The Ultimate Food Dehydrator Guide

In this video, we're going to walk you through the various options to dehydrate food and explain the things you need to know. Download the Start Preparing! Survival Guide here: bit.ly/3xWhVwZ
Items covered in the video:
* Freeze Dryer: bit.ly/2YYjjCw
* DIY Dehydrator: thd.co/3jLc3Ap
* Ronco dehydrator: amzn.to/3uEo7Ke
* Excalibur food dehydrator: amzn.to/37Tt6xP
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Website: www.cityprepping.com
#dehydrator #harvestright #prepper

[@CityPrepping]

Download the Start Preparing! Survival Guide here: bit.ly/3xWhVwZ

[@Bill_tyler]

Glad you put this out, not sure what percent of your fan base owns a freeze dryer but I’d imagine it’s pretty low. Dehydration is more affordable upfront thereby being more attainable than expensive freeze dryers. This content reaches more people

[@CityPrepping]

yeh, we've done several freeze dryer videos lately and that's the feedback we're getting. so moving forward, we'll incorporate dehydration into future dedicated freeze dryer videos.

[@Bill_tyler]

@@CityPrepping AWESOME

[@lesterstumpf3105]

I thought that the freeze dryers were ungodly expensive but they aren't as bad as you might think.

[@Bill_tyler]

@@lesterstumpf3105 i have the money but 3,000$ is more than im willing to pay for a freeze dryer lol I wouldn’t consider myself rich, I own my modest home and stuff outright and just make 6 figures

[@lesterstumpf3105]

@@Bill_tyler i didn't say they were cheap just less expensive than i would have thought.

[@suz6593]

My sweet husband who has recently gotten on board with prepping, surprised me with a very large dehydrator early this week. A very timely video, thank you 🙂

[@CityPrepping]

That is awesome!

[@Impulse_Photography]

I just started also, just like your husband. For me, I bought a WonderMill, so I can buy bulk grains and grind my own, and a dehydrator, to preserve food. I already do canning (water-bath and Pressure) and fermenting. At its worst it will help me to save money because of the larger quantities that will last me much longer.

[@suz6593]

@@Impulse_Photography That’s fantastic! I want to get back to canning, did it years ago. This channel and community is so inspiring.

[@TheMoen22]

I appreciate you putting out content that isn't going to prey on people's fear, but rather you consistently put out useful information and "stay the course" regardless of what is going on in the larger world.

[@shasta1101]

Completely agree. I have been going through quite a few videos and hadn’t gotten this much useful info.

[@leopardwoman38]

I love dried/dehydrated food. I have dehydrated: tomatoes, potatoes, mushroom, celery, herbs from my garden, apples, cinnamon apples, marshmallows, kale with various powdered cheese toppings, onions, carrots, spinach, bell peppers, other peppers-hot or sweet, mixed vegetables, zucchini and yellow squash, bananas, and probably more. It is a great way to save extra food so you can use it later.

[@ganggreen9012]

I made dehydrated zucchini chips last summer. Sliced them fairly thin, gave them a light sprinkle of Mrs. Dash and Lowery's season salt, dehydrated to a crisp texture. They were eaten before they could be packed for storage.

[@cm9743]

I dehydrated cucumbers last year and they are still in storage, as I have I found they were kinda weird tasting.

[@lisahenry1467]

I’ve had a 9 tray Excalibur for almost 20 years. My (adult) kids love jerky. Fruit leather has always been a favorite, and a good way to use up fruit before it goes bad. I prefer the Excalibur for the temperature setting. Drying herbs from the garden makes the kitchen smell wonderful! Our favorite-lemon basil.

[@jimpersinger7440]

For those of you who will be dehydrating foods that need to be re-hydrated (spaghetti sauce, beef stew, eggs etc.) , it's important to weigh your prepped food prior to dehydration, then again after. That gives you the exact amount of water needed for reconstitution. You can do it by serving or for the more mathematically-minded, weigh it all in bulk, then divide by the number of ounces that you consider to be a serving. And write EVERYTHING down!

