Thursday, April 19, 2012

Mealtime Magic: Dehydrated Food

Swap out those pre-packaged snacks for healthier alternatives - and save food waste while you're at it. Enjoy these alternatives to store-bought fruit snacks, jerky, BBQ chips and even energy bars!

Persimmon-Pineapple Leather

1 Cup Persimmon Pulp
½ Cup Crushed Fresh Pineapple Pieces

Puree in blender. Spread on Paraflexx, kitchen parchment paper, or paper wrap and dehydrate at 135°F/ 57°C until leathery.

Hawaiian Jerky

1 lb. Lean Meat Cut 3/16” Thick
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Ground Ginger
1 TBS. Brown Sugar
¼ tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1 Crushed Garlic Clove
¼ Cup Pineapple Juice
¼ Cup Soy Sauce

In a small glass bowl combine all ingredients except meat. Stir to mix well. Place meat 3-4 layers deep, spooning sauce over all layers. Cover tightly in refrigerator for 6-12 hours stirring occasionally. Take meat out of marinade and place on dehydrator trays. Dry at 155°F/ 68°C for 5-6 hours or until completely dry. Makes about ½ pound of jerky.

Barbecue Zucchini Chips

5 Zucchini
Barbecue Sauce

Cut zucchini into thin slices. Place on dehydrator trays and baste with barbecue sauce. Dehydrate until crisp.

Energy Bars

½ Cup Dried Strawberries
¼ Cup Dried Apricots
¼ Cup Dates
½ Cup Walnuts
½ Sunflower Seeds
½ Cup Pecans
2 Cups Flavored Yogurt


Mix together fruits and nuts and put mixture in blender or chop finely with a sharp knife. Use flavored yogurt to combine and shape into bars. Place on Paraflexx sheets and dry at 155°F/ 68°C until dry.

Banana Jerky

5 Bananas
Lemon Juice

Peel bananas and remove small core on tip opposite the stem. Place index finger where core was and gently push lengthwise. Banana will split evenly into 3 pieces. Dip in lemon juice to keep color. Dry at 135°F/ 57°C until all moisture is removed, approximately 8-10 hours.

For more great recipes please visit Excalibur Dehydrators.

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