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12

Dehydrator Troubleshooting Guide

Symptom

Possible Cause

Possible Remedies

No heat & No fan

No power to unit

1. Be sure unit is plugged in. 2. Be 
sure power switch is on. 3. Check 
that outlet is working.

No heat & Fan OK Broken wire in unit

Not user repairable. Return for 
service

Heat OK No fan

Motor stalled or fan 
blocked (pieces of 
dried product) jam-
ming

1. Turn off immediately 2. Check 
for foreign objects in fan. Turn base 
assembly upside down and shake 
vigorously. Turn unit on side and 
shake particles out. If fan still does 
not operate, return unit for service. 
3. If liquid has been spilled into the 
air vents or the fan housing, unplug 
immediately and return the unit for 
service.

Slow drying

Trays overfilled Fan 
jammed or running 
too slowly Air leaks 
due to warped or 
improperly stacked 
trays

1. Air must flow freely around the 
food for proper drying. Reduce 
quantity in trays or rearrange food. 
2. Check for foreign objects jam-
ming fan (see “Heat ok. No fan”) 
3. Fan motor running slow: Return 
for service. 4. Replace warped trays. 
Note: the heat during the drying 
cycle on most dishwashers may 
warp the drying trays. 5. Re-stack 
trays properly.

Uneven

Variation in food 
thickness and 
ripeness. Trays not 
rotated. Too much 
material in drying 
trays

1. Verify that foods are uniform in 
Drying thickness. 2. rotate trays 
once or twice during the dehydra-
tion process. 3. Verify that foods 
on the trays does not block air flow 
through the tray stack

Summary of Contents for Food dehydrator

Page 1: ...Victorio Digital Control Food Dehydrator ...

Page 2: ...ii Copyright 2008 Victorio Kitchen Products All Rights Reserved ...

Page 3: ...ce Important Safeguards When using electrical appliances basic safety precautions should always be followed including the following READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS PRODUCT LABELS AND WARN INGS BEFORE USING THE FOOD DEHYDRATOR To protect against electrical hazards do not immerse the cord the plug or the base of the dehydrator in water or other liquid Do not wash in sink or dishwasher Close supervision is nec...

Page 4: ...not place the dehydrator on a towel or carpet This will reduce or cut off the dehydrators airflow and could result in a damage to the ap pliance Always leave at least one inch of space around the dehydrator on all sides for proper ventilation A short power cord has been provided to reduce the hazards from becoming entangled in or tripping over a longer cord An extension cord may be used if care is e...

Page 5: ...hour Congratulations on Choosing the Victorio Computer Controlled Food Dehydrator This quality appliance is designed to give you many years of use For best results and trouble free service we urge you to read this entire manual Dehydrating Preserving Food Thousands of years ago one of the few ways people had to preserve foods was by laying them out to dry in the sun Before such modern appliances a...

Page 6: ...ing dehydration Ac cording to the Food and Drug Administration FDA dehydrating retains 95 97 of the nutrients in the original food In contrast canning only preserves 20 30 and freezing only retains 40 60 of the foods nutrition Dehydrated food tastes good too Since natural flavors concentrate as you remove moisture the dried product is naturally delicious As you will soon learn reconstitution is an ...

Page 7: ...ly protects the food but it can hamper the dehydration process During dehydration moisture escapes best from a cut or broken surface not through the tough skin Therefore the larger the cut area the faster and better the food will dehydrate For this reason thin stalked vegetables like green beans asparagus and rhubarb should be cut in half the long way or with an extreme diagonal cut to expose as m...

Page 8: ... the machine according to the instructions Preventing Dripping Some foods such as very ripe tomatoes and citrus or sugared fruits may drip If too much liquid drips into the bottom of the unit it can be damage neces sitating service Additionally the dripping from a tray above can change the flavor of different foods on lower trays To help lessen the dripping after placing food on drying trays and bef...

Page 9: ... moisture level will take a much shorter time to dry Citrus fruits like oranges will generally take longer than apples for the same reason So how do you know how long to let the foods dry After the dehydra tor runs for a while remove the trays and examine the foods Don t be afraid to peek This will help you learn about the drying process and how long it takes For foods with higher moisture levels ...

Page 10: ...al and fill the drying trays NEVER cover the center hole in the trays or the vents on the top lid Make sure the drying trays are securely nestled on top of each other and on the unit s base Plug the power cord into any standard 110 120 volt household outlet Consult the various tables at the end of the manual to get an idea as to when food is properly dehydrated and ready to be stored Tray Rotation ...

Page 11: ...modate the foods being dried An example would be some low tray stacking for banana chips and some tall stacking for large strawberry halves How to Operate your Food Dehydrator Your food dehydrator is simple to use and is designed to make the dehydra tion process simple and accurate if the instructions are followed Be sure that you have read the safety tips at the beginning of this manual before pr...

Page 12: ...ance in a safe place load and insert the trays then insert plug in the outlet 2 Select the desired temperature scale Change the C to F or from F to C by pressing and holding TEMP then pressing and holding TIMER Release the buttons then repeat as desired 3 Press and hold the TEMP button to select the desired temperature in a range of 30 80 degrees C or 86 176 degrees F When pressing the button the ...

Page 13: ...le The colon in the timer display will begin to flash indicating it is running The display shows the remaining time of operation in the format HH MM You will also hear the fan operating 6 The dehydrator will stop automatically when the time expires or you can stop it any time using the ON OFF button Remove the plug from outlet If you would like to add more time during the cycle or if you want to ch...