[@louisevaughan2165]

Many people that live in apts, condos , sm houses in the towns & cities should make the investment of a dehydrator. When buying a dehydrator they need to look for an adjustable thermostat & have a fan to circulate the hot air . The cost can start around $65 & up & I am talking about the prices due to the "supply chain issues" . They can have a good supply of food even in their sm homes. Always remember self education is free. Read, read & then read some more to make sure you get to the truth & good info . Many of us that use dehydrators already know these things you are talking about in this video BUT it is always a good thing to be reminded from time to time . Thank you for doing this for the new people that are just starting their adventure in dehydrating . I have been doing this for many yrs & started learning from Grandmama & Great Grandmama as a child starting with home made "sun" dryers for food , didn't call then solar way back then 😁 . If there was a shtf event I want my 2 sm dehydrators with me . They can be ran off a sm solar setup or a generator so I will always have a way to preserve some foods . Also when canning supplies become impossible to get the sm dehydrators will be a life saver for so many people . I have built a solar dehydrator that is almost the same as the 1s my Grandmamas built & used . I can store 100s of lbs of dehydrated meats , veggies & fruit in the same space that I could only store maybe 500 to 700 jars of canned foods . It always amazes me what can be stored when foods are dehydrated . I do also can some foods but mostly dehydrate . All take care & have a good day .

[@MatthewSmith-pv6gd]

Dehydrating food is something I've been working on a lot lately. The main reason is because of the supply chain disruptions and unpredictable food prices we are already seeing. I've mostly been focusing on flavor enhancers (like garlic, onions, and herbs), but I've also been doing some things that can be a useful, versatile vitamin source (like carrots and apples) on the off chance that we have to go a period with restricted options available on store shelves.

[@louisevaughan2165]

Dehydrate everything!

[@thisone.]

I tried drying onions once. Should of done it outside, not planning on doing again anytime soon. That is one thing I decided to buy pre dried. Never tried garlic tho. Does it put out a lot of fumes so to speak like the onions?

[@louisevaughan2165]

@@thisone. I dont have a problem with the smell of onions or garlic , I like the way they smell. I know some people don't like the smell at all .I have a friend that dries everything outside & she has had issues with insects , birds & other animals attracted to some of the smells . She fixed that issue by taking the largest wire dog crate & covering it with screen WIRE (not the blk mesh) & setting her dehydrator in the crate so she can lock everything away from it as things are drying . If you are going to buy the the stuff out of the store then always look at the ingredient list on the container . I have seen milk powder , flour , etc listed & those things have nothing to do with dry onions , garlic or any other spice for that matter . If you are going to buy then go with McCormick. There have been several articles about almost every spice brand having heavy metals , arsenic & other bad contaminants in them . McCormick is the least contaminated out of all of them . I try to grow my herbs & dry garlic , onions, celery & make my own " salts" from what I do . We all have different ways to do things . Some things I do have to buy & then I buy the best I can afford , I do t cheap out on what we all eat . Good luck .

[@thisone.]

@@louisevaughan2165 I hear you. But we are storing food as a last resort emergency source in a sense. When there is nothing to eat people will eat anything and anything is better than nothing. Of course the the best first but push come to shove people will eat whats available.

[@louisevaughan2165]

@@thisone. You are so right . There are many reasons to " be a prepper " I have been for so many yrs but it is also for power outages , floolds , hurricanes , tornados , blizzards . What we are facing right now since this " pandemic " started is the most serious & has made many more people realize how fragile our food , med , water , power , etc really is .

[@dalrympleje]

I just started! Love my Nesco! Great for greens like spinach & kale 👍 freeze dryers are WAYYYY outside my budget, this is good enough for me. I only want to store things for a year, I don’t need long term anyway. For those more interested in this topic, I’d point you to Darcy at the Purposeful Pantry. She is the dehydrating queen!!

[@cm9743]

I am still using dehydrated celery back from 2018. I turned it into powder and it is still as fresh like the day I made it. However saying that, the celery was from my own organic garden. Maybe that makes a difference?

