The Art of Dehydrating Food

[@MsDancingNana]

Thanks Katcradul, I appreciate the help.

[@fullinsurance]

Thanks alot, very nice work.

[@orrisholt3715]

I'm so glad to see all the different things I can dehydrate or can. Blessings and Prosperity.

[@dougc3086]

thanks

[@TXSBLUEBONNET]

Thank you so very much for your very quick response! Love your videos!!!

[@katzcradul]

Annette, thanks for you sweet message. PrepperA and I are LOVING summer vacation! The bees seem to be perfectly content with their new queen. We've watched them coming into the have for the last several evening, ladden with bright yellow and orange pollen...a very good thing.

[@reharlan]

I just found this channel and its very helpful for a first timer at dehydrating, THANK YOU. :)

[@allidock11]

This video is packed with great info, thank you!

[@onetweetygirl71]

Thank You.

[@we2az1]

I love listening to you and learning new things. I could listen to you all day, you sound like home. PrepperA has a great teacher.

[@timzwyf1965]

Thanks so much. I love all your videos! You inspired me to dig out the dehydrator and actually use it!

[@paulettaconley7450]

I'm just starting out and found your video very helpful. you have a great helper too.

[@timzwyf1965]

THANK YOU!!!

[@katzcradul]

Thanks, Dee. I love my dehydrated ginger. It's great in recipes, but I like it best in hot teas in the winter. I like Red Zinger with my ginger. PrepperA likes just a ginger and honey tea. She makes it herself. You're right...she is becoming a great cook. She is a great helper in the kitchen.

[@adamesmercedes112]

I have been using your sock tip now forever thank you so much. I must do more dehydrating. I have so many cans of string beans and today I will tackle this as I need the space. THANK YOU for sharing. Mercedes

[@edicatdigit]

Thanks. I'll be looking for that!

[@Dorrie519]

that is a great idea! I have lots of plastic canvas!! I will be working with it tomorrow!! Thanks!

[@timzwyf1965]

That make sense. Thanks! I love the videos!

[@katzcradul]

You are so welcome. Thank you for taking the time to watch.

[@yoopermary]

So inspiring! I just dehydrated something for the first time this week---sliced liver for my dog. Now I can't wait for spring when there'll be morel mushrooms and wild leeks to dehydrate, then early summer when my strawberries ripen and on and on...thanks for the ideas.

[@okstillhere]

thanks for this video I'm just learning to dehydrate and now I'm learning there are so many possibilities!

[@deekottal6907]

I have watched this video many times, I purchased a dehydrator, a Nesco, I am dehydrating Sage,Parsley and Italian Oregano as we speak.Going to purchase Ginger next,the Herbs came from my garden.Thank you for your vast knowledge, Prepper A is learning how to become a great cook.

[@katzcradul]

Rosa, you're so welcome.

[@callmecordelia1]

Thanks for all the great ideas. I've been dehydrating for years, but I learned a lot from your video. I'm going to try some frozen vegetables soon!

[@katzcradul]

You are SO welcome. Your comment made my day.

[@katzcradul]

Yes, I just wash out and re-use old jars. Many of my videos are very appropriate for beginners...in fact, I think most of them are. I'm thrilled to have a fan in Ireland. I've been there twice and if I could chose to live anywhere else in the world, Ireland would be it. I think it's the most beautiful place I've ever been. Thanks so much for commenting. I'll tell PrepperA.

[@AOTEOROA4066]

When I vacuumed them, I did it in a bag; however, I am awaiting the attachment for the food saver to be able to do jars and as soon as it arrives, I will trans to a jar and keep an eye on it. That is a great tip you gave me, thnx.

[@sschapman7]

Thanks for the info

[@susieq9186]

Katzcradul, you are my go to person and I can't tell you how much I appreciate the information you provide. I dehydrated green beans last night and did a test on rehydrating them today. I'll be doing some more for long term storage.

[@Bigswtmomma1]

Thank you for making these type of videos. I have wanted certain foods in those times of the year that you cannot find or its too expensive. You have been a God send. This will save me so much money!!!! Thank you thank you thank you!!!

[@maybeeme220]

I'm so happy I seen this video. I been growing my own ginger root in a flower pot in my apartment. And want to dehydrate it. Now I have some idea of how it's done. Thank you Katz :)

[@katzcradul]

I'm really glad that you like my videos. Yes, I blanch both the squash and the potatoes. I've never dehydrated lettuce. I don't believe it would work very well.

[@katzcradul]

@edhunley Thanks for sharing this. I love your ingenuity.

