Just took delivery

[Jonbodthethird]

Ok just got my dehydrator (Andrew James digital) through my door and I've already out spag Bol in. Does it stink for long? Smells like the element is burning in. And can anyone give me some advice to improve things. I've washed the meat and drained before adding the sauce. I've heard it's better to do them seperatley? Not if there is any do's and dont's?


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[widu13]

Cook the mince separately then drain the fat off before adding the sauce. I tried doing the sauce separately- what a drama. It all gets combined now!

 

[RE8ELD0G]

Its will smell for a good few times until the element has adjusted to being heated.
Bear with it, it does not affect the food flavor so dont worry.

 

[Podcast Bob]

Do you mean you haven't cooked the meat and then added a cook-in-sauce in some way?

Whooaaaa .... in the bin before you make yourself ill!

Never try and dry a tinned cook-in-sauce/curry sauce or anything without heating it to boiling first. It stinks to high heaven, turns into a rubber frisby and never reconstitutes.

If you want to keep them separate you need to cook the meat with whatever spices you like, then drain the oil off it as much as possible, before putting it on the dehydrator tray. Too much oil it may go rancid when storing it, and you don't need after you've cooked it anyway.

Regarding the sauce, you can boil it or heat it through in a separate pan to 'cook' it. Something to do with the chemicals in it I guess, because afterwards you can put this on the dehydrator and it will dry correctly.

OR, you can cook the meal complete as you would want anyway, and then drain (spoon) off the excess oil as before. Then poor it onto the tray nice and thin and off you go.

Yes for the first 8-10 hours anything you dehydrate will smell, as the moisture being released carries the smell with it.

Dry it on a medium to high heat over night and then open it up, rip up the dried pieces to maximise the surface area, turn it over, spread it out and drop the heat to medium/low for another 8 hours.

Once dry, pop it in a plastic bag and WRITE on it, what it is and how many portions. Once the freezer drawer is full of the stuff you'll never remember and it all looks the same!!

The food will only ever absorb the volume of moisture which has been removed, so if the original portion was say 2 mugs worth, don't add more than 2 mugs worth of water to the dried food. You can do this and leave it in a tight canister for the day as you wander, or doing it before you cook. Bring it to the boil, give it a good stir and then pop it in a pot cost for 15-20 mins. Then boil it up again and it should be cooked.

Meat based food takes longer in every way. Veggie food takes 10 minutes or there abouts.

We have a book on the subject waiting to be edited, full of recipees, hints and tips. Maybe this year hopefully?

 

[Shewie]

We have a book on the subject waiting to be edited, full of recipees, hints and tips. Maybe this year hopefully?

Good to hear it's nearly ready Bob, I've been looking forward to this for a couple of years. Is Rose' fish pie in there?

 

[Toddy]

We didn't cook the meat for jerky Bob.

Just sliced it really fine, marinated it for a while and then dehydrated it.
Raw meat's not toxic unless it's been badly kept. Neither is raw fish.

Chicken and Turkey we did scald for two minutes in boiling water, but that's just the e-coli thing that worried me about those.

Not all of the meat was marinated either when we first tried the dehydrating, and 3lbs of steak disappeared in gun time when it came out of the dehydrator

I didn't freeze it either. Just stored in well sealed bags and jars.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Jonbodthethird]

Do you mean you haven't cooked the meat and then added a cook-in-sauce in some way?

Whooaaaa .... in the bin before you make yourself ill!

Never try and dry a tinned cook-in-sauce/curry sauce or anything without heating it to boiling first. It stinks to high heaven, turns into a rubber frisby and never reconstitutes.

If you want to keep them separate you need to cook the meat with whatever spices you like, then drain the oil off it as much as possible, before putting it on the dehydrator tray. Too much oil it may go rancid when storing it, and you don't need after you've cooked it anyway.

Regarding the sauce, you can boil it or heat it through in a separate pan to 'cook' it. Something to do with the chemicals in it I guess, because afterwards you can put this on the dehydrator and it will dry correctly.

OR, you can cook the meal complete as you would want anyway, and then drain (spoon) off the excess oil as before. Then poor it onto the tray nice and thin and off you go.

Yes for the first 8-10 hours anything you dehydrate will smell, as the moisture being released carries the smell with it.