[@johnv.3323]

For those who have an "air fryer" most have a "dehydrate" setting that can be utilized, so you may not have to go out and buy additional equipment. Now it's going to be a lot smaller but it's something.

[@fa9183]

Oh cheers!

[@ingridexel5525]

Yes indeed, I got myself this "Tefal easy fry oven & grill 9-in-1 air fryer". It is an awesome multipurpose appliance which looks quite stylisch on my kitchen counter. "A mix of 9 manual and automatic functions in a single machine, for perfect results: air fry, roast, grill, bake, broil, toast, dehydrate, rotisserie and reheat." It is one of the best buys - besides my freezer - that I ever made. I am so happy with it and can highly recommend it. P.s. regarding dehydrating: so far I successfully did bananas, apples, mangos, sweet jack fruit, pears as well as chicken jerky treats (for my cat).

[@dragan3290]

Thanks heaps. 👍 cheers from Australia

[@ritakus9871]

My dehydrator on my air fryer works fabulous. My airfryer has little shelves. They fit a good amount of food, but not as much as you would see on an actual square dehydrator.

[@MynewTennesseeHome]

I'm fortunate to have an oven with a pilot lite, that's how I dehydrate everything. It works especially well for herbs.

[@ImmortalLemon]

This was incredibly comprehensive and went into detail that I didn’t expect. Good job. 11/10

[@christinacox2415]

Thank you so much. I knew nothing about dehydrating food before coming to your channel. Now I have so much knowledge. Thank you for explaining it in such a simple way.

[@melissanguyen4904]

I am wanting to start dehydrating to preserve my garden harvest, and also for making my own tea blends. Thanks for this intro!

[@carmenmendez6836]

I have been dehydrating citrus fruits, lemons, oranges, some strawberries. I have also done bell peppers, sweet peppers ( my favorites as snacks!), habaneros, onions and different herbs (the easiest and fastest to do! I love it, the flavors and fragrances of these veggies and herbs are amazing! I'll be adding more fruits and veggies to my pantry, it beats crowding my small freezer when I can store them in the pantry. Good video Chris! 👍💗🍓🍋🍊🧅🌶️

[@jacquiollard8784]

a car parked in the sun on a warm to hot day is a good cheap dehydrator - wind the windows down slightly to let the damp air out - wind them down further if you find the car is too hot - use solid trays or towels under the racks to catch drips - if you have a dehydrator you can use the car then finish in the dehydrator to save electricity

[@leiatyndall8648]

I discovered this when I left calundula flowers in my car some yrs ago. I rent a garden plot through the county here, & since it's 1-1.5 mui away, I usually drive by there when running other errands. So, after dropping by there & picking some flower heads for later salve-making, they ended up being left in the car & started drying out. I noticed, flupped them over, periodically stirred them, & yup! They dried. Have done so ever since. Free dehydrator!

[@lorriewatson7423]

I use my counter top dehydrator, and a cookie sheet on a trivet on my woodstove for things like bread for croutons and bread crumbs, and my herbs

[@texbex9928]

Good video! I've dehydrated for decades. Last year I considered a freeze dryer but when I weighed the cost of the machine and the bags and rising costs of power, plus the high possibility of power loss, I decided to stay with my dehydrators. I actually started out using my oven too.

[@GoodThingsEtc]

I agree with you kris I highly recommend a dehydrator!!! I use the veggies in soups and chili etc. Plus it saves room in freezer and prevent s less food waste! When storing in glass jars you need to shake up for a few days to prevent moisture. This will allow you to check for moisture. I love dehydrating pineapple and I make my own fertilizer by dehydrating eggs and bananas! Thanks as always Kris! Ps soft fruit like banana and strawberry use your egg slicer to save time!

[@seekingtheminimumlevel1830]

Your beef jerky recipe is a big hit with my family. Everyone asks for it.

[@kentdavis7438]

My wife and I are getting into dehydrating. We do almost everything. Vegetables and fruit. My favorite is pineapple and apples. We have also found that Vegetables reconstitute great for soup.