[@chrissis111]

I love all of your videos. I have learned so much!

[@Hoovesandpaws61]

Great video. I love to see what others are doing. I have been dehydrating for several years now. I am amazed at how well the food turns out and it is easy! The food is easy to store. I have the chop wizard too. I bought it about 2 years ago wondering if the thing would work and it works great. It is a must for dehydrating carrots and potatoes. Thanks for sharing.

[@nagaempress]

Oh thank you! Wonderful timing for me! Im getting my first Dehydrator this week off the internet and I was wondering about this! tytytytytyty!!!!!!

[@KarenAnn62]

Thank you for this video. I just got my dehydrator yesterday, and I went right out and bought tons of mushrooms! So they're in there now. But you have inspired me so much to do so much more! Again , thank you so much for this video and your time to make it for us. :)

[@dianna303]

i LOVE dehydrating foods i have been making my own tomato powder which i use often but mostly the fruit.. i have a 6 yr old grandson that always wants something sweet..i have found dried fruit to be perfect for him instead of candy..he even asked for his own dehydrator for his birthday

[@lorilei73]

Glad I saw this..it inspired me to pull out my vidalia chopper and utilize a bunch of stuff that would have gone to waste in the fridge..Thanks! :)

[@petz1235]

This video was a joy and a half to watch!! Please don't take offense, I mean the highest respect, but it was like sitting and listing to my grandmother telling me how to do things. I had a huge smile on my face the whole time. Please do keep up the good work.

[@RichardCranium1976]

Really great videos. Very informative. Keep up the great work.

[@RosaButton]

TY so much for your videos, I love them :-)

[@BDMOutdoors]

Katzcradul, you have the best prepping and food storage vids. I've learned much from watching. Awesome vid on dehydrating. We do some foods like deer jerky and fresh garden spices but nothing at your level. Some really great ideas and I'll be giving several a try. All the best!

[@timzwyf1965]

I love this video. I shared it with my husband, he didn't realize how much you can dehydrate. He asked if you'd be willing to share your eggplant dressing recipe. It looks like we are going to be getting lots of eggplant....finally! Keep making your great videos!

[@katzcradul]

I started with apples, bananas, and frozen mixed vegetables. Still three of my favorite foods to dehydrate.

[@ThoTrav]

I have an excalibur dehydrator I dont use, I think I will get it out and start dehydrating. thanks for the video!

[@Lookingforblueskies1]

BTW...thank you so much for your reply. I appreciate you more than words will ever convey! Take care!

[@jimmy40290]

What great ideas. Your videos are the best. They always seem to make me hungry too.

[@edhunley]

Great video. Dehydration is wonderful. The other day I needed celery salt and was out of it. I just threw some of my dehydrated celery and some salt in my coffee grinder and it was better than anything you get in the spice aisle at the store.

[@KayakFisher01]

The buzz at work last year was dehydrated yellow squash and zucchini. You eat them as you would potatoe chips. When you cut/dehydrate your onions, green onions and scallions, save the bottom with the roots. Plant them all back in the garden and they will grow more for you. As long as it has roots, it will grow again. Works great with the bunched green onions you buy in produce. Also, if you can't use those in time and they are going bad, just plant them. They will start growing again.

[@gunsmithsc]

Thanks

[@katzcradul]

The answer to your first two question is "yes". To PM someone, click on the little arrow buy your KZbin name in the upper right corner of this page. It will drop down several options for you. One will be 'inbox'. When your inbox appears, click on 'compose' and write to whomever you like on KZbin.

[@katzcradul]

@NORTHWOODSPREPPER1 That is correct within a cent or two...depending on where you live. Most folks suppose it costs much more. Thanks for watching.

[@DORYFY1968]

lady u r awesum,my son has always enjoyed making jerky of all kinds of meat n he does fruit for me ,now i can tell him ur great ideas on veggies as well ,thanx so much,u explain everything so well,im ur new subscriber now,peace

[@Lookingforblueskies1]

I can butter also and love it. Just thought of ease of carrying on camping trip, or even in a SHTF situation making powdered anything could be an awesome treat.

[@graceminifarm]

I have learned so much from you and imstillworkin...being a disabled vet and on a budget. I cant wait till I can get a vac sealer and jar sealer! I tried the ziplock bag pump but its worthless. Only been prepping for a couple of months but my wife is a coupon clipper and we are getting it a little at a time lol

[@contreeman]

great video i have learned so much from you GOD BLESS. tell prepper A she is not weird she is UNIQUE big difference. being a trend setter is cool.

