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storaGe & reconstItutIon

The ideal temperature for food storage is 50˚ – 60˚F / 10˚ – 16˚C.  Use containers safe from 

moisture and insects.  Glass jars with tight lids, sealed bags, and vacuum-sealed bags are 

recommended.  You can store bags in metal coffee cans or cookie tins.

Reconstitution

Reconstituting foods adds yet another dimension to the versatility of daily food preparation.  

Properly dried food, rehydrate well.  They will retain much of the aroma, flavor, minerals and 

vitamins.  Here are some common reconstituting methods.  It is important to not add salt, sugar 

or spiced during the first 5 minutes of reconstitution.

• 

Electric Steamer:

 Place food in a rice bowl and cover with liquid.  Follow the directions provided 

with your steamer’s operating manual for reconstituting fruits and vegetables.

• 

Soaking:

 Place dried food in a shallow pan.  Cover with liquid.  Allow 1 to 2 hours for 

rehydration process to occur. 

• 

Boiling Water:

 Vegetables: Place 1 cup of dried vegetables in 1 cup of boiling water.  Soak 

for 5 to 20 minutes.  Fruits: Place 1 cup of dried fruit and 1 cup of boiling water into a pan.  

Let simmer until tender.

• 

Cooking:

 For vegetable sides, fruit toppings, or compotes:  Use 1 part liquid to 1 part dried 

food.  For food used in soufflés, pies and quick breads, add 2 parts of liquid to 3 parts of 

dried food.  When cooking fruits, place into a saucepan with boiling water, turn heat to low.  

Simmer 1 to 15 minutes or until tender.

Summary of Contents for 3926TB

Page 1: ...Dehydration Guide www drying123 com Household Use Only Made in the USA 041515 ...

Page 2: ...d in a food dryer Slices of beef chicken fish or even venison can be marinated in a combination of sauces and spices and easily transformed into homemade jerky A carton of yogurt spread over a sheet of Paraflexx or plastic wrap dries and becomes a vividly colored taffy like snack or fruit roll Operating cost for your Excalibur Dehydrator is approximately 3 6 cents per hour Using your dehydrator co...

Page 3: ...getables 10 Jerky 11 The Process 11 Dehydrating 11 Storage 11 Raw Living Foods 12 What Are Living Foods 12 Why Excalibur is Superior for Living Foods 12 Food Temperature vs Air Temperature 12 How to use your dehydrator for Living Foods 12 Other Dehydrator Uses 13 14 Herbs and Spices 13 Nuts 13 Raising Bread 13 Pasta 13 Yogurt 13 Recrisping 13 Cheese 14 Drying Photographs 14 Whole Meal Preparation ...

Page 4: ...xamination repair or adjustment 7 The use of accessory attachments not recommended by the appliance manufacturer may cause hazards 8 Sharp utensils should not be used inside the dehydrator 9 10 Do not let cord hang over the edge of the table or counter or touch hot surfaces 11 Do not use outdoors 12 Do not place on or near a hot gas or electric burner or in a heated oven 13 Always plug cord into t...

Page 5: ...that this product must not be disposed of with your other household waste Instead it is your responsibility to dispose of your waste equipment by handing it over to a designated collection point for recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment The separate collection and recycling of your waste equipment at the time of disposal will help conserve natural resources and ensure that it is r...

Page 6: ...ason s rainfall environmental factors and the ripeness of the food This will effect drying times If you wash produce before dehydrating make sure you towel off excess water prior to drying Cleaning Wipe dehydrator with a damp cloth and warm soapy water Rinse well Trays can be placed on top rack of dishwasher Removable mesh inserts can be soaked in warm soapy water Wipe down with a damp sponge Door...

Page 7: ...utes NOTE Fruit juice is only 1 6 as effective as pure Ascorbic Acid and may add taste to your food Honey Dip A common treatment for dried fruits sold in the grocery store or in health food stores This will make fruit considerably sweeter and add calories as well Dissolve 1 cup of sugar in 3 cups of hot water Cool mixture to lukewarm Add 1 cup of honey Dip fruits in small batches Remove with slott...

Page 8: ...ution Electric Steamer Place food in a rice bowl and cover with liquid Follow the directions provided with your steamer s operating manual for reconstituting fruits and vegetables Soaking Place dried food in a shallow pan Cover with liquid Allow 1 to 2 hours for rehydration process to occur Boiling Water Vegetables Place 1 cup of dried vegetables in 1 cup of boiling water Soak for 5 to 20 minutes ...

Page 9: ...iable 22 30 hours Grapes Wash remove stems cut in half or leave whole skin side down Blanching will reduce drying time by 50 Pliable 22 30 hours Nectarines Wash pit and peel Cut into 3 8 slices dry skin side down Pliable 8 16 hours Peaches Wash pit and peel if desired 1 4 slices Pliable 8 16 hours Pears Wash remove core peel 1 4 slices or 1 4 the pear Pliable 8 16 hours Persimmons Wash remove cap ...

