A homemade food dehydrator is not a simple device to make. The wiring involved with creating an electric dehydrator could cause a fire hazard when attempted by a novice. In addition, the fact that many homemade dehydrators are made of wood increases the risk of fire. However, a simple homemade food dehydrator that harnesses the power of the sun can be created quickly with low cost materials and eliminates these risks.
Foods
Many commercially available dried fruits are sun dried. Drying foods in the sun can take four to five days, and is preferable for foods with a high sugar and acid content, as other foods may spoil rather than dry. Fruits and vegetables that are appropriate for sun drying include apples, apricots, cherries, citrus peels, shredded coconut, currants, dates, figs, grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, chili peppers, lentils, peas, shell beans and soybeans. Some foods should not be dehydrated this way, including avocados, bananas, berries, cranberries, melon, papaya, persimmons, rhubarb, strawberries, meat, fish and herbs.
Construction
Drying trays can be built using 1x 2-inch boards and plastic window screening. Plastic window screening is available in rolls at most home improvement stores. This material can be cut easily with scissors. The size of the trays can vary depending upon how much room you have and how much fruit you will be drying at a time. A good size to start with is one square foot.
Cut 12-inch lengths of 1x2-inch board and nail them together to form squares. Cut pieces of the screen material slightly larger than the wooden squares and attach the screen to the bottom of the trays with a staple gun. The fruit or vegetables are placed onto the screen and the trays can be stacked on top of each other. Before placing the fruit outside, stack the drying trays on a length of fine mesh fabric or mosquito netting. Wrap the netting up over the sides of the drying trays so they are completely covered. This will protect the fruit from insects. Tie the netting tightly at the top of the trays to secure it.
You can now hang the entire homemade dehydrator from a hook outside on a porch or set the trays onto two sawhorses. It's important that air is permitted to circulate around the fruit as much as possible, so avoid setting the dehydrator onto a solid surface such as a table.
Method
Cut large fruits such as apples or peaches in half or into slices for faster drying. Pits should be removed from all fruits before being placed into the dehydrator. Fruits and vegetables should be turned two to three times a day during the drying process for best results. Fruit leathers can also be made in this food dehydrator by blending fruit until smooth and then pouring the pureed fruit onto a tray lined with plastic wrap. The leather should set in one day but may take longer in areas with high humidity.
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