It can be disheartening to spend time preparing fruit for drying and then find that it has glued itself to your dehydrator trays. These five tips will keep food from sticking to dehydrator trays and make cleanup effortless. Read on, where we discuss how to get stuck on food off of your dehydrator trays as well. Do not slice your food too thinThe standard cut thickness that works for most fruit or vegetables is 1/4 inch (6 mm). However, the higher the water content of a given fruit or vegetable, the larger it should be sliced because it will shrink more in the dehydration process. Using a ( Amazon) to regulate the size of the cuts can help. Produce like tomatoes, pear, plum, mango, peach, nectarine and watermelon fall under this rule.
Follow the instructions of your food dehydrator when preparing your chicken jerky, but include the step on pre-heating immediately before arranging the chicken pieces on the food processor trays in a single layer, without the pieces touching. After bringing the chicken to 165 degrees F, don't allow it to cool. Wash them, or at least soak them in the sink, immediately after using. Insanity: Asking about inseams over and over again and expecting different results. Soak 'em in water overnight with a little soap. Use the bathtub if your sink isn't big enough.
These may be easier to dry on solid trays, ( Amazon) or parchment paper. Turn the food after an hourSometimes turning the food is all it needs to prevent sticking.
If you leave the food in the dehydrator for an hour or two, the outside will start to get dry and slightly firm. It will not be wet to the touch. When this happens, turn the pieces over. The crust that developed should not stick to the trays. Use plastic mesh screens( Amazon)are sold as accessories for dehydrator trays.
They work well for small items that will fall through the cracks. They are also great for sticky food. When food sticks to them, you can easily bend the screen, and it will usually pop right off. These screens are made with a flexible plastic that is not as rigid as the trays themselves, so if something does stick, their flexibility prevents sticking. Use parchment paperDried apples, pears, pineapple, bananas and other fruit pop right off the paper when the drying is complete.
Use a good-quality, thick parchment paper, so food will release from it without tearing. Consider cooking sprayI’ve heard cooking spray like Pam can be used on trays if you spray lightly.
Make sure to use the non-flavored kind. If you do not like to use anything in a spray can, moisten your fingers with oil and rub on the trays or pour on a paper towel then wipe a thin coating on the dehydrator trays.Be aware that introducing even this small amount of oil will shorten the shelf life of your dried foods and with long-term use, it will stick to your trays. If you are not storing the food for a long time, cooking spray is probably okay. What about wax paper, foil and plastic wrap?Bottom line: you can either spend a little extra on non-stick parchment paper, buy the solid liners for the trays in your unit (far cheaper in the long run), or add a bit of cooking spray.Wax paper, plastic wrap, and aluminum foil restrict the airflow of your machine and do not work. The food will not be ruined if you use these methods, your machine will not be able to work efficiently, and the dehydrating batch will take longer to dry. How to Remove Food Already Stuck to the Trays For hard trays (like the white Nesco trays)This happens to the best of us, even those that have been dehydrating for years.
Gently press the back side of the tray, and it will help lift the stuck on food so it can pop off. With the Excalibur Dehydrator, the tray mesh is removable and can be easily bent so food will often pop right off. Put the dehydrator trays in the freezerSometimes, the food may need firming up a bit, and making it cold can help. Put the tray in the freezer for an hour. Check while it is still cold and using your fingers to push gently from underneath the tray to pop off the food.Let the food return to room temperature and evaluate, you may have to dehydrate this food again. Gently mist the foodIf you have overdried the food, a gentle misting may help.
With a spray bottle and purified water, mist the slices just enough to wet the pieces. Allow them to stand for a few minutes until they release from the tray.
This food will need to re-dried, so use solid trays, mesh tray inserts or parchment paper, for the second round.If food is sticking to the parchment paper, get a wet a paper towel and place it under the parchment paper. This moisture will usually loosen up the paper without rehydrating the food and it will release. Scrape off and make powderSometimes, you can’t save the batch. If all else fails, use a strong bristled brush or sturdy spatula, to scrape the food into a bowl or pan. You can re-dry it, and to use in spice blends and cooking.
Need a little more information on Dehydration here are some General Drying GuidelinesCertain varieties of produce, the humidity in the air, and even methods of food handling make quite a difference in the drying time and quality of the dried product. Experiment with different drying temperatures, thickness of produce, pre-treatment versus no pre-treatment and different re-hydration methods. You will determine what works best for your particular needs and preferences.To save nutrients and produce a quality product, it is necessary to work fast preparing foods to dry.
When placed in your dehydrator, they need to dry continously at the recommended temperatures and times. Do not turn off your dehydrator or leave partially dried food on the trays as it may spoil or develop 'off' flavors.Spread all foods evenly to dry in single layers. If slices overlap, the areas that are overlapped will take twice as long to dry.It is not recommended to add fresh produce to a partially dried batch. This will slow the rate of drying time for both products. It is possible, however, to combine partially dried foods onto fewer trays but never use unit with less than four trays, even if the trays are empty.Many people have more than one NESCO®/American Harvest® dehydrator. If you have two, it's easy to combine a load from both dehydrators after a few hours and start a new batch in your second dehydrator using a minimum of four trays.Selecting Foods to DrySelect the best quality produce at the peak of ripeness and flavor. Wash carefully to remove debris, dust and insects.