Page 10: ...peel slice 1 4 thick Leathery 4 8 hours Greens Wash thoroughly trim remove tough stems spread over trays so leaves aren t matted together For more even drying stir several times Brittle 3 7 hours Mushrooms Brush off dirt or wipe with damp cloth slice 3 8 slice from cap through stem ends Spread in single layer on tray Leathery 3 7 hours Okra Wash trim slice 1 4 circles Leathery 4 8 hours Onions Rem...

Page 11: ...rs Summer Squash Wash peel if desired cut into1 4 slices Leathery 10 14 hours Tomatoes Wash remove stems slice 1 4 Circles for cherry grape tomatoes slice in half dry skin side down Leathery or Brittle 5 9 hours Turnips Peel cut into 3 8 slices Brittle 8 12 hours Winter Squash Wash cut into pieces bake or steam until tender puree pulp in blender pour onto Paraflexx drying sheets Brittle 7 11 hours...

Page 12: ...ers can be made with 4 bananas and 1 cup of peanut butter Be sure to refrigerate leather using nuts as the oil in nuts may shorten the leather s shelf life Try adding coconut or chopped nuts to the leather for more taste and texture Dehydrate at 135 F 57 C for 4 6 hours Yogurt Yogurt when dried becomes a taffy like snack Make yogurt add flavoring like strawberries or peppermint extract Dry Then cu...

Page 13: ...e meat and poor cure over the top layers Marinate for 6 12 hours in refrigerator Turn the strips over a few times to ensure thorough curing Dehydrating Shake off any excess cure Spread a single layer of meat strips on a dehydrator tray Dry at 155 F 165 F 68 C for approximately 4 6 hours Occasionally blot off fat droplets that appear on the surface Always test jerky using a cool piece Properly drie...

Page 14: ...n control the temperature and Excalibur controls the airflow for fast and even drying Air temperature fluctuates up to evaporate moisture from the surface of the food and fluctuates down to move moisture from the center of the food to the outside This keeps the food temperature low enough to preserve the enzymes Food Temperature vs Air Temperature During the dehydration process the food temperatur...

Page 15: ...d exists right inside your dehydrator Remove the A dehydrator is the perfect environment for raising bread Preheat dehydrator at 115 F 46 C Place a shallow pan of water on the bottom of the dehydrator Insert a drying tray directly above the water and place the bowl of dough on the tray Cover the dough with a cloth Allow the dough 30 minutes to 1 hour of time to rise Once it has risen continue with...

Page 16: ...sour whey drain out Place several inches of water in a large place set the crock in it and heat to 115 F 46 C Hold the cottage cheese at this temperature for 30 minutes Stir occasionally Line a colander with cheesecloth and pour in the curds and whey Allow the whey to drain off Dip the colander in cold water and gently stir the curds to wash away the last traces of whey Let the curds drain thoroug...

Page 17: ...ried basil 1 cup tomato powder 1 4 cup dried sliced mushrooms Mix all ingredients and store in a tightly sealed glass container To prepare sauce add 3 cups of water to mix and simmer until thick Serves 4 Beef Jerky Ole 1 jar of mild salsa 1 package chili seasoning mix 1 tsp oregano powder crushed red pepper 5 lbs lean beef sliced 1 4 thick Remove all visible fat from beef Combine all ingredients e...

Page 18: ...4 cup dried onion Fresh ground black pepper to taste 1 2 cup crumbled bacon optional 1 4 cup chopped dried green onion 1 4 cup dried red peppers 4 tbsp oil salt to taste Rehydratepotatoes onion pepper lettingstandabout20minutes drain Inaskillet overmedium heat add oil Cook potatoes onion pepper until crisp golden brown Add crumbled bacon salt pepper Serves 6 1 2 cup serving each Summer Salad Toppi...

Page 19: ...ber the poured puree should be 1 4 thick at the edges If I powdered my dried vegetables what could I use them for Powdered onion and garlic of course are favorite seasonings for meats and sauces Powdered tomatoes can be reconstituted into tomato sauce paste catsup juice or soup Powders are easy to make A blender or food processor will give you the finest texture Simply place pieces of dried vegeta...

Page 20: ... the fan turning stop the rotation of the fan by pressing against the metal mesh screen towards the fan blade until it stops This will make a loud noise this is OK Use your flattened hand never place any object through the square holes in the screen With the fan blade stopped look for glowing if you see glowing immediately let go of the screen you have cleared the points and your unit is fixed If ...

Page 21: ...everything you need to know about dehydration and how to make the most of your dehydrator Experiment with your drying times Everyone s tastes are different You may like some food dried longer for a crispier texture You may like other dried less for a chewier texture Be sure to write down the food and times so you remember what you like Store your Paraflexx sheets in the bottom of the dehydrator Th...

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Page 24: ...Excalibur 8250 Ferguson Ave Sacramento CA 95828 1 800 875 4254 www drying123 com Find us on Facebook www facebook com ExcaliburDehydrators Household Use Only ...

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