Page 14: ...the fan housing unplug immediately and return the unit for service Slow drying Trays overfilled Fan jammed or running too slowly Air leaks due to warped or improperly stacked trays 1 Air must flow freely around the food for proper drying Reduce quantity in trays or rearrange food 2 Check for foreign objects jam ming fan see Heat ok No fan 3 Fan motor running slow Return for service 4 Replace warped ...

Page 15: ... is cool before storing Heat and light will cause food to deteriorate Keep food in a dry cool and dark place Remove all the air you possible can from the storage container and close tightly Ideal storage temperature is 60 degrees F or lower Never store food directly in a metal container Avoid containers that breathe or have weak seal Check the contents of your dehydrated food for moisture during t...

Page 16: ...Cement walls and floors are often damp and cold Therefore dried food containers should not be placed directly on the floor or touching a basement or cellar wall as this can cause condensation in the container Do not store dried food near items with a strong odor such as varnish paint remover or kerosene Length of Storage Dried fruits and vegetables should not be stored longer than 1 year Plan to use...

Page 17: ...om stove and stand 2 to 3 hours Whole pieces of fruit take longest to reconstitute and are best left to soak overnight Other Reconstitution Hints If you drain reconstituted foods save the liquid This liquid has great nutritional value Freeze this liquid for later use in soups leathers pies or compotes There is no need to reconstitute ahead of time when making soups Dried vegetables can be added di...

Page 18: ...ydrator For drying times of fruits refer to the Fruit Timetable To avoid this darkening the fruit pieces can be dipped in solutions of lemon pineapple or orange juice or ascorbic acid prior to dehydration Dip the fruit in the solution for two minutes Drain on paper towels and place in drying trays Lemon Pineapple or Orange Juice Fresh or bottled lemon pineapple or orange juices are the best becaus...

Page 19: ...ss will concentrate when the leather is dry so don t make it too sweet It is best to use a fruit leather sheet designed for the purpose but if not available you can line on half of each drying tray with plastic wrap To maintain adequate circulation only half of each tray should be covered As always you must leave the drying tray s center hole uncovered If us ing more than one tray place the plasti...

Page 20: ...ions Here are some preparation guidelines that will help you get the most from your dried vegetables A few vegetables such as onions garlic peppers tomatoes and mush rooms can be dried and reconstituted successfully without pre treatment In general if vegetables must be steamed or blanched for freezing they must be treated for drying With the above named exceptions in mind most remaining vegetable...

Page 21: ...etables are slightly tender Veggie Chips Vegetable chips with their crunchy texture and great taste are so good you ll certainly want to plan for them Select vegetables such as cucumber eggplant zucchini or parsnips There is no need to peel Cut very thin slices about 1 8 inch thick Steam about 3 or 4 minutes if chip will be stored lon ger than 5 months Sprinkle with salt before drying or use seaso...

Page 22: ...because the acid breaks down the fibers making the meat more tender Slicing meat while partially frozen will be easier especially if you want very thin slices A food processor or a specialized meat slicer can do a great job You can also tell your butcher that you are making dried meat or jerky and they will be glad to thin slice it for you When drying meat or game for stews soups etc Remember that ...

Page 23: ...eat Select a lean flank or round steak about 1 to 1 1 2 inches thick Trim off all fat and connective tissue Fat hampers the ability of the meat to dry and connective tissue will make for a tough jerky to chew For easier cutting place meat in the freezer for about 30 minutes to partially freeze Then turn it over and freeze for an additional 15 minutes Cut across the grain into strips about 1 8 inch t...

Page 24: ...r hands before handling the meat and wash your hands after touching any other object or surface and before handling meat again Drying Other Items Flowers The flowers should be picked after the dew has dried and before the evening dampness Flowers should be dried as quickly and as soon as possible after picking Discard any damaged or brown leaves Place in trays without over lapping Drying times will...

Page 25: ...ys After dehydrating allow nuts to cool before storing Nuts contain a lot of oil and the oil could cause the nuts to become rancid so you should freeze them to guarantee freshness When ready to use the nuts bring them to room temperature Dry for approximately 18 to 26 hours ...

Page 26: ...ch strips Cut core into 1 4 inch strips Leathery 6 to 14 Carrots Steam until tender Shred or cut into slices Leathery 6 to 12 Cauliflower Steam blanch until tender Trim and cut Leathery 6 to 16 Celery Cut stalks into 1 4 inch slices Brittle 6 to 14 Chives Chop Brittle 6 to 10 Cucumber Pare and cut into 1 2 inch slices Leathery 6 to 18 Eggplant Squash Trim and slice 1 4 inch to 1 2 inch thick Brittl...

Page 27: ... 8 inch strips Brittle 5 to 13 Apricots Clean cut in halves or in slices Pliable 12 to 38 Bananas Peel and cut into 1 8 inch slices Crisp 8 to 38 Berries Cut strawberries into 3 8 inch slices other berries whole No mois ture 8 to 26 Cherries Pitting is optional or pit when 50 dry Leathery 8 to 34 Cranberries Chop or leave whole Pliable 6 to 26 Dates Pit and slice Leathery 6 to 26 Figs Slice Leathe...

Page 28: ...an void your warranty of damage the dehydrator beyond repair Any such work must only be pre formed by an authorized service center FOOD DEHYDRATOR WARRANTY Your Victorio Food Dehydrator is guaranteed for the period of one 1 year from the date of purchase to be free from mechanical defects in material or workmanship The manufacturer s obligation hereunder is limited to repair ing or replacing such ...

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