[@nickguthrie9309]

Pears are super

[@louisevaughan2165]

A 5 gal bucket can hold up to 140 lbs of dehydrated apples , potatoes, onions , etc . I will use the dehydrated apples for an example......#1 rehydrate puree to a coarse mix & add cinnamon & sugar to taste , applesauce ,#2 same as above add cinnamon , allspice ,cloves , sugar to taste , cook until it plops now you have applebutter , #3 rehydrate add seasonings , make a pie crust , heat oil now you have sm fried pies , #4 use them in you own trail mix & last but not the least you have apple chips to snack on . I like fried okra , I have dehydrated okra with a bit of seasoning & it is so close to deep fried okra it is surprising . You can snack on it like I do without all the breading & grease . You are going to like the wide array of things that you can preserve this way including meats .

[@cathybestlercurtis]

I dehydrated pineapple tid bits and they were good but I didn't trust them long-term.

[@randyromines7364]

If you partially freeze juicy citrus like lemons and oranges before slicing you will lose no juice. You can get a good dehydrator for under $100. I dehydrate everything - cooked diced turkey from Thanksgiving, leftover rice to make my own instant rice, and dehydrated my leftover cranberry sauce and made a neat fruit leather. I even dehydrated split pea soup I could not eat fast enough. I like really firm and crunchy grapes, so when they get soft I make raisins - food is food.

[@susan3200]

I just learned that you are not supposed to dh left over, cold rice. The risk of bacteria growth is too great. You are to preheat your dehydrator and put hot freshly cooked rice in. Learned that from a moderator of a dehydrating group that I'm in.

[@suz6593]

I read somewhere of someone putting a cookie sheet of food on the dash of their car, cover food with cheese cloth. I thought that was brilliant!

[@PabloP169]

Using a temp controlled dehydrtor, I do jerky and a variety of fruits, mainly for regular long distance and off-road camping trips.

[@amberk2124]

Indeed. Been Dehydrating for awhile now. For years I had a couple of the original Ronco's. Now 9 shelf Excaliber in which I love! Freeze Dryers way too expensive. But also Pressure Canning alot. Thank You again.

[@heathersmith3958]

How ironic! I e never really been interested in dehydrating food and today I had a weird impulse to buy one. Low and behold i scrolled thru my channels and there was your thumbnail lol! Can't wait to watch!

[@steveb8883]

Great video. We have been using an Excalibur Dehydrator for many years. It does a great job. We did learn the hard way that cheap, frozen store bought vegetables do not last nearly as long as the claims that we had heard when dehydrating them. After watching this video, I guess it would be because the stuff they spray on them before we got them helped them to go bad quicker. If you go that route, I recommend rotating them and using the older batches within a couple of years.

[@boostmobile8077]

WG FROM THE BRONX HELLO 👋 : STEVE AND THANK YOU KNOW I HAVE AN PRETTY GOOD IDEA ABOUT WHAT TO DO IN MY CASE.🤔

[@cajunqueen1971]

Funny seeing you here! :) Do you want to dehydrate some veggies tonight? 😂I am thinking Beef Jerky this weekend!😘

[@steveb8883]

@@cajunqueen1971 Sounds good to me.

[@anitaroyal2085]

was that with organic frozen veggies and fruits?

[@steveb8883]

@@anitaroyal2085 No. It was the little bags of frozen cheap vegetables. I think organic would work a lot better.

[@dallen4482]

I recently acquired an Excalibur dehydrator & am thankful to learn more ways to use it!

[@JennLove]

Dehydration is awesome! Great video. Thorough and well-organized. Thank you! ☺️

[@jebster9706]

I have been using a Nesco Food Dehydrator for over 15 yrs and it works beautifully. LOTS of beef and venison jerky, fruits, veggies, and herbs...even making fruit rollups for the kids. They also have great accessories and jerky seasoning. I've been growing much of my own veggies for over 10 yrs and drying or freezing those. We all need to be doing this with the coming shortages and potential financial collapse... And I would LOVE to get a Freeze Dryer...so if anyone wants to donate. :D

[@tthappyrock368]

In the past, I used to make sun-dried tomatoes in my oven and then can them in olive oil. By accident during that process, I discovered my electric stove could be used to dehydrate hot peppers at the same time. There's a vent from the oven next to the back burners. Peppers in a metal bowl set aside for later use dehydrated. I turned them to ensure they dried evenly. Now, I have a real dehydrator. Will be using it on all sorts of things this year!

