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Oklahoma Gardening

Another Question: Dehydrators

14 years ago

I am growing much more food than I ever have before and think I want a dehydrator for my birthday. I have read all sorts of reviews, but would like first=hand knowledge on brand and type recommendations. Thank you! I'll try and not ask so many questions!

Bella

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Comments (9)

farmgardener
14 years ago
Bella,
Mine is American Harvest - Snackmaster Express. It can handle 2-12 trays, has adjustable heat settings and a good fan. It's easy to handle and easy to clean. I purchased it about 15 years ago at Walmart - it was the second one I've purchased in the last 30 years. It's great for fruit, onions, peppers, tomatoes, herbs, flowers, even cinnamon applesauce Christmas ornaments - I've been very satisfied with it. I usually dry my onions and peppers in the greenhouse - just take the dehydrator out there because the smell gets pretty strong sometimes.
Okiedawn OK Zone 7
14 years ago
Bell,

I used to use an American Harvester, but then we bought a new stove last year---and it has a convection oven--and the convection oven has a 'Dehydrate' mode, so now I use it.

I'm sure you'll get a lot of good responses here, but you also might want to ask this question at the Harvest Forum, where the really serious food preservers hang out.

Dawn
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I received my Excalibur Dehydrator 9 tray with timer just 2 days ago and I decided to use it today. No fan running. I don't know if t's me but I don't believe the codswollop about how each dehydrator is checked 3 times before being exported. After reading Amazon reviews (I bought mine from a different website), I feel that I have been cheated as I did spend a ridiculous amount of money on this machine and I never even got one try at it. And it's an eye sore!... whhich I was willing to overlook since it has been raved about by raw foodists experts all over the world!
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Let me give you my interpretation... The Scoville scale is based on dilution - dilute a given amount of the pepper with sugar water until the heat disappears. For instance, a Caribbean Red that has has 300,000 SU's must be diluted by 300,000 times for the heat to disappear. That means 1 gm of pureed CR added to 300,000 gms of sugar water and finally you don't detect heat. A much more accurate means is high pressure liquid chromatography where one actually measures the concentration of the capsaicin compounds. Both methods are based on the pepper "as is" and in this state the pepper has quite a good bit of water - I guessing about 80%. So, if you base your analytical technique on dry basis vs. wet basis, naturally the results are going to be different. For instance, take a Naga Morich rated at 1,000,000 scoville units. That's wet basis. If it's roughly 80% moisture and 20% solids, then the pepper would have 1,000,000 divided by 0.2 SU's or about 5,000,000 SU's dry basis. Pure capsaicin is about 16,000,000 SU's dry basis. Incidentally, the Naga Morich rated at 1,000,000 SU's is roughly 6.25% capsaicin wet basis. On a dry basis and assuming 80% moisture, that would be 31.25% capsaicin. Either way, that is huge! BTW - I am assuming no chemical reactions taking place during the drying process that may reduce the capsaicin content of the original pepper.
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I store my dried Chopped peppers in a clean mason jar (0r vacuum type bag that is just sealed...not vacuumed sealed. I think most foodsavers have option to just use the sealing function. I would not vacuum seal any mason jar with home dried pepper because you don't know how dry the pepper actually are. Just my own personal way of doing things. Pantry storage in a reasonable room temperature is just fine in my experience, but my pantry stays 50-60 degrees 10 month a year. I keep a half pint or pint "opened" jar of peppers and celery in my kitchen where temps are higher and they last a long long while. If you have tons of peppers you can also freeze them but they take up less space dried. I've been known to hang them up and dry them similar to how you do those wonderful Chili's when I lived in a desert climate. Doubt I'd have lucky doing that in my wet climate without an abundance of sun. As far as them being Crisp or brittle when dried...I know when I lived in a desert climate they were brittle...but in Pacific NW...they generally are more leathery. I do not use O2 absorbers inside a jar of dried peppers...but some people do I hear. I do not use O2 absorbers on home dehydrated produce because I can't be absolutely sure the moisture level is low enough to not promote botulism...my humidity level is close to 90% most of the year. IF the peppers are BRITTLE...then it probably is dry enough to pack any way you want. The rule of thumb for me in using O2 absorber for any HOME packed or stored dehydrated food is if it shatters if you hit it with a hammer against concrete. ie) wheat grains, rice grains. Of course this only is applicable if your planning to store longer than a year or so. Season to season there really isn't a need for long term storage.
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mulberryknob
14 years ago
I have had my EquiFlow for over thirty years and it is still going strong. It is quite large with ten trays measuring 14" square. It has an adjustable thermostat but without temps marked, just low med hi, so in order to learn what temps were had to use a thermometer in it at first.
bruce_g
14 years ago
Hi Bella,

I have the 9 tray Excalibur model. 15 square feet of dehydration area. Adjustable thermostat and 24 hour timer. It has a fan at the back that blows across the food.

It was a little pricey, $250, but is well built and should last well beyond my time.

I have been running it a lot lately. In fact it is at home running right now. I am drying a batch of cherries. Cherry raisins are one of my favorites.

Good luck on your search.

Bruce
OklaMoni
14 years ago
Since the early nineties, I have my mother in laws, a marvlizer.

Don't use it much anymore, but have in the past. Works GREAT.

Moni
oldbusy1
14 years ago
I've had 2 american harvest. i like the gardenmaster better as it has an on/off where the snackmaster would come on when it was plugged in.

The only trouble with the gardenmaster is the fuse link for the heating element has went out twice and it is a pain to take apart and replace. Which the company does'nt do parts anymore and you have to send it in to have it fixed.

I would probably buy another one because i already have the trays to expand with.
jessaka
14 years ago
I had an American Harvestor, but I much prefer Excalibur. For some reason it seems that American Harvestor was having problems, which caused me to not buy another one. But having done so I am really glad.
bella1999
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you everyone, this is a great help. I think I am leaning towards the Excalibur. I knew you were the right group to ask!

Bela
Okiedawn OK Zone 7
14 years ago
Bella,

Had the new stove not had a 'dehydrate' mode as one of the convection oven's features, I was going to buy a new dehydrator, and the Excaliber is the one I was leaning towards getting.

Dawn

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