Food Dehydrator_______
Fruits and Vegetables may be dipped in the following:
Lemon or Pineapple Juice is a natural alternative (in place of other pretreatments) to reduce
unwanted color or browning. Fruit may be sliced right into the juice; remove after a couple of
minutes and arrange in trays. For variety you may dip fruits in Jell-O powders, lime or orange
juice, spices or honey. For another tasty flavor, sprinkle with cinnamon or coconut. Combine any
of the above for your own special taste treats.
Table Salt can be used as a solution for dipping.
Water or Stem Blanching works – however, blanched fruits may turn soft and become difficult to
handle. Fruits with tough skins (grapes, prunes and small dark plums, cherries, figs, and some
berries) may be water=blanched to crack the skins. This will allow moisture inside to escape
more readily during drying.
Syrup Blanching may help retain the color of apples, apricots, figs, nectarines, peaches, pears and
plums. Syrup blanching makes a sweetened, candied food.
Before drying pretreated food, remove any excess moisture by placing the food on paper towels or
clean cloths. Trays should be loaded with a thin layer of food as directed. The food being dried
should be about ¼" thick and should not exceed roughly ¾ of each tray's surface area.
Drying
Drying time varies depending on the type and amount of food, thickness and evenness of the slices,
percentage of the water in the food, humidity, temperature of the air and the altitude. Drying times
may also vary from one area of the country to another from day to day depending on the climatic
conditions. Record keeping helps you predict future drying times for specific foods.
Testing for Dryness
To test for dryness, remove a piece of food, allow to cool, and feel with your fingers to determine
dryness:
Fruits should be pliable and leathery with no pockets of moisture. To check if fruit is dry, tear a
piece in half and if you do not see any moisture beads, the fruit is dry enough for storage.
Jerky should be tough but not brittle
Dried fish should be tough. If the fish is high in fat, it may appear moist due to high oil content.
Vegetables should be tough or crisp.
Helpful Hints
1.
Always use fresh, quality food and wash everything before starting to dehydrate.
2.
Best results are achieved when the quality of the food is high. Select ripe produce in good
condition. Bad food may give off flavor to the entire lot.
3.
Clean produce is important. Wash thoroughly, remove soft or spoiled areas, slice and pretreat if
necessary. Be certain that your hands, cutting utensils and food preparation areas are also clean.
4.
Produce may be shredded, sliced or diced. Slices ¼" thick are usually a good size for efficient
drying.
AFTER SALES SUPPORT
888-367-7373
___ ____________________________ USER INSTRUCTIONS
customer-service@wk-usa.com
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