[@lisalegere2745]

So u did peppers in a metal bowl on the back burner

[@tthappyrock368]

@@lisalegere2745 yes, I did. By accident. Been doing it ever since. You need to make sure all of the moisture is out of them so they need to be turned a couple times.

[@lisalegere2745]

@@tthappyrock368 thank u

[@ChChChelsky]

Perfect timing! Just got mine for my early birthday gift from my hubby 😁

[@jerriscollins-ruth9019]

Thanks again Kris. I use a countertop dehydrator. Love it.

[@BlessedVet]

Great video. I picked up a dehydrator for about $16 at a auction. This will come in handy because I do a lot of overlanding. God bless

[@geekysmoker1528]

Very good information because I recently got a dehydrator and had no clue what to do but was going to do research on the subject. Thanks.

[@petertymchuk1857]

I started dehydrating my food, nice to have videos of ideas how others do it the best way to learn is actually do it, experiment always gives you experience 😊

[@suesweetpea7]

I DEHYDRATE MIXED VEGETABLES FOR SOUPS/STEWS, BELL PEPPERS, ONIONS, MUSHROOMS, STRAWBERRIES, AND BANANAS SO FAR. I WILL BE DOING CITRIS AND APPLES SOON.

[@marypeterson3512]

We dehydrate grape tomatoes and use as croutons in salad.

[@sharmikaedward5144]

Thanks for this.. very informative for beginners. I'm from Sri Lanka. We have lots of fruits and vegetables. I have dehydrated many items like pineapple, papaya, watermelon, moringa leaves, curry leaves, wood apple (powder) etc. Dehydrated lemon slices and i make Lemon tea with that. Enjoying doing this and have had friends and family purchasing from me.

[@gregdoswalt]

High quality well organized and to the point video. Thank for for sharing!

[@brendag2891]

In your lemon video, I mentioned that I use lemon juice to keep apple slices from browning. Obviously, you knew that already! Thanks for sharing your wisdom and experience, Kris.

[@TheAnimalsMagicShop]

I got a dehydrator and haven't tried it yet - this is helpful, thanks!

[@PropheticEvangilticMin]

Thank you this is very timely! As I'm starting to look into my stock to begin to store my grains I have been gathering now I have to take this time to make them last and of course I'm growing my vegetables I'm going to canned again this year and I'm going to add the hydrating I have to dehydrators just never use them.

[@cobrachicken07]

I dehydrate foods year round in a 9 tray Excalibur. Drying dandelion flowers right now, actually. Follow a food sources seasonal pattern and you can make enough for the whole year. Great video, man.

[@barbaramahan364]

I have a dehydrator and a yard full of dandelions. I was going to pick them before I mow. Could you give a couple of tips to processing them in the dehydrator? Thanks for the great idea!

[@cobrachicken07]

@@barbaramahan364 Hi Barbara. Always collect dandelion in an area that has not been sprayed or fertilized. Snip off the stem to the base of the flower. Wash the blossoms twice. Drop them onto your dehydrator trays in one layer with some space between each flower. If you have temp control, set at 105°f/41°c (or herbs setting) and run the dryer for 20 hours. If you don't have a temperature setting, run it for 3 hours - they'll be brittle if made this way, but fine to use. One thing you'll notice after they dry is the white fluff under the yellow petals. This is ok. It doesn't effect the flavor or nutrition of the blossoms. The roots are awesome and absolutely should be dried before using. I do not like the greens dehydrated - they become much more bitter, although the heat seems to tame the bitterness of roots and flowers. Hope that helps!

[@barbaramahan364]

@@cobrachicken07 thank you for taking the time to explain to me! I never spray my yard so I'm good on that. I do have temp control. I feel much more confident about drying them now. Thanks again!