Dry it on a medium to high heat over night and then open it up, rip up the dried pieces to maximise the surface area, turn it over, spread it out and drop the heat to medium/low for another 8 hours.

Once dry, pop it in a plastic bag and WRITE on it, what it is and how many portions. Once the freezer drawer is full of the stuff you'll never remember and it all looks the same!!

The food will only ever absorb the volume of moisture which has been removed, so if the original portion was say 2 mugs worth, don't add more than 2 mugs worth of water to the dried food. You can do this and leave it in a tight canister for the day as you wander, or doing it before you cook. Bring it to the boil, give it a good stir and then pop it in a pot cost for 15-20 mins. Then boil it up again and it should be cooked.

Meat based food takes longer in every way. Veggie food takes 10 minutes or there abouts.

We have a book on the subject waiting to be edited, full of recipees, hints and tips. Maybe this year hopefully?

No don't worry I've cooked the meat lol. I made the meal for the family I drained the fats but didn't wash the mince afterwards, hoping it won't be to hard to dehydrate. I've set the timer for 10 hours. Don't know how much longer it will need. I've also put another tray on with chicken jambalaya. Thinking about it it might make the flavours cross over? Hope not though. They're both left overs so if I mess them up it's not completely wasted.
cheers.

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[Toddy]

10 hours is a lot of drying.

Flavours shouldn't cross over.....well veggie curry on two layers and apples drying on the other three didn't

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Jonbodthethird]

10 hours is a lot of drying.

Flavours shouldn't cross over.....well veggie curry on two layers and apples drying on the other three didn't

cheers,
Toddy

How long do you think it should be drying for? I'll quickly adjust it.


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[Toddy]

Thing is you can stop and have a looksee turn food if necessary and get it drying again.

See how it looks before you go to bed, but with the small dehydrators I find it best to rotate the trays top to bottom every hour or so.
It's not 'necessary' but I think it gives a more even drying, iimmc.

Put it this way, you won't ruin the food leaving it on, and if it's not dry, it can go back on.

10 hours on my little one would have the meat as dry as sawdust. I don't know how your's will work out.

Sorry Jonbodthethird, I didn't mean to muddle things or make them difficult.

M

 

[British Red]

.
Raw meat's not toxic unless it's been badly kept. Neither is raw fish.

Granted not toxic but, for those reading, some meats should always be cooked - pork for example - as it is prone to contain both diseases and parasites that humans can contract.

 

[Jonbodthethird]

Thing is you can stop and have a looksee turn food if necessary and get it drying again.

See how it looks before you go to bed, but with the small dehydrators I find it best to rotate the trays top to bottom every hour or so.
It's not 'necessary' but I think it gives a more even drying, iimmc.

Put it this way, you won't ruin the food leaving it on, and if it's not dry, it can go back on.

10 hours on my little one would have the meat as dry as sawdust. I don't know how your's will work out.

Sorry Jonbodthethird, I didn't mean to muddle things or make them difficult.

M

Haha :/ only had the thing five minutes! (Jokes) I'll see how things are in a bit before I hit the hay.



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[tom.moran]

cool im currently cooking a big batch of chilli for this weekend which will be dehydrated over night tonight, im making a 'drier' chilli intentionally so it takes less time to dehydrate. i used lean steak mince and drained it once browned in a collinder for 30 mins (on purpose, honest, it wasnt that id bought everything BUT the chilli powder to make my chilli and had to run to the shops). it was nice and dry then and im pretty sure as long as i dry it properly it will last till sunday lunchtime

 

[RE8ELD0G]

Never try and dry a tinned cook-in-sauce/curry sauce or anything without heating it to boiling first. It stinks to high heaven, turns into a rubber frisby and never reconstitutes.

Regarding the sauce, you can boil it or heat it through in a separate pan to 'cook' it. Something to do with the chemicals in it I guess, because afterwards you can put this on the dehydrator and it will dry correctly.

I never cook the sauces first, the dehydrator does that for you.......at 70c for 12+ hours..........

Not been ill yet. And its always dehydrates perfectly for me.
Also never heard anyone else say this either.

 

[Jonbodthethird]

I never cook the sauces first, the dehydrator does that for you.......at 70c for 12+ hours..........

Not been ill yet. And its always dehydrates perfectly for me.
Also never heard anyone else say this either.