[@katzcradul]

Thank you for watching and commenting.

[@spottedground]

I used to love my food dehydrator and unfortunately I am looking to replace my old one. I used to buy fresh pineapple from the store when it went on sale, and that would be my favorite snack. I want to thank you for the tip about trying dried green beans instead of chips. I've got a bad gallbladder, so things like that are perfect tips for me.

[@katzcradul]

I'll try to make an eggplant dressing video when eggplant come in season. I'll have to think on it since I've never really used a 'recipe' to make it. I'll work on it. Thanks for watching my videos and for taking the time to comment.

[@kathleenkendalljacksgrandm6902]

I’m going to get one.❤️

[@MsKibznBitz]

Great video! Thanks for sharing all your labors of love...I have dehydrated kale,chips ,cauliflower, cauliflower popcorn. Absolutely delicious. Who knew green beans would be so tasty dehydrated? thanks again. I'll be checking out your other vids. :)

[@MrPhreeradical]

Thanks for the inspiration Kat, I think i'm gonna get me one of those dehydrator-mabobs :)

[@katzcradul]

None taken...thank you so much for watching.

[@ssamorgan2044]

@katzcradul I say that she is nine, but she says that she's "almost ten". lol We often laugh about how she is probably the only kid in her school that knows how to do some of the things she does. She is a big help at canning, dehydrating, and making the laundry detergent and fabric softener. Changing our lifestyle with our prepping has really been a good thing for her and has brought us closer together. Isn't it wonderful to have daughters like ours!

[@djroselli6310]

My wife got a dehydrator today at a garage sale and we can't wait to start!

[@katzcradul]

Yes, you sure can.

[@katzcradul]

Oh, you bet, they dehydrate great. I just happen to have a huge stash of them that I purchased from the LDS cannery. If you're going to dry them, you might want to put the dehydrator in your garage, if possible, because the onion smell can get pretty intense in your house.

[@deekottal6907]

Good news they are now all on sale at Amazon I even ordered the Nesco Gardenmaster 1000 watt dehydrator plus two extra trays. Not 40 dollars for sure I recieved it today and it is sweet and larger than the picture on Amazon. Thanks for all your infomation contains a book of instructions, ordered the Oxygen sensor also.

[@GardenDavesProjects]

Thanks for your reply. I've managed to persuade everybody I know to save their old jars from the supermarket lol, and I plan to build a home made dehydrator so all I need now is to learn how to vacuum seal a jar lol. Thanks again, Dave :~)

[@ckynaston9774]

If you get a pump-n-seal you can suck out the air from any jar that has a gasket in the lid (rubber ring in the jar where it meets the lid)

[@katzcradul]

@BLBMZ I blanch it for about a minute and plunge in ice water to cool. So simple.

[@katzcradul]

@Allen2045 Those tools surely help. Couldn't do without either. Thanks so much for watching and commenting.

[@katzcradul]

No, I put them on mesh sheets that have smaller holes than the regular trays. They're available from one of my favorite companies, Pleasant Hill Grain. You can get 3 sheets for $8.95 plus shipping and handling. Hope this helps.

[@katzcradul]

I do both. However, when I want the bright green color, and the fresh taste of cilantro, I use the frozen.

[@katzcradul]

It's almost impossible to leave them in the dehydrator too long. If I know on any given day, that I'm going to use dehydrated food the next day, I will cover the food with room temperature water, cover them, and let them rehydrate overnight in the fridge. This works best for me.

[@katzcradul]

@snookumsjack No, I haven't, and don't plan on it. The seals on the conventional, metal lid, are much more supple and would seal better in my opinion. In fact, lids that have preiously been used in a heat, canning situation are even better for vacuum sealing than new lids, fresh out of the box. Thanks for the good question...and thanks for watching.

[@Bsget2]

Also one more thing; none of those "extras" for the dehydrator didn't fit mine. I used the plastic needlepoint cloth for the "mesh". Just traced out the tray, and cut it out. Works awesome! Maybe someone will see this comment and it might help out! Once again katzcradul always a pleasure listening!

[@BelovedLeah]

I had one of those Vidalia choppers, based on your recommendation, but broke the chopping grid wire on one of the "plates" chopping carrots and sweet potatoes. Then bought another one through Bed,Bath and Beyond, then another one called Genius chopper online. I thank you for your videos, I have learned so much and bought several kitchen helpers through your knowledge. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and tips & tricks.

[@katzcradul]

Sorry to hear about the equipment failure. I've been brutal with mine in chopping carrots and sweet potatoes and it's held up...for which I'm grateful.