[@nancyquarella6709]

What a good idea! What do you use the dried dandelion flowers for, tea?

[@cobrachicken07]

@@nancyquarella6709 Yes, a tea for nutrition and anti-inflammatory. Usually add ginger, no sweetener.

[@AnnieLanham]

Great video. I've never dehydrated before, but now that I'm a widow empty-nester, I waste money on fruits and vegetables going bad because it's just me. I love working in the kitchen so this will be fun for me! May even have a dehydrating party with my friend lol.

[@randomguy36j98]

A very well constructed video. I am planning to buy a food dehydrator specifically for vegetables and fruits, but ultimately my concern is the duration of time needed to dehydrate these things. At 12:57, I understood that you mentioned roughly 24 Hours for the dehydration to take place and this is for fruits (apple). I am now re-thinking of buying the dehydrator because at first I thought it was only like 2-5 hours for the process to be completed, I had never imagine for 24 hours duration which completely made me turned off to buy it. I guess now I am inclined to just use the traditional way of enjoying my food. Haha. I thank you for this video. Now, I had made my decision.

[@kicharan]

Just looking into a dehydrator for this season's harvest! Thank you so much!

[@susan3200]

Cosori is a good one. I love mine.

[@anchorageprepper9008]

I dehydrated some mini marshmallows after seeing Alaska Granny do it on her channel. They turned out pretty good. The texture is like Lucky Charms marshmallows. Might be worth a try at your house.

[@margaloone7970]

I love dehydrating marshmallows.

[@leopardwoman38]

I tried them, too. I bought the regular sized marshmallows with swirls and a variety of flavors and designs, and cut them in half as they seemed too long. They are picture perfect in my canning jars and are a yummy occasional snack.

[@anchorageprepper9008]

@@leopardwoman38 Nice!

[@MrLandphill]

Another great video, thanks for the time you put into bringing great content to your viewers.

[@CityPrepping]

My pleasure!

[@captinkrnch4463]

Wow just wow!! Amazing video full of information definitely going to share with anyone else who I know just any kind of dehydrator

[@bravo368900]

Thanks Kris. Great video. Been dehydrating eggs and celery lately.

[@DarrenEngler-qg8im]

Just got my first dehydrator from work ❤ going to try to use fruit for my candy addiction and maybe eat more vegetables and live healthier

[@HighLevelNinja]

love my freeze dryer! have a smaller harvestRight, with the oil-free motor so it can be used year round in the garage. for dydration, I use the air fryer for smaller batches, and it's super-fast. it helps that mine works at very low temperatures. i've used it down to 90º gave my larger dehydrator to a friend because my garden is out of commission at the moment (me & the city are fighting)

[@istoppedlaughing5225]

Please make a video on how to dehydrate dates

[@tommyk6349]

Freeze dried food all the way! Mountain house taste good considering all you need is hot water.

[@kele1264]

Hello! This evening Burnin' Up the Roads & Prepping shouted out your channel. As one of her mods, I dropped your link! Thanks for all your info!

[@heidifrog7894]

I love my dehydrator! I had a giggle because I had just loaded up mine and this video popped up….bananas are my favorite. Long strips and twice done. Not great for long term storage but yummy snacks. 😊 Keep prepping.

[@thehaguefortnite_163]

This is very nice to know. Thank you for sharing this knowledge!

[@terminatortsw8006]

Thank you for the video. This may sound strange but could you make a short video on how to dry and smoke meats such as fish and venison? The Native Americans lived for thousands of years doing this successfully and thriving. Funny example: On Game of Thrones, has anyone really noticed all the carcasses of deer and pigs hanging upside down outside (not in smokehouse). I’m lost and confused 😅 Can you show us how to smoke fish perhaps for no electricity times a coming? Thank you!

[@infamousS709]

Wow thanks for all the info! That was very thorough

[@lisapop5219]

I wish I lived in a low humidity area again but I do love my dehydrator. I did blackberries for the first time (frozen) last week and they took forever. We've been doing meat for almost 30 years.

