I just bought a dehydrator I plan to place it close to a wall but I don't know how close, the manual says that there should not be nothing in front of the ventilator should I place it a few inches away?

So I'm kinda new to making jerky, and I prefer ground jerky over whole muscle strips. I'm trying out a bunch of recipes, but I'd also like some suggestions for things to mix into my jerky, things like diced jalapeño, finely diced cheddar cheese, garlic, etc. What are your favorites?

More at once would be better but I’m looking to stay somewhat close to 100 dollars

I had a Corsori and used it mainly for liver for the dog. After every drying session it gets so caked on that the dishwasher can’t clean the grates and I need to scrub it like crazy by hand. Food gets jammed up in the corners where the steel cross cross meets. How do people get around this? There must be some trick I’m missing.

Hello! I recently purchased a dehydrator and have made a variety of treats (mostly chicken breast + heart) but am wondering if anyone has some recipes for other treats that their dogs love? Thank you in advance!

I heard that spicy mangos are yummy. I want to make some, but I don't know what hot pepper i should use.

Any suggestions?

I don’t feel like running my oven for so many hours. If I just thread thinly sliced orange slices and hang them will they dry? Or is there a quicker way to dehydrate orange slices in an air fryer?

Honestly it's not a hard fix if you know what you're doing. It's a Salton dehydrator. Just a basic model. The dial that sets the temperature is loose so it can't be set to what I want. It could have been off for awhile. I usually dry the same thing so never noticed it was broke. I'm just going to take one of our small clamps and tighten it with that. You could also use a metal wire to tighten it if you don't have clamps that small. Any temperature dial could be used to fix it too. It still works but not being able to set the temperature makes it effectively worthless until I put the clamp on.

One of the screws is a tri wing. Unless you happen to do a lot of small electronic repairs you don't own a screwdriver that can get the thing off. Really annoying and pretty hostile to consumers. They really don't want us fixing them. Since I already have the thing apart I'll be cleaning it. It gets surprisingly dirty inside these machines which wouldn't help the life expectancy.

So in September I dehydrated some carrots that I just learned are affected by the E.coli recall

(https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/outbreaks/e-coli-o121.html)

Anybody have advice about how to sterilize my Excalibur trays without damaging them?

I've read that boiling water could warp the plastic, so maybe soak them in the bath with some bleach? Will that degrade the plastic too?

Or is this even necessary given that any bacteria would have been sitting on a dry hard surface for an extended period?

Also, while the carrots themselves (pictured) are obviously going in the trash, what would you do with other foods dehydrated since then? I've run a few batches of veggies.

Hi! I just bought a dehydrator to make my dog's treats and I'm planning on trying several meats. I know he likes dehydrated turkey breast but what other meats can I give him? I also read that chicken paws are great for the dog's health but they take like 2 days to dehydrate...any ideas?

So can i Dehydrate raw meat in 42 celcius if i make it extra dry that it like breaks easily and use some salt?

Does vinegar also kill pathogens?

would like to get some guidance if it's posible i mean if people back in the day did dry under the sun why would this not work=

also all tips are welcome and if you have any good recipes please tell :D

Suggestions?

I dehydrated a few batches of wild mushrooms (dryad’s saddle, elms, oysters) and throughout the process it was blowing out mushroomy scented air. By the time it was done (10 hours?)

did the same for a batch of gallium (2-3 hours?) - smelled super sweet, then once it was done the scent died down.

anyone else have this problem? either I caught a cold or I ought to go back to using the oven since I hadn’t had the same issues using that

Picked up a few pounds of gold potatoes cheap today & am planning on dehydrating them in slices, like for scalloped potatoes. Some instructions call for peeling, some don't. Was some hoping some of you could share you experience on both ways? I do plan on blanching after slicing. To prevent oxidation, I was going to slice into cold water with Fruit Fresh or lemon juice but had also read you can put lemon juice in the blanching water?

Hi everyone

I'm have a good quantity of fruits and veggies that I'd like to dehydrate for year-round snacking and cooking. I've believe 2025 models of top-notch dehydrators are already in the market, but the options and features to consider has left me confused.

I'm interested in a dehydrator with a sizable capacity, given the volume of produce I have to handle. I also need it to have adjustable temperature settings to ensure optimal preservation and nutrient retention. Energy efficiency is another factor I'm considering; I don't want to skyrocket my electricity bill.

How has your experience been in terms of its performance, reliability, and ease of use when dehydrating foods? Looking forward to hearing your advice and experiences.

So I've recently started trying dehydration again, doing some mushrooms to start. I have the same issue I've always had...with fruit, jerky, veg, whatever. How do you actually know if it's done? They seem done after letting them cool. I put em in an airtight, after fully cooling, and a few hours later they seem to not be done...too pliable? Maybe I'm just overthinking it? I'm just always second guessing if anything is done enough or properly.

Just curious to see how many of you run your dehydrators while you’re not home. Generally speaking is it safe?

TIFU I borrowed a fairly new dehydrator and set about dehydrating chilli con carne for an upcoming backpacking trip. I’ve done this before on other dehydrators over the years. Coincidentally I make liners for dehydrators made from non stick material to sell. I ran out liners (oh the irony), and had one tray left over and still had some chilli con carne to dehydrate so I just put it directly on the tray and now there are tomato stains all over the tray.

Does anyone know how to get these clean and white again so I can return the dehydrator with a clear conscience?

It’s a round Sunbeam

I've heard flank and london broil if you like it tough. What's the best cut for beef jerky. For me, I've done it many times with thick cut roast beef from the deli counter. I marinade it for a few days in honey bbq sauce and sliced red onions. I want to experiment with the different cuts such as flank or skirt. Anyone have a good or bad experience with those?

Where are you buying your meat? Are you befriending a butcher? Are you ordering online? Where do you get your beef from? Anyone got any tips?

We've all heard about dehydrating onions inside. I know I had. But I did it. I might have to move. But I can't because I can't leave the house. I didn't even smell it. 😫 Some of my kids were there to visit and now three days later they say they even smell it on the shoes they were wearing. The baby's carseat. My ENTIRE house.

Just don't.

I bought silica packs on amazon a few weeks ago to use for my spice containers. Earlier today I saw someone talk about food-grade silica packs, and now Im worried if I bought non food grade ones. I can't find my order anymore to double check, does anyone know if I ruined my spices with something potentially risky to my health? Can/should I remove them or maybe they are safe after all? The tiny packs don't have any info on them other than the typical "SILICA GEL, do not eat, throw away, DESICCANT"