Do you still crave that warm chewy-comfort food feeling from your raw food? Then chances are the dehydrator is what will solve your issues.
What is a Dehydrator?
(Click here to watch the video on YouTube if you can’t see it here.)
Why Dehydrate… aka What Does a Dehydrator Do?
A dehydrator is a tool that uses low temperatures and a fan to dry food. It essentially removes the water from food, but it keeps the enzymes of your raw food intact.
In my opinion dehydrated foods are not the easiest thing for your body to digest: it’s not the closest thing to nature. Essentially you don’t have the water content and that means it’s not the ideal food.
That being said, I think dehydrated foods are a great way to transition to raw food, and even as a great gluten-free treat. Most of the dehydrated foods can replace the textures and tastes of the most addictive foods like bread, cookies, and chips. Who wouldn’t want that?
How to Dehydrate Raw Food
Most dehydrators come with a temperature setting, and as long as you are dehydrating at temperatures below 112-118F you’ll be keeping your ingredients “raw”. (See what is the raw food diet here.)
Use a Dehydrator to Preserve Excess Produce
If you’re lucky enough to have an abundant garden (or just a great deal of fresh local produce) then you can use a dehydrator to preserve your harvest.
Simply clean and cut your fruits or vegetables and place on your dehydrator trays. Depending on how watery the produce is you might need to dehydrate for a longer time. Dehydrated fruits and veggies make great snacks, or can be used to top salads or in sauces and soups. Yum!
Make Raw Kale Chips
In my weekly ezine I wrote about a recipe for yummy kale chips. (Subscribe if you want to receive recipes every week!)
- 1 Bunch Kale
- Sea Salt
- Olive oil
- Diced Garlic
- Juice of Half a Lemon
- Pinch of Cumin
Wash the kale and then cut it into 3 inch long strips. Keep in mind that these chips will get smaller as they dehydrate. Put the sliced kale in a large bowl and add the olive oil, sea salt, diced garlic, lemon juice, and cumin, all to taste. Get your hands in there and massage the ingredients into the kale.
Wait for 10 to 20 minutes: the kale leaves should have shrunk a little bit. Now place your marinated kale on a dehydrator tray and turn the dehydrator on to dry for about 7 to 8 hours at 115F. You’ll be crunching these awesome kale chips so fast you’ll need to make a second batch! Be sure to experiment with different spices and mimic your favorite chips.
If you want a closer look at the process of making kale chips take a look at this post by Dhrumil of We Like it Raw.
Make Fruit Leathers
Making fruit leather is one thing that reminds me of being a kid and eating those sugary processed fruit roll-ups. Of course when you’re in charge of what goes into your fruit leather you can make them as healthy as you want! Why not dehydrate a green smoothie to take with you on a hiking trip?
- Blend your favorite mix of fresh fruits (and/or vegetables!) until smooth. You may need to add a bit of water if your blender cannot process it well, but try not to add too much.
- Spread the mixture on a teflex sheet or piece of cellophane. It should be about 1/4 inch thick, but you can experiment with different thicknesses.
- Place the sheet in your dehydrator and dry at 110F-118F for about 4 hours.
- When the leather is dry enough, peel it off the sheet and flip it over to dehydrate on the other side, and place it on the mesh of your dehydrator. So that both sides dry. Dry for another few hours until it reaches a malleable but dry consistency.
Enjoy as a snack or use it to wrap other ingredients in, let your creativity run wild.
Unlimited Uses for a Dehydrator
Although I always tell people that they should consider investing in a blender before a dehydrator, dehydrators can be fun. I’ll definitely be posting new recipes and ways to make use of your dehydrator.
Recommended Dehydrators
Depending on how much you care to spend you can get a really good Excalibur Dehydrator or pick up one of the less expensive types at most kitchen stores.
I’ve had my Excalibur Dehydrator for almost 3 years now and I love having the option to make dehydrated crackers, cookies, and fruit leathers.
What’s Your Favorite Dehydrated Snack?
