Dehydrator experience

[Chef Mike]

Someone told me they had a dessert with crunchy dried strawberries at a Chef and Child dinner the other night.

I've never used a dehydrator.

Tell me all about it, please.

[gonefishin]

Hi


I've only tried dehydrating strawberries once, so I'll also be awaiting any replies to get a crunchy (type) strawberry treat. The one time I had tried it...the strawberries had a consistency closer to a fruit roll up. See why I only tried it once


dan

[UniChef]

I have dehydrated lots of stuff, including strawberries. I dont know if its just cause I'm in Florida, but the humidity gets to them in a matter of minutes and they dont stay crisp, no matter how long you dehydrate.

I have done a lot with fruit and vegetable powders. Dehydrate fruit and then grind it in a coffee grinder. I did this with strawberries. You have to take then right out of the dehydrator and put them right into grinder. After a while the powder cakes up. I looked into the anti-caking agent they use for spices, etc.. but never did anything further with it.

The strawberry powder was great. I would show it to people and no one ever guessed what it was, even after smelling it. It is because they are not used to seeing strawberries in powder form. It messed with their mind.

In the Culinary Olympics in Berlin in 96 I did a buffet platter and and used apples that I dehydrated in the shape of barquette moulds. I partially dehydrated the apple slices, then I put between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and rolled lightly with a rolling pin. I then put these sheets between 2 barquettes and dried for another day. I filled them with a waldorf salad for a garnish on a pork platter.

You can get dehydrators cheap- like a Ronco type unit for about 25 bucks. You just slice whatever and leave them overnignt and it dries them out. Besides fruits and vegetables, you can do meats to make jerky.

[CrazyTATT]

Humidity is the worst enemy, obviously, but T.Keller's french laundry book has a whole section on the preperation of, and storing of the "dusts" he uses. I have had great success with the recipies in the book. The key I've gathered is low temp(dry), Loooong time, and slow process, don't rush it.Some of the consumer brand food dehydraters do a fair job as well.

[deltadoc]

Chef Mike, thank you for your kind words.

I have a Nesco 1000 watt dehydrator. It is awesome. Haven't done strawberries because I don't like all the seed, but have dried tomatoes which become very sweet and fun to eat right out of the bag!

Done beef jerky, dried lots of herbs, some fruits. Fruits tend to become like "roll ups". This dehydrator has plastic screens and also plastic sheets for moister foods.

The point about dehydrators is the quality of the air flow (does it reach all areas equally well, and the form of heat generated. The more heat, the better, and the more air flow the better. The only downside to this dehydrator is its noisy! But that's what comes with good air flow.

doc