Just got a dehydrator, what are "must try" recipes?

[Fishstiq]

I have never had or used a dehydrator before.  The wife is on a "no carbs" kind of diet, so I got her some veggie chips as a snack when we go fishing.  She loved them, so we got a dehydrator to make our own.  So now here I am with a dehydrator and no real direction as to what to do with it.  Sure, there's the typical sliced up fruit and veggies to dry out.  But I figure there has to be more to it than that, and I figure you bunch of hunting fishing gardening folks has got to be the perfect place to ask about creative, delicious, unexpected ideas!!  So, lay them on me, what should I make with this thing?

[Timberstalker]

Fruit Leather is awesome.

[quadrafire]

I'd put jerky at the top of the list

[Yelper Guy]

Try making some beef jerky.
Get a good cut of steak, cut into thin strips and season with Worchester sauce, BBQ sauce and some seasoning salt.
I made up my own batch and it turned out real good.

[hunter_sean08]

They can be used for all sorts of different foods, but I personally like dehydrating chicken or other meats for my hiking trips. Throw it in with your ramen noodles or something and boil. It will hydrate back up and you've now got protein with your carbs. Pretty basic suggestion, but useful when you're trying to be efficient.

[Igottanewknee]

Don't forget mushrooms, put them in a jar and use them all year..

[JDHasty]

My sister does pineapple and apples quite a bit.  She does other things, but these two are what my kids frequently get their mitts on when they visit. 

[pianoman9701]

I'm selling dried morels for $150/lb wholesale right now. I'd be drying morels were I in your shoes.

[hollymaster]

Wife makes fruit leather from apple sauce.

[Timberstalker]

They can be used for all sorts of different foods, but I personally like dehydrating chicken or other meats for my hiking trips. Throw it in with your ramen noodles or something and boil. It will hydrate back up and you've now got protein with your carbs. Pretty basic suggestion, but useful when you're trying to be efficient.

I never trusted them to get hot enough for chicken. Maybe I'm wrong.

[Dhoey07]

I grow cherry tomatoes, half them and dehydrate to make sun dried tomatoes, it's been almost a year and they are still good.

[Fishstiq]

I'm selling dried morels for $150/lb wholesale right now. I'd be drying morels were I in your shoes.

How about chanterelles?  I get hundreds of them around the house.

[mburrows]

They can be used for all sorts of different foods, but I personally like dehydrating chicken or other meats for my hiking trips. Throw it in with your ramen noodles or something and boil. It will hydrate back up and you've now got protein with your carbs. Pretty basic suggestion, but useful when you're trying to be efficient.

I never trusted them to get hot enough for chicken. Maybe I'm wrong.

I cook chicken then dehydrate it. I dont use the dehydrator as a method for cooking anything, at least havent tried it yet.

[Timberstalker]

They can be used for all sorts of different foods, but I personally like dehydrating chicken or other meats for my hiking trips. Throw it in with your ramen noodles or something and boil. It will hydrate back up and you've now got protein with your carbs. Pretty basic suggestion, but useful when you're trying to be efficient.

I never trusted them to get hot enough for chicken. Maybe I'm wrong.

I cook chicken then dehydrate it. I dont use the dehydrator as a method for cooking anything, at least havent tried it yet.

I see - I've dehydrated plenty of red meat, without cooking and never had an issue.  But chicken, well it's chicken.

[longashes]

I'm selling dried morels for $150/lb wholesale right now. I'd be drying morels were I in your shoes.

I pick morels for personal use, but curious how many you need to collect to equal 1 lb dried 

[longashes]

When the tomatoes are in ... my favorite snacks are cut up pieces dehydrated w/ with Italian seasonings 

[NRA4LIFE]

Figs, Pineapple, Strawberries, Plums are all really good.  I do almost all my jerky in it also.  I have also dehydrated soups, stews and chili that turned out great when rehydrated.  Just make sure any meat that goes in them is VERY lean.  Chicken and venison work very well when trimmed of all fat.  Beef, I found, does not work as good.   

[pianoman9701]

I'm selling dried morels for $150/lb wholesale right now. I'd be drying morels were I in your shoes.

I pick morels for personal use, but curious how many you need to collect to equal 1 lb dried 

6:1 ratio roughly

[KFhunter]

road kill jerky

[hunter_sean08]

They can be used for all sorts of different foods, but I personally like dehydrating chicken or other meats for my hiking trips. Throw it in with your ramen noodles or something and boil. It will hydrate back up and you've now got protein with your carbs. Pretty basic suggestion, but useful when you're trying to be efficient.

I never trusted them to get hot enough for chicken. Maybe I'm wrong.

I cook chicken then dehydrate it. I dont use the dehydrator as a method for cooking anything, at least havent tried it yet.

I see - I've dehydrated plenty of red meat, without cooking and never had an issue.  But chicken, well it's chicken.

Yeah definitely grill it or something first.

[SeaRun1]

Definitely do beef or deer jerky.  I have picked up some great easy to make recipes from a YouTube guy named T-Roy.

I can't believe I waited so long to start making jerky at home.

SR1

[gaddy]

Add duck and goose to the jerky list.

[Fishstiq]

When the tomatoes are in ... my favorite snacks are cut up pieces dehydrated w/ with Italian seasonings 

I saw some of this done, it looked great!

Jerky is something I definitely want to do, just gotta YouTube up a good recipe!

[gaddy]

I have always used the High Mountain Jerky Cure and seasoning. Tried several flavors, always come back to cracked pepper and garlic.

[Fishstiq]

I dried some apples, pears, peaches and bananas yesterday, no prep, just sliced 'em and stuck 'em in there.   Turned out great!!  It surprised me how much flavor they still have when they are just dried out little crisps like that, I liked them a lot better than the store bought stuff I've had.  Almost like the flavor gets more concentrated or something. 

Next up is pineapple, kiwi, and dragonfruit.   

[NRA4LIFE]

Once you try the pineapple, you will be addicted.  That is my form of candy.

[NRA4LIFE]

OK, so I have to admit I had a recent failure.  Do not try to dehydrate watermelon.  That tasted like crap.  Got about 5 lbs of apricots going right now.

[Dhoey07]

OK, so I have to admit I had a recent failure.  Do not try to dehydrate watermelon.  That tasted like crap.  Got about 5 lbs of apricots going right now.

Where are the apricots ripe?

[Skyvalhunter]

OK, so I have to admit I had a recent failure.  Do not try to dehydrate watermelon.  That tasted like crap.  Got about 5 lbs of apricots going right now.

What does Krap taste like?

[Angry Perch]

OK, so I have to admit I had a recent failure.  Do not try to dehydrate watermelon.  That tasted like crap.  Got about 5 lbs of apricots going right now.

What does Krap taste like?

Hmm, if do dehydrate crap, do you think it will taste like watermelon?!

[Skyvalhunter]

 

[Fishstiq]

I dried some pineapple, and I gotta say I did not like it.  It was like drying it made it super concentrated or something, I ended up throwing it away. 

So far, bananas are my favorite!

[NRA4LIFE]

We picked up the apricots at Foleys produce stand in Maple Valley.  They were pretty nice.  I didn't ask where they came from.

[Pegasus]

Jerky and bananas. Cots were not bad either. Apples...not so much.

[Fishstiq]

I like apples.  Not my favorite, but still good.

[jrebel]

Had some pears my in-laws dehydrated and they were very tasty.  My hunting partners wife made pear leather which was good too.  To do leather you need to use parchmant paper or silicone dehydrator mats.  Both are cheap and the mats are reusable.