There are too many variables to know exactly when any particular food item is "done", you need to check for doneness, but these are general guidelines. I just finished drying 100-pounds of apples......and more to go. As long as I have free-for-the-picking apples and Wal-Mart has Jonathan apples 97-cents a pound (they are my favorite apples for snacking), I'll be dehydrating apples for a couple more weeks.

1. Wash apples in clear water with a little unscented bleach in it. (1 t. bleach to 1 quart of water) This is especially important if you are using windfall apples (those that have been in contact with the ground). The ground is a good source for bacteria.

2. You can slice your apples a couple ways, as well as with OR without the peel. Cut out any bruised areas.

a. If you have one of those handy-dandy apple corer/slicer gadgets you push through the apple from the top to the bottom that cuts the apple into wedges while it cuts out the core, this speeds the process. All you will need to cut by hand are the large wedges into a few slices using a paring knife. Cut about 1/4-inch thick. If you want the apple peel removed, cutting it from each of the wedges is quicker than peeling the entire apple first.

If you need to cut the entire apple by hand, cut the apple into 4 pieces. Remove the seed pod with your paring knife, and possibly a little of the stem from the end of the apple quarter. Cut each quarter into slices.

b. Using a cutting mandoline set to the thickness you like (about 1/4-inch or less for thin and crispy slices), cut the washed apple crosswise for apple rings, cutting from the top of the apple to the bottom for a full slice of the apple. Where the seeds were it will look a little like a starfish. Don't worry about removing the seeds, they generally fall out while in the acidified water bath. If a few stick in the apple slices, they generally fall out during dehydrating. If a few remain even after dehydrating, poke them through the apple with a toothpick. A cutting mandoline will assure even thickness of slices that will dry evenly. I like to place the small end slices on one tray and the larger slice on another tray. If you keep the slices about the same size on each tray, they will dry more evenly in about the same amount of time. If you have a mix of small slices and large slices, you may need to remove the small slices first, and leave the large slices to finish drying. This should help prevent over- or under-drying.

3. Place cut apple slices in an acidic water bath. (1 c. bottled lemon juice to 1-quart water, OR 1 T. ascorbic acid or Fruit Fresh to 1-quart water). This will prevent the apples from oxidizing and browning, adds a little vitamin C to the slices, and it also aids in preventing bacteria growth. An acidified water bath is recommended for home-dehydrated foods to prevent bacteria growth.

4. Now you have some great options for your apple slices. Leave them as is, or if you are using them for snacking:

a. Sprinkle with cinnamon OR cinnamon-sugar once you have placed them on your dehydrating trays. I sprinkle on one side only.

b. Sprinkle with flavored Jell-O powder

Fill an old salt or pepper shaker and shake away...

5. Place slices one layer deep, without overlapping the slices, on the open trays.

6. You can dry apples at a variety of temperatures from 115-degrees F up.

Method #1: Dry at 135-degrees F. for 6-8 hours - or until there is no moisture in the center when a slice is pulled apart and squeezed, there shouldn't be any noticeable moisture left. They should be pliable and leathery. If you want them to be crispy, turn down the temperature to 100-degrees F. and allow to dehydrate an additional 12-hours, or overnight, once they are dry and pliable.

Method #2: Dry at 115-degrees F. for 6-8 hours, flip slices, dry 6-hours more and test a slice for doneness. If they are not dry, continue drying and check every 2-hours.

Method #3: Dry at 150-degrees F. for 2-3 hours, then reduce the temperature to 130-degrees F. until dry.

NOTE: To test, take the item/s out of the dehydrator and allow to cool to room temperature before testing.

BANANAS \-Select FIRM, well\-ripened bananas (a few flecks of brown on the skin is fine). Soft bananas won't work well. I use soft bananas and other fruits to make fruit leather. \-Peel and cut into thin slices using a mandoline, paring knife, or a handy\-dandy banana slicing gadget (I love this gadget for even slices and it makes quick work of the cutting). You can also divide the bananas lengthwise. \-Dip in ascorbic acid/water solution (2 T. ascorbic acid powder or Fruit Fresh in 1\-qt. water), OR undiluted pineapple juice, OR a mixture of 1/4 c. lemon juice in 2 c. water. You can also do a "honey dip" (which is a pain somewhere lower than your neck and it's really not any sweeter for all the work and mess). \-I like to use the small mesh "Clean\-A\-Screen" sheets made for my Nesco American Harvest Dehydrator for bananas. Much easier to remove than from the trays. Once again, keep the small end slices on one tray (or on one half of a tray) to help prevent over\-drying. Check the smaller pieces first. \-Dry at 135\-degrees F. for 6\-12 hours. You can dry them until they are leathery or crisp \- your choice. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- The next step is to condition the fruit to equalize (evenly distribute) the remaining moisture left in the food after drying. \-Cool foods on trays. Don't allow it to sit for any longer than it takes for the food to come to room temperature. Allowing the food to sit for longer will mean it can reabsorb moisture from the air. This can be enough moisture to cause the food to mold in storage. \-Pour into a food\-grade container about 2/3 full. I like to use quart canning jars for this. Cover with a lid. \-Place in a cool, dry, place, away from light. Each day check the container for condensation forming in the jar or on the lid. Shake or stir the contents at least once a day for several days. If condensation occurs, return the food to the dryer to finish the product. Recondition it once again, after it's dry. \-If any sign of mold growth occurs, destroy the entire contents of the container. There will be mold spores throughout the container, not just on the pieces with mold growing on them. \-If you are using apples as a snack food, after it's been conditioned, portion them in zip\-lock snack bags and load the bags into a jar. I use 1/2\-gallon jars for this. Each time the jar is open the remaining apple slices will remain dry and sanitary. Never leave the lid off dehydrated food for any length of time because it can reabsorb moisture from the air, which can cause the food to mold. Happy dehydrating :\-). \-Grainlady

Grainlady,

I inherited a dehydrator without an instruction booklet also.