[@pennyprepper]

Thank you for posting this video. We're going to give it a try this weekend.

[@CityPrepping]

Good luck!

[@ResiliencePreparedness]

Always learn from your videos, so thank you! Would I be able to extend the shelf life of the dehydrated fruits and veggies if I put them in Mylar bags?

[@DeadDancers]

As a single person with no chance of eating everything grown at home, I love the idea of being able to (relatively) easily store it for years. Now: to find a small one in my country. >_

[@louisevaughan2165]

You like like it when you get 1 .

[@detroitredneckdetroitredne6674]

When I go to yard sales I will only buy one type of a food dehydrator so i have interchangeable parts and trays and i can stack the trays as high as i can or need grate video brother thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise and hello from Detroit 94/275 Michigan brother 👋 GOD-BLESS

[@THINGSwithTHEO]

Dehydrating seems like a logical step in the evolution of food saving preps. Allowing yourself to save on the front end, store food for longer term use, then with the eventual savings over time you could go into freeze drying eventually.

[@AA14CBF]

Perfect timing. Just looking into one of these.

[@Charlotte-zg9sp]

Very enjoyable video like most it’s dehydrated for me freeze drying is so ££££ many thanks ☺️

[@ratlips4363]

I get organic precut/cooked and diced carrots and peas at the grocery store. Dehydrate in my Excaliber and store in a vacuum sealed mylar bag with an oxygen absorber. I also do dehydrated water

[@susankerr9521]

Thanks for this. I was shopping for an electric dehydrator when I got the notification.

[@CityPrepping]

Awesome...I was reading your mind :)

[@timblairful]

Dehydrated vegetables last a lot longer than three months I can attest to that! The Nesco has temperature control and is approximately $89 now. It takes approximately 8 to 10 hours to dehydrate most things. I vacuum seal them with my food saver attachment. You can dehydrate frozen vegetables in case of a grid down and they are already blanched. I have you some that were eight months old and are perfect

[@jojow8416]

TIP #1: if you plan to dehydrate onions, or garlic which are so delicious when dried, NEVER do it in your house, or your basement. Even when dehydrating them in the garage, the aroma permeates the walls and it is difficult to get rid of the smell. TIP #2: A quick and easy item to dehydrate are frozen organic foods from the grocery store. They are picked and frozen at the peak of freshness and ready to go. After I dehydrate mixed frozen vegetables, I powder them using an old coffee grinder and add the powder to everything. This adds a lot of nutrients that your family will not taste, or know are in their muffins, smoothies, soup, sauces and gravies, etc... TIP #3: Most vegetables need to be blanched before they are dehydrated. You will find many sites that offer information on this. Good luck and God Bless you all. Use your super power which is to stay healthy and positive in challenging times.

[@Livetoeat171]

You don't have to blanch any vegetables that are in the frozen section of the grocery store. They are already blanched and cleaned. I dump large bags of mixed vegetables on the trays, and just dehydrate them and they come out wonderful! Any frozen food item has already been blanched.

[@jojow8416]

@@Livetoeat171 I realize that frozen vegetables do not need blanching but thank you for pointing that out to people who don't know that. After reading my comment, I can understand people being misinformed by what I wrote.

[@hellapellanyc6465]

Hi if I were to dehydrated blueberries, is it best to squish the juice out of them prior?

[@Livetoeat171]

@@hellapellanyc6465 no need to pierce or smash blueberries. I dehydrate them whole, and they are perfect.

[@Pruticle]

Thank you. This is why I subscribed to the channel.

[@CityPrepping]

I appreciate that

[@jp400motox]

thank you for this well put together video

[@cajunqueen1971]

We messed up with dehydrating when we first began prepping. We bought an Excalibur, 9 tray. We dehydrated store bought frozen veggies, because they are blanched. 2 years later we took them out and they were rotten. I had them vacuumed sealed in 4 mil bags, then we put them in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers. It did not work, so I will never do that again, wasted so much money on that doomed experiment. I need to dehydrate the veggies I get from my garden this year, but it will be more of a short term deal. I want a freeze dryer, but the cost of everything is so high, getting a new roof beginning of May, the estimate was $1200 more than a year ago, so we are doing it before it goes up anymore.

