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MegatropolOZ |
Alternative Something of the Month This month we will review Home Food Dehydrators and/or dried fruit and vegetable manufacturers. Dried fruits and vegetables (home made) are and can be a great way to supplement the stress of your household food bills. Dried Fruits and Vegetables Dehydrator  Household Item to consider. Dehydrators or dried food manufacturers have been around since the year dot, or before. Many tribes usually used either sun-dried techniques or some kind of oven for drying food reserves for requirements at a later time. The ones we examine here are a bit more refined (using electricity) but, produce a products which retains flavours, colours and appearance. Not made for rugged durability, but, as a household item of great proportions for food reserves. Components are made from the highest quality, but, is a fragile device like all electrical devices (if dropped). If Nutrion for your family is a high priority, this products is worth considering. For long term-storage, glass jars are the best containers. If you intend to store for years, pack the jars into cardboard cartons, but dont forget to label when you made that batch. Performance and Drying Times Only requiring a small heater and fan to operate, these household food dryers do not require big amounts of electricity to run. An adjustable switch for various temperatures. A timer. Batches of fruits or vegetables can vary in their drying times. Herbs could take a few hours to over 30 hours for very juicy fruits. Fruits There is as many choices as their are fruits. The most obvious are apples, apricots, berries, cherries, dates, figs, grapes, grapefruit, lemons, limes, oranges, melons, pawpaws, peaches, pears, plums, pineapple etc.. as well as combinations to vary and tantalise.  Vegetables Dried vegetables, although at first, not seeming to be too palatable, until, reconstition is initiated. Vegetables for drying once more depends on the range of various vegetables you have in your diet. Asparagus, beans, beetroot, brocolli, cabbage, carrots, capsicum, cauliflower, cucumber, celery, egg plant, garlic, herbs, mushrooms, onion, peas, potatoes, spinach, silverbeet, sweet corn, sweet potatoe, tomatoes etc.. Meats: Meats and poultry can be dried as well. Various preparetory techniques can be used depending on the foods you wish to produce. Low Power: Only requiring a low power output these devices can provide years of nutritious foods stored for later. Being only of low power consumption makes these devices extremely viable for alternate powered homes. Reconstition If you rehydrate your produce by adding equal parts of water and soak for up to 8 hours your fruits and vegetables will reconstitute. You could cook the vegetables or puree for soups and sauces.  Storage: As soon as food is taken out of your dehydrator, the dry food starts to soak up moisture from the air. It is important to store the fresh produce in airtight hermetically sealed containers immediately. For best storage results pack the glass jars into cardboard cartons, move them to a dark, dry, cool place. Combinations: To expand your taste sensations you can combine different fruits for a combination of your choice. Just about all fruits can combine into a ready snack or reconstitute for fruit salads. Herbs and Spices: The subject of Herbs and Spices for preserving is as old as the hills with many techniques, civilisations and combinations of spices and herbs too big for mention here. Herbs and spices that can be used for fruits are: cinnamon, mint, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, lemon, orange, coriander, basil .. For tomatoes, chilli powder, basil, garlic and olive oil. Simple Installation Plug into the power point, turn on, adjust switch to approximately 50'C. Warm air should be felt flowing immediately and hum of fan just audible. Cost: The price will vary from manufacturer and point of sale but in Australia you should be able to pick one up around the $300 mark. These, of course are domestic machines. If you require a bigger output machine there is a range for commercial applications. Well, there you go for an alternate source of nutritious food reserves for your family and household requirements. If you have a Product for this page please e-mail us at MegatropolOz.
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