If you’ve ever bought dehydrated snacks or have your own dehydrator, what’s your favorite recipe? Let us know in the comments!
{ 16 comments }
Great write-up about dehydrators! And thanks for sharing photos of your creations. I like drying berries like blueberries and cranberries because they're so expensive at the store when dried and packaged. Getting a lot of them on sale is great because I know they won't go bad if I don't finish them. They just go in the dehydrator and I'll have snacks to sneak into the movie theaters.
Thanks Alex. Such a good point about store bought dehydrated berries. I especially like going to U-pick places (we planted a blueberry bush this year but only got 1 berry!) and loading up. :)
Here is a list of the best fruits to use in a food dehydrator. Best
Great list Robyn. Though you can actually make some snacks with dehydrated avocado. It won't be fully dry or anything, but a dehydrator can be used to change the texture.
We dehydrate our sunflower burgers and gives them a great chewy texture.
Yum, the pictures of food at your restaurant are very appetizing. I'll be sure to stop by the next time I'm in LA. (Though that's not in the cards for the next while. ;)
This is probably the best post on food dehydrators I have ever read. We had an Excalibur Dehydrator that my SO got years ago and that I wore out. It died a few months ago and I'm soooo ready to get a new one when we move. I used to make all kinds of foods from kale chips, to onion bread to cookies!
Thanks Carla! I know they're so handy for making snacks, especially gluten free or raw. Sorry to hear yours died a few months ago. And congrats on your upcoming move, I'm sure you'll find a dehydrator right at home in your new place. :)
The big thing I'm making lots of right now is flax bread. 2 cups flax, grind in a coffee mill, put in a bowl, stir in a little salt and some herbs/spices (around 5 tablespoons total of dried or 2 cups of fresh herbs), add 2 cups water (a little more if 2 cups turns out to not be enough) and stir into a thick dough. Smoosh out flat and work into squares (easier if your hands are wet) on 4 dehydrator sheets. 105 degrees for 4 hours, flip, dry 4 more hours. If you dry it too long, it turns into crackers.
Each of those sheets of bread makes two sandwiches. That's been the lunch I take to school with me lately: dry some bread on Sunday night while I'm sleeping (I flip it when I get up to go to the bathroom) and I have sandwiches for the week. My fave is avocado, red onion, mushroom, cucumber, red lettuce leaf sandwich. Yum!
Yummy you just made me hungry. ;)
Thanks so much for sharing that recipe, it's very similar to one I make often. Anddd- it's something I used to bring for lunches at school too. So we have that in common. So fun!
The big thing I'm making lots of right now is flax bread. 2 cups flax, grind in a coffee mill, put in a bowl, stir in a little salt and some herbs/spices (around 5 tablespoons total of dried or 2 cups of fresh herbs), add 2 cups water (a little more if 2 cups turns out to not be enough) and stir into a thick dough. Smoosh out flat and work into squares (easier if your hands are wet) on 4 dehydrator sheets. 105 degrees for 4 hours, flip, dry 4 more hours. If you dry it too long, it turns into crackers.
Each of those sheets of bread makes two sandwiches. That's been the lunch I take to school with me lately: dry some bread on Sunday night while I'm sleeping (I flip it when I get up to go to the bathroom) and I have sandwiches for the week. My fave is avocado, red onion, mushroom, cucumber, red lettuce leaf sandwich. Yum!
Yummy you just made me hungry. ;)
Thanks so much for sharing that recipe, it's very similar to one I make often. Anddd- it's something I used to bring for lunches at school too. So we have that in common. So fun!
Hi Nathalie! I enjoy your blog. Thanks for all the useful information and inspiration!
James Reno
Raw-Food-Repair.com
Thanks for stopping by and commenting James! :)
What if you don't have a dehydrator, what can you use to get the same results or something similar?
Hi Samantha! Another option would be to use your stove on the lowest possible setting, with the door propped open to let some of the heat out. It's not ideal but it can work. Also in the summer you might be able to dehydrate things in the sun if you live in a really warm place or have a sunny window! ;)
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