Have to agree with him I've been MADE TO EAT IT! Haha and yet to have contracted anything. Well there was the time I turned green for a few days but....... (Jokes)


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[Podcast Bob]

Yeah Jerky is easy and as you rightly say, is fine for red meat and fish. However form experience I find the 'Jerk'd' fish can smell after a few days.

Yes the famous fish pie is in there Shewee. Yeah, yeah I know, a couple of years ... <blush>

You can't over-dry anything in a dehydrator. Mice will go hard like grit, but it does come back well due to the surface area.

I always dry most things on a reasonable heat over night and then break it up in the morning, changing tray locations before leaving it low during the next day when out at work.

Smells will cross over if you dry curry on one tray and rice pudding on the other. Hmmm nice

Chicken and Turkey are tough textures when dry and take a very long time to return to something nice and chewy. Poaching seems to be the cooking secret to try and keep as much moisture in as possible.

Fish is very fast and tasty. Prawns can be little bugger though. Veggies even quicker. Raw foods are good too. One particular taste explosion we love is raw Cauliflower and Black Olives. Just slick 'em up and dry them to make a great munchy salty taste when wandering. They always shock people trying them too for the first time.

Pork? Never touch it and don't advise anyone to do it in our book. There's no way of ensuring it hasn't picked up salmonella 'during' the storage process and after having had it one on a remote campsite, I don't recommend it! Amazing how fast you can get out of a sleeping bag and tent when you need to

One of our best puddings/chews/fruit brittal is Rhubarb and Custard. Make as it as you would for pudding and them smear it thinly over the sheet. If you catch it before it goes bittle, then roll it into a wrap, if not then break it into pieces. Another tasty chew.

Anyway, have fun with it. We've had our for 25 years now and have tried most things. Even so we are still learning. For example we are now doing raw liver and raw stewing steak sliced thinly FOR THE DOG It makes very cheap treats for her which she goes mad for and I'll no doubt make some meals for her, when we take her camping the first time, which beats the current commercial crap on every level.

 

[Jonbodthethird]

Yeah Jerky is easy and as you rightly say, is fine for red meat and fish. However form experience I find the 'Jerk'd' fish can smell after a few days.

Yes the famous fish pie is in there Shewee. Yeah, yeah I know, a couple of years ... <blush>

You can't over-dry anything in a dehydrator. Mice will go hard like grit, but it does come back well due to the surface area.

I always dry most things on a reasonable heat over night and then break it up in the morning, changing tray locations before leaving it low during the next day when out at work.

Smells will cross over if you dry curry on one tray and rice pudding on the other. Hmmm nice

Chicken and Turkey are tough textures when dry and take a very long time to return to something nice and chewy. Poaching seems to be the cooking secret to try and keep as much moisture in as possible.

Fish is very fast and tasty. Prawns can be little bugger though. Veggies even quicker. Raw foods are good too. One particular taste explosion we love is raw Cauliflower and Black Olives. Just slick 'em up and dry them to make a great munchy salty taste when wandering. They always shock people trying them too for the first time.

Pork? Never touch it and don't advise anyone to do it in our book. There's no way of ensuring it hasn't picked up salmonella 'during' the storage process and after having had it one on a remote campsite, I don't recommend it! Amazing how fast you can get out of a sleeping bag and tent when you need to

One of our best puddings/chews/fruit brittal is Rhubarb and Custard. Make as it as you would for pudding and them smear it thinly over the sheet. If you catch it before it goes bittle, then roll it into a wrap, if not then break it into pieces. Another tasty chew.

Anyway, have fun with it. We've had our for 25 years now and have tried most things. Even so we are still learning. For example we are now doing raw liver and raw stewing steak sliced thinly FOR THE DOG It makes very cheap treats for her which she goes mad for and I'll no doubt make some meals for her, when we take her camping the first time, which beats the current commercial crap on every level.

Thanks for that informative info! Well I've had two days so far and I've dehydrated:

Chicken jambalaya, chicken curry, spag Bol and some BBQ beans which should be quick and easy as a snack. I've got my eye on a stew next. really liking my Andrew James vacuum sealer too it works really well very impressed with it!


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[Monikieman]

You can't over-dry anything in a dehydrator. Mice will go hard like grit, but it does come back well due to the surface area.

That's a typo, yeah? Times are hard but we've not reached that low....

 

[Jonbodthethird]

I love a well hydrated mouse!


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