Joanna, tell me about drying fruit in the dehydrator

[moremuscle]

Hi Joanna and all,

I have been using my dehydrator for meat again recently and it is very yummie - I make beef jerky from London Broil, slt/pepper. I tried slicing a banana last time I had it running because one of the trays was empty; the bananas didn't come out right.
I would like a little help and hints as to which fruits are particularly suitable and how you do it. Help!!

Love,
Karen

[harvest_table]

Hi Karen,

I love meat jerky too! I'm so glad your enjoying your dehydrator.

Pretty sure we have the same kind- Nesco. The ancient one we use to have was huge and looked like a microwave oven- just as heavy as one too. You inspired me to go out and buy a new one and I got the same brand as you. Thanks!

I've been successful with strawberries, bananas, and kewi. That's about it as far as fruit goes. I usually will dry a large batch each time and use all the trays, fill them full and space them close together. I prefer dried fruit on the chewier side so I slice them at least 1/4 thick. This dehydrator seems to take a little longer than the recipie book that comes with it says the fruit will dry in so run it longer if you need to. Your bananas might not have turned out right if you put them in with meat- maybe? Were they mushy and black? Also, fruit thats ripe and not past it's prime seems to dry better but I have a tendency to buy large quantities of kind of outdated stuff when I can. Sometimes it takes longer to dry older fruit.

I find outdated mushrooms on occasion and will buy alot and dry them for soups. Were drying celery now from our garden, also for soups and stews.

My husband loves to can and has just stocked us up with beets and beans from our garden. Our cabbage didn't do well this year (I have no idea why) so it will be the first year in 12 years that we won't be making our "traditional sauerkraut" in his great-grandmothers 50 gallon crock.

I hope this helps. I think apples might work well too. I remember drying them years ago and they turned out great. I think I dunked the slices in lemon juice first to keep them from turning black.

I'm sure your keeping busy with the store. Hope your family is good and your all enjoying the fall. I love this time of year, and it's especially wonderful to feeling good.

Love,
Joanna

[moremuscle]

Hi Joanna,

Wow, everytime you tell us about how you live you make it sound so wholesome You and your husband both seem to be into making your own foods. I am sorry the cabbage didn't turn out right this year. Can you buy some cabbage and make sourkraut in the 50 gallon jar anyway?

My bananas may have been too ripe - or past due date. They were perhaps also sliced too thin. Don't get me wrong, I ate them so they weren't too terrible. Somehow they just seemed to stick to the trays and be kind of dry but not chewie or sweet. I will try using some bananas that are on the green side next time. Apples sound good too. Have you tried drying pears? I remember one of my old relatives in Denmark used to dry whole pears in her oven - they were tiny little pears that she had in abbundance on a tree in the yard. They would all be ripe at the same time so you had to do something to preserve them if they were not to go to waste. Those whole dried pears were fantastic.

The fall is a very beautiful season, I agree. However, the fall is very short here in South Carolina. Sometimes it seems to me we jump right from sumer into winter. One day the air conditioner is running and the next we turn the heater on. In Denmark the fall was a looooong season stretching over 3-4 months total. On the other hand the summer was VERY shrt which was regrettable. The Danish really worship the sun because they see so little of it.

I am very busy like you said - overwhelmingly so. I am also still very involved with my workouts and runs. I have trained myself to have greater endurance by actually doing longer runs. The longer runs take more time but there is not shortcut if you want to be able to run longer you have to put the hours in. My goal has been to run a 10K in Charleston in the spring. However, I felt like doing something fun a little sooner so I am going to run a race here in downtown Columbia next week end that is called the Governors Cup - I am running the 8K. Next year if all goes well perhaps I will be able to do the half marathon?! My husband has promised to get up early with me on Saturday and bring the kids so they can cheer me on and see me race. It's going to be fun!

How are your workouts at the Curves going? And Lannie, how is she? Still working out too?

Thank you so much for your good help regarding fruit drying.

Love,
Karen