[@seachellegramma9847]

You just told my story. Even the roof.

[@siouxsiesiouxwilson7247]

Thankyou for EVERYTHING you do x

[@ld8151]

Great video. When storing dehydrated food long term, should you store it with oxygen obsorders?

[@susanthomas9330]

My favorite thing to dehydrate so far is broccoli, it rehydrates perfectly and the flavor is great. Pineapple is also great to do. I've only been doing this for a few months and need to try other things.

[@discocycle]

Oh i will definitely try this! What recipes do you use rehydrated broccoli in?

[@katwilliams2950]

To prevent your fruit like lemons from browning lower your temp and make them dehydrate longer

[@charlenelynch6505]

Awesome, thanks and great breakdown of everything.

[@simplypatti6705]

Love my Excalibur dehydrator but hope to build a solar dehydrator as well!

[@hunterdavis1663]

I use a insta air fryer it has a dehydrator not a ton of room but plenty for my family/amounts we dehydrate

[@soxthecatrules5298]

If you’re low on space in your kitchen a Ninja Foodi with dehydrator function is a great choice. You do need to buy the dehydrator rack accessory which is extra.

[@DaisyJ73]

I've started dehydrating fruits and some vegetables. I powder them and seal them for storage.

[@jobaker7855]

Anyone advise. We recently bought a dehydrator and are getting to grips with it. This is a really helpful video, thanks! We have an orchard and are planning a lot of dried apples. We prefer them a bit chewy rather than crunchy. If I vacuum seal will they last for 6months to a year or do we need to get them crunchy like you did?

[@madcow3417]

Options: Prepare for anything by learning food storage skills... or panic about WW3 which may not even happen in my lifetime. Thanks for this kind of content.

[@mylifediversions8659]

I just dehydrated mushrooms! Now I need to get some moisture absorbant packets. What do you recommend?

[@danekender5332]

Great tips, for me a freeze dryer, But that means choosing between a nother ten thousand gallon water catchment tank an the Freeze dryer, I'm leaning towards the freeze dryer.. I think it would be worth it in the long run..

[@boostmobile8077]

WG FROM THE BRONX HELLO 👋: CHRIS CITY PREPPING THAT CLASS IS IT'S VERY APPRECIATE 👍 AND IT'S IN MY NEXT LEVEL ON THE LADDER ON BENEFITS FROM MY FOOD STORAGE THANK YOU 🙏

[@pennyprepper]

Hello from Queens here. Nice to see our preparedness community growing in NYC.

[@enux6351]

What about rehidrating the food? Would have liked to see how it works before buying one

[@victorc4_1234]

Thanks for this video! I like to dehydrate leaves like lettuce and herbs for my gerbil to eat. Too much moisture will give him an upset stomach so dehydrated foods are best for him

[@treslater4404]

Lol I read that as you dehydrated your gerbil 😂

[@1jhinojosa1]

I bought a case of bananas and dehydrated them. Lasted months. Either ate them straight up or added it to cereal and yogurt. Next project is taking a deli Turkey breast and make jerky from it.

[@alexanderbayer4348]

My man just casually dehydrating some magic mushrooms lmao

[@micheleluciano8917]

Amazing guide. Do you have any book to recommend in order to further study the matter?

[@3960xRocks]

What are your thoughts on vacuum sealing dehydrated food compared to other options like freezing? Can you even freeze dehydrated food? Or is canning a better method?

[@weeziesgirl576]

Hello - i have been getting ready to dehydrate some vegetables. I wondered about whether vacuum sealing would extend life even longer?

[@peteytwofinger]

i like a mix of apples - with a dusting of cinnamon , bananas - dipped in lemon juice which i do the apples as well . and then pineapple . right now i am looking for additional trays as our unit only has four . they are not cheap , it would cost more than i paid for the unit to double the trays (4 to 8) but i think iam going to do it so we can reduce the runs and make it more efficient . this is really delish mix .