Gallet DES 117 Instruction Manual - page 20
EN - 20
how long will it take?
As a general rule, dehydrating times will vary depending on what is to be dehydrated, how big and
how thick the pieces are, their water content, how much you place in the individual trays, on the
temperature and The humidity of the air in the room where appliance is used.
To find out whether fruits are properly dry, allow a few pieces to cool off. They should bend easily,
without breaking. Or cut a piece: no water droplets should form on the cut surfaces. Adequately
dehydrated vegetables and herbs feel ^hard“, they should break when bent.
Testing for Dryness
Be sure to let the produce cool before testing for dryness, cut a piece open – there should be no
visible moisture inside.
Uneven Drying
If you notice uneven drying, rotate the drying racks, i.e. move the bottom rack up and the top racks
down.
Keep Records
Records of humidity, weight of produce before and after drying times, will be helpful in improving
your drying techniques for the future.
STORAGE OF DRIED FOODS
• Glass containers that can be sealed airtight and cloth bags are ideal for staring dehydrated
foods. The produce must be allowed to cool off completely before storage. A long storage life is
only ensured if the produce cannot absorb any additional moisture while stored.
• Important: Check the moisture level of the stored produce. If droplets of moisture form during
the first weeks, repeat the dehydrating process.
• Herbs: Do not pulverize before storing.
• Crush between your fingers immediately before use - this is the best way to obtain
• the full flavour over the longest period of time.
• Mushrooms: Should be stored in airtight sealed jars.
Important
Check for moisture by shaking the content of your storage container several times during the
first week after the food has been dried. If moisture appears on the inside, the food has not been
sufficiently dried and should be returned to the Food Dehydrator for further drying. Do not place
warm produce into storage containers, as condensation will form causing mould and mildew.
Dehydrating dry foods
- Rehydration is the process of putting the moisture back into food that have been dried.
- Rehydrated fruit and vegetables can be used in a variety of dishes. They can be used in
sauces, cakes, soups, casseroles and even for making baby food. For example, dried
vegetables can be used in making a nutritious and healthy soup.
- Dried foods can be partially rehydrated by soaking in water or cooking. (Food will taste and
resemble their fresh counterparts after reconstitution).
- One cup of dried vegetables generally reconstitutes to two cups of vegetables.
- Once cup f dried fruit reconstitutes to one and a half cups of fruit.
DRyING FRUITS
Preparation
- Wash fruit and pat dry with paper towels.
- Remove any blemishes, pips and stones.
- Slice as recommended.
- Pre-treat if desired.