Cut away bruised or damaged sections.Loading TraysLay food pieces evenly on trays. Don't overlap food pieces, as this will inhibit drying time. As each tray is loaded, place it on the dehydrator to begin drying.Drying TimeBecause of the unique design of the patented Converga-Flow® system of your NESCO®/American Harvest® dehydrator, you'll be surprised at how quickly most foods dry.
Drying times may vary, depending on type and amount of food, thickness and evenness of slices, percentage of water in food, humidity, temperature of air, altitude, and the model of the NESCO®/American Harvest® dehydrator you are using. Drying times may also vary greatly from one area to another and from day to day, depending on the climatic conditions.
Keep records to help you predict drying times for specific foods.Drying TemperatureFruits, fruit rolls and vegetables should be dried at 130°F to 140°F (55° to 60°C). By drying foods in this temperature range you will minimize the loss of heat-sensitive vitamins A and C. All foods sweat when they begin to dry. The temperature may be set higher than 140°F (60°C) during the first couple of hours of drying. The actual temperature of the food will remain 15°F to 20°F (6° to 8°C) lower than the air temperature for the first couple of hours.Meats and fish should be dried on the highest temperature setting of your dehydrator. These temperatures also keep bacteria and other spoilage micro-organisms, common to meat and fish, to a minimum during the first stages of drying.Nuts and seeds are high in oil, and if higher temperatures are used, they tend to become rancid, developing off flavors. The best temperature is from 90°F to 100°F (30° to 40°C).Herbs and Spices are most flavorful when they first open and should be harvested while very fresh, before they begin to blossom.
Because the aromatic oils are very sensitive, temperatures should be 90°F to 100°F (30° to 40°C) for drying. Take care not to load trays too heavily as this will prolong the drying time.Dried flowers, herbs and spices used for potpourri should be dried at temperatures ranging from 90°F to 100°F (30° to 10°C) to maintain aroma and color.PackagingSome pieces may dry in a shorter time than others. The dried foods should be removed and placed in an airtight container while allowing the rest of the pieces to remain in the dehydrator until sufficiently dry.Package all dried foods promptly to prevent contamination and to prevent stickiness and re-hydration caused by humidity.
Store dried foods in airtight moisture-proof containers. Home vacuum packaging devices are ideal for packaging dried foods. They extend the shelf life of dried foods 3 to 4 times.Since most packaging materials are transparent, store packaged dried foods in a plastic or metal container that will not allow the light to penetrate. Do not store fruits and vegetables together in the same container because flavor and moisture may transfer.Fruit rolls are best if removed while still warm. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in airtight moisture-proof containers for storage.Onions and tomatoes are especially prone to absorb moisture from the air and should be packaged immediately after removing from dehydrator.Testing for DrynessFood must be monitored during the final stages of dehydration to prevent over-drying.
Over-dried foods lose quality in texture, nutrition and taste. To test for dryness, remove a piece of food, let it cool and feel with your fingers for dryness. Fruits are pliable and leathery with no spots of moisture. Tear in half, pinch and watch for moisture drops along tear. If no moisture, then it is sufficently dry for long term storage. Jerky should be leathery, but not brittle. Dried fishshould be firm, but not brittle.
If the fish is high in fat it may appear moist due to the high oil content. Vegetables should be firm or crisp.If foods are insufficently dried, or are exposed to moisture from faulty packaging, they can lose quality and nutrition, and can even mold during storage.StorageThe storage area should be cool, dry and as dark as possible. The darker and cooler the storage area, the longer the dried foods will last with good quality and nutritive value. The ideal storage temperature for dehydrated food is 60°F (15°C) to below freezing. The ideal storage place is your freezer or refrigerator, particularly for storing low acid foods such as meats, fish and vegetables.USE AND CAREDehydrator TraysYour dehydrator trays are easy to clean. Simply soak trays in warm water with a mild detergent for several minutes.
A soft-bristle brush will loosen food particles that resist softening by soaking. Don't clean any parts with scouring pads, abrasive cleaners, or sharp utensils, as they tend to damage the surface of the trays. Trays can be washed on the top rack of your dishwasher if you remove them before the drying cycle. CAUTION: Be sure power unit is unplugged before cleaning.Pre-CautionsFollow these safety rules when dehydrating food:When drying liquids, sauces or purees, use a Fruit Roll Sheet, available from NESCO®/American Harvest®.When drying jerky in a base Power Unit, place a Fruit Roll Sheet on the bottom tray. The Fruit Roll Sheet will catch drips and make cleaning easier.Wash hands thoroughly prior to handling food.Clean all utensils and containers with a mild solution of detergent, bleach and water before using.Make sure all countertops and cutting boards are thoroughly cleaned in the manner above before using. Wooden or plastic cutting boards should be thoroughly disinfected.Keep foods in the refrigerator before preparing for drying. Store dried foods in refrigerator or freezer.After opening sealed containers of dried food, use food as soon as possible.Store opened containers of dried food tightly sealed in the refrigerator to maintain freshness and quality.Do not spray vegetable oil directly onto surface of trays.Do not dehydrate foods that have been prepared with or marinated in alcohol.Trays are only intended to be used with your NESCO®/American Harvest® Food Dehydrator.
Do not use trays either in a conventional oven or with any other appliance.ServiceShould you experience any problems with your dehydrator, please contact Customer Service at:NESCO®/American Harvest® 1-800-288-4545 or through our Customer Service web link.© 2019 The Metal Ware CorporationPowered By.