5
General Drying Guidelines _________
There are no absolutes and quite a few variables in food dehydration. The
only way to become proficient is to dry, dry and dry some more! Certain
varieties of produce, the humidity in the air and even methods of food
handling make a difference in the drying time and quality of dried product.
• Experiment with different thicknesses of produce, pretreatment versus no
pretreatment and different rehydration methods. You will determine what
works best for your particular needs and preferences.
• To save nutrients and produce a quality product, it is necessary to work
fast preparing foods to dry. Once placed in the dehydrator, they need to dry
continuously for the recommended time. Do not turn off the dehydrator and
leave partially dried foods sitting on the trays. The food may spoil or
develop off flavors.
• Spread all foods evenly to dry in single layers. If slices overlap, the areas
that are overlapping will take twice as long to dry.
• Do not add fresh produce to a partially dried batch. It will slow the rate
of drying for both products. It is possible however, to combine partially
dried foods onto fewer trays.
• Many people have more than one NESCO
®
/ American Harvest
®
Food
Dehydrator. If you have two, it’s easy to combine a load from both
dehydrators after a few hours and start a new batch in your second
dehydrator using the remaining trays.
Selecting Foods To Dry
Select the best quality produce at the peak of ripeness and flavor. Wash
carefully to remove debris, dust and insects. Cut away any bruised or
damaged sections.
Service
Should you experience any problems other that routine cleaning, please call
Customer Satisfaction at Nesco American Harvest, 1-800-288-4545.
• Do not dehydrate foods that have been prepared with or marinated in alcohol.
• Trays are only intended to be used with your NESCO
®
/ American Harvest
®
Food Dehydrator. Do not use the trays either in a conventional oven or
with any other appliance.