Could we just stick them in zip-lock freezer bags & freeze them after dehydrating? The dehydrating will make them smaller & I wouldn't have to worry about mold & could just grab a bag & go when I needed a quick snack on the run.

Thanks,
Betty

I use my apple peeler/slicer/corer and then put the apple slices into a gallon of water into which I've crushed 6 Vitamin C tablets, they are cheap, readily available, keep the apples from oxidizing. I put the slices on the plastic mesh inserts that go on my Excaliber dehydrator trays.

How long does depend on a lot of variables, including how juicy the apple is, how thick the slices, etc. I've never done bananas so I can't help there, but I know I'd put them on the plastic mesh inserts too and then follow directions in the Ball BlueBook or on line from the National Center For Home Food Preservation which has very detailed instructions, including how to store.

Betty, I like to dry apples until crisp and then they don't need to be frozen. I only use them for Elery's Mother's Apple Stack Cake, (Michigan has lots of fresh apples relatively inexpensively, so I use home canned apple sauce and home canned pie filling and freshly pressed cider, but few dried apples) so I have some in containers in the basement that were dried three years ago and they are still fine.

Annie

Thanks so much for the wealth of information that you have given me. I have lost the plastic inserts for the trays, I guess, because they are not with the trays. How would I go about ordering some new ones. I want to buy some pears also to dry. Again, so appreciate your help. Barb

Barb-

What kind of dehydrator do you have?

By "plastic inserts" - do you mean the solid plastic sheets that are used for making fruit and vegetable leather (aka fruit roll-ups). You don't need those with apple slices or banana slices, although banana slices are difficult to remove from the regular trays. I use Clean-A-Screen sheets (smaller holes than the trays have) for anything that is sticky - bananas, pears, pineapple, etc. Dehydrated pears are like eating candy and are a sticky mess to work with. The Clean-A-Screen sheets are pliable so you can bend them to aid removal of the sticky items on them. They also work for small items that might be too small for the regular trays. These sit on top of the regular trays, as do the fruit roll-up sheets.

If you have a NESCO American Harvest dehydrator, you can find additional trays, Clean-A-Screen inserts, and fruit roll sheets at most stores that carry them (Wal-Mart, True Value, ACE Hardware, etc.) as well as on-line (best prices are probably found at Amazon.com).

Betty, I answered your question yesterday, but it seems to be AWOL on the thread. Yes, you can freeze your home\-dehydrated food. If the food item is crispy dry, it will keep best in an airtight jar or container. I'm with Annie, I like apples crispy dry for snacking and I've been in 7th heaven since getting the machine that peels, cores and slices the apple into thin rings. What a time saver!!! I also make some pliable and leathery for other uses. I use dehydrated apples for making applesauce, cobbler/pie, adding to granola, oatmeal, or baked goods, etc. Dried Apple Tea 1\. Simmer 12 dried apple slices, 1 stick of cinnamon (or cinnamon powder) and a 2" strip of lemon peel (I freeze lemon peel when I use lemons and use a strip of them) in 4 c. of water for 30\-minutes. 2\. At the end of time add four 3" cuttings of lemon balm (you could also use mint) and brew 10\-minutes. 3\. Strain and sweeten with honey. There is a method called DEHYDROFREEZING that is a combination of dehydrating and freezing. We generally remove 80% of the moisture from fruit, and 90% from vegetables, but when dehydrofreezing, we remove 70% of the moisture, but the food MUST be frozen to avoid bacteria growth. Some benefits using this method: \-Food has better color and more flavor. \-Rehydrates much faster than food that is dehydrated the traditional way. \-And as you said, takes up less space in the freezer. Check your local library for copies of: \-Making & Using Dried Foods \- by Phyllis Hobson \-How to Dry Foods \- by Deanna DeLong \-Mary Bell's Complete Dehydrator Cookbook Or other books on the subject. \-Grainlady

You might find your manual listed on-line. Just google your model/brand dehydrator using key words like, 'nesco dehydrator manual'.
Or to find missing parts.
Or just experiment. Slice some fruit thin even slices. Turn it on and watch it, checking every hour or so while you go about doing other things. With a standard thermometer you can watch the temp over a few hours. All brands do basically the same thing but all have their own quirks and need to be watched the first time or two.
I've had a good fruit season and am dehydrating for the first time. Still have about 50lbs to go...
In the past i've just used my oven on the lowest setting using the residual heat after cooking other foods. Mid August we built a 12 tray dehydrator since we have so much volume to process. I also like a crisper dry rather than the 'leather' soft. I rather like a 'chewing gum' texture, just not the 'chicken skin' soft, lol. I've been bagging and freezing since i am a newbie and have a bit of freezer space. That avoids the watching and guessing while learning and experimenting.
Most important is just giving it a try. Take advantage of seasonal local fruit and veggies at much better prices. You can get the finished product just the way you like it.
Once a year i can get beets and sweet potatoes in bulk. They make great chips sliced very thin on a mandolin.
If your dehydrator struggles with getting them crispy like potato chips, you can finish in your regular oven on its lowest setting for an hour or three.