sharp knife to remove any fat you can see.
- Partially freeze the meat to make slicing easier.
- Cut into 1′ wide stripes, 3/18” thick.
- Remove any visible fat from the stripes.
- Marinate for at least 12 hours.
- Dehydrate at 155°F for 4-6 hours.
- Remove any fat droplets with blotting paper.
- Let it cool. Check the jerky by bending a piece. If it cracks without breaking, it’s ready.
- Store in a moisture-free place.
Tips for Optimum Drying Times in Your Excalibur Dehydrator
As we’ve discussed above, the drying times vary for different types of foods, but there are certain ways in which you can optimize the drying times by preparing or getting better equipment. Let’s have a look at some of these ways.
Get a Rectangular Tray Dehydrator: When it comes to rectangular dehydrators, the heat loss is less as compared to circular dehydrators. The heat is distributed evenly through the trays in a rectangular dehydrator, while in a circular dehydrator, the upper or the lower trays get less heat due to the placement of fan. Also, rotating trays can often lead to an increase in the overall drying time. With a rectangular dehydrator, you don’t need to worry about rotating trays.
Prepare the Food Before Drying: Food preparation is essential to getting optimum drying times in any dehydrator. If you’re drying meat, make sure you cook it at high temperature (165°F for poultry, and 155°F for meat) to kill the bacteria and pathogens before drying.
For fruits like apple, dipping the slices in lemon juice can prevent them from going brown. For peaches, removing the pits can help you in getting better drying times. If you’re cutting food in slices, check your dehydrator manual about the thickness of slices that is appropriate for each type of fruit or vegetables.
Keep Your Dehydrator Clean: A clean dehydrator can help you in getting better drying times as the whole environment is sanitized and there are no extra food particles in the way of heat flow. A clean dehydrator is also able to better conduct heat through the trays and that helps in easier and quicker drying of food.
Use a transparent lid for the dehydrator: When you’re looking for a dehydrator, buy an Excalibur dehydrator that has a transparent cover or lid so that you can check on the progress of the drying without opening the lid and letting all the heat out. With an opaque or solid lid, every time you open it to check on the food’s drying progress, you further increase the drying time.
Use the timer function for dehydrating: Buying an Excalibur dehydrator with a timer is essential if you want to achieve optimum drying times. You can set up a timer as per the drying instructions given in the manual of the dehydrator. This helps to avoid over-drying or under-drying the food and you can get optimum drying done without needing to supervise the whole drying process.
Stack food with ample space between pieces: Most of the times when food take a long time to dry, it’s because the pieces are stacked too close together. Make sure there is ample space between the food slices so that the heat is able to reach every piece of food. This can help you in getting an even dryness for all pieces of food.
Use Fresh Foods for Drying: When you’re buying fruits, vegetables, or fruits for drying, make sure these are fresh as buying ripe fruits or vegetables can bring variation in the drying times. Fresh food is easier to handle while cutting into slices and it is also rich in vitamins and mineral with sufficient moisture for proper dehydration. Also, it can lead to inconsistent results when you dry fruits or vegetables that are overripe.
Dehydrate food in sufficient batches: Always dehydrate food by filling your dehydrator to its optimum capacity. If you fill it more or less than its given tray capacity, it can vary the drying times by a great degree. By drying sufficient amounts of food, not only will you get the best use from the dehydrator, but you will also dry food in the right manner.
Avoid Dehydrating Different Foods at the same time: If you’re thinking about drying different foods in the same session, avoid it because it will lead to an inconsistent end result. Better yet, don’t dehydrate fruits and vegetables in the same session. Dry them separately for best results in terms of taste and consistency.
Different foods have different drying temperatures and degrees of moisture in them. Drying these at the same time can lead to the food varying in consistency and taste once it’s dried. Also, the flavors of different foods might intermingle and it won’t taste like you were expecting.
These are only some of the tips that you can follow while drying foods. You should always keep in mind that the instructions provided with your Excalibur dehydrator are the best guide when it comes to dehydrating foods. You can also read up on recipe books about dehydration to get the best drying times for all kinds of foods.
Conclusion
If you’re dedicated to drying foods for later consumption, buying an Excalibur Dehydrator is the best thing you can do. These dehydrators are efficient, reliable, and offer ample space for drying large batches of foods. Features like temperature control and timer also add to the functions of these dehydrators for getting better drying times with each session.
With a wide temperature range and large fans used in these dehydrators, you can easily dry any kind of fruits, vegetables, nuts or herbs in the most efficient and ideal manner. These dehydrators are also perfect for making fruit rollups and fruit leather. You can dry herbs and nuts in these dehydrators to use in your recipes or just as a snack.
With Excalibur dehydrators, you can achieve optimum drying times and consistent results every time when you follow the directions given with the dehydrator. Always make sure that your dehydrator is in a place where it has ample space around it and it is clean and dry when you start dehydrating your choice foods. A well-maintained dehydrator will always give you excellent results.
By following the suggestions given in this article, you can further optimize the drying times for greater efficiency and getting delicious and healthy dried food easily.
To learn more about Excalibur Dehydrators and food drying tips, please browse through this blog. You can also leave your questions and queries in the comments and we’ll answer them at the earliest.