[@katzcradul]

@atticus9799 Nothing but rhubarb, strawberries and cilantro from the garden so far. We were so late with the extended winter and all the rain. Not to worry...we'll catch up. Thanks for commenting.

[@takingcareofmine]

Great minds! That is what I'm doing this weekend. Pineapple, green peppers, potatoes.

[@kan-zee]

I am definitely Subscribing. Your knowledge and experience is a gold mine Bravo ..

[@katzcradul]

Absolutely...some people actually prefer the taste and texture of dehydrated canned vegetable.

[@katzcradul]

I blanch all vegetables except onions, garlic and mushrooms. You don't have to put salt and pepper in jerky, but I don't imagine it would taste very good.

[@gottagoat]

I just made a sun powered dehydrator.Its great and free to use.

[@HaciendaHomestead]

Thanks for this video. I have an Excalibur. I don't utilize it enough.

[@katzcradul]

@SOUTHERNCOUNTRYGIRL5 Thank you so much. I'm going to try and post an equipment video today.

[@Dorrie519]

I have been dehydrating lots of citrus the last couple of weeks. Bought a tea blend from Teavanna that sells for $16.99 for two ounces. It has lots of citrus along with apple pieces. This makes such a wonderful tea. And it has convinced my sister (who lives with us along with her girls and my mother) of the value of the dehydrator!! Thanks again for your time!

[@katzcradul]

I wouldn't be without my dehydrator...love it!

[@katzcradul]

I usually vacuum seal the jars, but you can throw and oxygen absorber in if you like. This will make your food last for years, for most foods. You could just screw the lid on an would still last a long while, just like that.

[@katzcradul]

@Garrisonpea Yep, that system works really well. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@itstheblessing]

I see you are burning the midnight oil ! Same here . I am waxing cheese while watching your video's . Thanks for getting back to me so promptly. I think the frozen green beans would be best to dehydrate too . I hope everyone realizes just how very much you help us,and why. Bless your heart Katz.P.S Enjoy retirement from school . I know you are rolling up your sleeve's to prep and will be working hard to help all of us with your Video's . Thank's a million!

[@katzcradul]

I want to be sure we're talking about the same thing here. Raisins are already dehydrated. Did you mean, "Can I dehydrate grapes to make raisins?" If so, the answer is 'yes'. You can store them for a very long time. I ate some this week that were 4 years old and has not even been vacuum sealed. They were just stored in a canning jar...and were delicious.

[@gottagoat]

It was easy to build ,the trays took more time but all together I only spent about 5 hours to do it all.It works great . I put mine on wheels so it would be easy to turn with the sun

[@KountryKousins]

I LOVE ours ... hubby said I can get some racks next month YAY

[@fairlady2jz]

This is so inspiring; heading to the grocery store :)

[@gonefishing3644]

I use my dehydrator to process those restaurant-size jars and cans of pickled jalapenos, sliced mushrooms, pumpkin puree, diced mango, peaches, tropical fruit cocktail, vegetarian baked beans and sauerkraut. I also buy and dehydrate those large bags of raisins, dried cranberries, dried mangoes, and sweet BBQ pork jerky to remove the excess moisture. Everything I dehydrate is then vacuum canned in caning jars and labeled with contents and date of sealing. For the jars of dehydrated fruit and the sweet jerky, I fill the voids with granulated cane sugar before sealing -- this way I'm storing two things in the same space. I also dehydrate the contents of canned Rotel tomatoes, bottles of low-fat or fat-free spaghetti sauce and freshly cooked pasta (for almost instant pasta).

[@katzcradul]

Truthfully, I dehydrate everything outside. Green onions don't smell quite as strong as large onions, but they still smell.

[@katzcradul]

Yes, you can dehydrate canned green beans, but I prefer to dehydrate from frozen. I think they taste better and have not already been heat processed like canned beans. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@horticultureandhomes]

Yum! Nice to see your goodies! The taters may be shredded and placed in boiling water at once to cook through for a few minutes without becoming mush. Drain well and then proceed to the dehydrator. Shred in small batches of several cups and get cooking quickly is the real key or plunge in cold water and then on to the hot water. Hope this makes sense and brings success!

[@katzcradul]

@tech09201 I don't put an o2 absorber in my jar since I vacuum seal them, no air remains. I'll post a follow-up video tomorrow showing how I vacuum seal my jars.

[@katzcradul]

I don't have a chart per se. Google the food you want more info on. You should be able to find it easily. If I have a particular difficult food to rehydrate, I like to put it in water in my fridge overnight. That usually does it for me.