[marimara]

I am planning the purchase of a deep freeze, a FoodSaver, and possibly a dehydrator.

Questions:

If I dehydrate apple slices, for instance, can I put them in a vaccuum sealed bag and put that in the cupboard-or the freezer? How long will it last in either?

Is a dehydrator even worth it if I have a deep freeze and a Foodsaver?

I heard I need a mandolin cutter if I am going to dehydrate, is this necessary? I've seen prices ranging from $20-200. What is a good inexpensive one?

I am beefing up my food preservation and storage practices. Thanks!!

 

[mamadelbosque]

I love dehydrated fruit, especially peaches & apples. Last summer I did LOTS of peaches - sliced them up thin-ish (less than a centimeter), and dried them for a day or so... I just put them in mason jars and stuck them on a shelf, and they're still fantastic 8-10 months-ish later

This year I want to do lots of them again, as well as lots of apples and maybe trie some other fruits too (strawberries & blackberries, for example)

ETA: Oh and I definetly don't have a mandoline though it would be nice! But I just cut everything up by hand, slicing it mroe-or-less the same thickness

 

[Chicky2]

I got a dehydrator because I worry about the power going out. ALSO, I had to purchase a second freezer because we had way too much meat to store. (feral pig trapping). I needed a way to store foods w/out using freezer space and power. I also have a hard time storing enough veggies. Dehydrating/foodsavering takes up way less space than all those jars! So far I have at least 6 wks of veggies put by. I am doing lots of apples, too. They are a great snack!

Have you seen the wonderful dehydrating series on youtube? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxVpI...eature=related

That woman is the Queen of dehydrating and storing!

 

[marimara]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chicky2 I got a dehydrator because I worry about the power going out. ALSO, I had to purchase a second freezer because we had way too much meat to store. (feral pig trapping). I needed a way to store foods w/out using freezer space and power. I also have a hard time storing enough veggies. Dehydrating/foodsavering takes up way less space than all those jars! So far I have at least 6 wks of veggies put by. I am doing lots of apples, too. They are a great snack! Have you seen the wonderful dehydrating series on youtube? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxVpI...eature=related That woman is the Queen of dehydrating and storing!

Thanks for the info and links! Worrying about power outages is one of the reasons why I'm considering a dehydrator. Plus you can make a solar dehydrator, I once saw the instructions on the internet somewhere. Off to the youtube links now