Is this important to get a dehydrator.

Hellokitty Wrote:
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> Is this important to get a dehydrator.
You're much better off eating everything Fresh. By
reading your posts here, I'd say you should establish a good
Diet, then follow it for a while. I was amazed that you have
your own Dietitian, who sounds 'mainstream'. I'd let the people
here 'teach' you if you don't know what and how to eat....WY

No, not necessary. I believe you're already eating too much fat and not enough fruit, so the last thing you need is less water-filled food in your diet.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/14/2009 01:39PM by Utopian Life.

save your money, spend it on fresh food

Wheatgrass Yogi and the the others are correct. On the flip side...anything that is BETTER than what a person is currently eating is a good thing - yes? It's all about the process really - and not about any one goal.

A non-heat method of dehydrating:

Cut your food thin and place between two PAPER air filters. Bungee to a box fan and run on high for 48 hours. Instant dried tomatoes! Heh..heh....well...not instant...

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

if you are interested in getting one try finding one for free or very cheap, if you find you get a lot of use out of it , look into buying a good one with thermostat control.

maybe try freecycle or your local thrift shops, I always see tons of them around for free or just a couple of dollars

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

IMO its how a dehydrator is used in a raw food lifestyle that determines its usefulness. If it is used as a bridge to gourmet foods, deserts and complicated recipes it may not be contributing much to healthy living. However if the dehydrator is capable of temperature adjustment so that it can dehydrate at low temperatures below 118 degrees F and especially temperatures below 105 F and is used for simple raw foods then it may be useful in a raw food kitchen especially during the winter. I do not have a dehydrator and I don't find that I need dehydrated foods but that is not to say I won't get one in the future if I find myself having trouble being satisfied with fresh raw foods which has not happened so far. If I were to get a dehydrator it would probably get some use during the winter when more solid warm foods would be nice. An example of the type of dehydrated food that I have seen in postings that I would like to try would be simple things like sweet potato chips that are dehydrated to a crispy texture without any added ingredients like oil or salt but so far I have not experienced a need for dehydrated foods in the two winters I have been raw. I remain open minded about the possibility of putting a dehydrator into my raw foods kitchen. Hope this helps.

DZM,

I think I remember you posting something about a box fan dehydrator quite awhile ago that didn't use any added heat but relied on air circulation. If that was your post I am remembering could you please post details again ? Thanks.

We love our dehydrator.
Mostly, I use it to 'save' bananas going too ripe, and for making a variety of raw crackers.
DH is nearly over his bread addiction, since he can now use dehydrated crackers instead (along with raw 'mayo', etc.).

Fresh food is always better. Dehydrated foods can help in the transition, or for saving the harvest (like, your own dried tomatoes! yay!).

Some of us are just happy to be eating raw.

Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much
We are all in this together!
Namasté



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/15/2009 01:44AM by RaeVynn.

Anything that you put in there to "save" from going bad can just as easily go in the freezer

i wouldnt not recommend eating dead food!...even for transition purposes!

This thread got me to thinking about dehydrators again and once again I am stuck on the oxidation problem. Are there many foods/dishes that can be made that don't have the oxidation problem ? Maybe its OK for food to oxidize and I'm concerned about something I needn't be ? Comments appreciated.

ANY processing....even cutting...is going to cause SOME oxidation. If dehydrated food is better than what you are eating now...I say go for it! Oh: and the box fan method is simple: Just buy a $15 box fan at Walmart. Buy 2 3-packs of cheap PAPER air filters at Home depot.....and some cheap bungee cords at the dollar store. Slice your food thin....and place between the slats in your paper air filters. Stack 3 or 4 together and bungee them to the box fan side that blows. I laid the fan on small keyboard stand so it will sit horizontally. Then just blow dry in a non-damp environment for 48 hours & check! Tomatoes take less time...while some fruits might take a little more.

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

DZM,

Thanks for the box fan method, that sounds like a good one.

i hear you can "dehydrate" your food in your oven on a lopw temperature

here's my $.02:

while you can just as easily freeze as dehydrate, there is only so much room in a freezer. i already have 2 full sized fridges and 1 little freezer which is full up! i really need to dehydrate stuff! i have a couple of apple trees so i dry my apples (1 example)

it's so depends of your personal circumstances (obviously!)

I have an Excalibur,and its now on my basement shelf.
Takes days for stuff to dry,which your electric company loves!
But for very specific things its great.
Makes very sweet squash chips.

Vinny

Here is a food dehydrator calculator that you can use to estimate the electricity costs of running your dehydrator. Mine only costs about $2.30 a day if running 24 hours. Best.

[food-dehydrator.com]

No. Dehydrators are completely optional, in my opinion. I don't have one (no room) and don't prepare the kind of raw meals where a dehydrator is a necessity. If I get a jones for raw crackers or raw granola, I buy 'em at the health food store.

Fresh is best!
I have the large excalibur. I used it a lot to make crackers and try out complicated gourmet recipes. I did that for about two months.
I convinced myself that it would be good to have 'warm soup' and dehydrate surplus garden produce.

Gourmet didnt suit me or help me transition. I occasionally use the dehydrator to dry herbs in the autumn months. Very expensive.

If you are looking to invest, then a vitamix and a decent juicer would be top of my list.( A good set of knives and a magic bullet too!)
I would find it difficult to stay raw without these items.

ffx

Fresh is definitely best, but theyre nice to have to make crackers and other treats. I dont think dehydrated foods are all *dead*. Ive made flax crackers before that got a little wet, and started to sprout! If you can sprout your cracker Id say its very much alive! Plus...you can always rehydrate your foods....
BUt as everyone is saying...fresh IS the best!

One great use for a dehydrator is if you are into camping and hiking.
You can dry veggies and fruits to a fraction of their original weight to carry in a back pack.

Vinny

Yes I think that is a good idea for hiking. I think I will buy one but not this week. Im trying to get a flat first then I will think about affording one for the new flat.

The dehydrator is, as said already, perfect for breads and crackers, which I like having. They keep me on the right track. I also love the kale chips, cauliflower popcorn, buckwheat grouts done as 'crispies', and dried mushrooms and peas. I am an eater, and having the extra goodies helps me to stay on the program. the expense is worth it. I would not be able to do this if I had to eat nothing but fresh fruit and veggies and nuts and seeds. Just my two cents and no offense to purists.

lots of recipes call for using a dehydrator for only an hour or two. doesn't suck out all the water, just sometimes warms and firms things up.

my freezer is also full. not only that, fresh food grown locally and dehydrated gives "fresh" food shipped from the other side of the planet a run for it's money in the winter time. it's about balance i think. plus dehydrated options are good for kids, school lunches and snacks and stuff. they get to an age where they want something normal looking at least, not to mention cookies and such.

i don't even have a dehydrator, i've resisted for years now but i'm going to get one.

How does dehydrated food measure up (in the health stakes) against steamed food?

i.e. what's healthier- dehydrated sweet potato or steamed sweet potato?

The dehydrated sweet potato.

Steaming kills it.

But say you have to dehydrate sweet potato for 24 hours, and the potato gets steamed for 5-10 minutes immediately after it is peeled. Even though it's not raw, surely it's fresher than the dehydrated potato?

suspendedindefinitely,
Thats a really good point about how fresh dehydrated foods are ?
If you cut a potato it won't take very long for the exposed surface to turn brown. That brown color is the result of oxidation. I don't know how much damage occurs from oxidation but its more oxidation then would occur if you immediately ate the fresh sliced potato instead of blowing hot air across it for 24 hours before eating it. I'm guessing that it must not be a big deal because its rarely discussed. I would be interested in hearing opinions about dehydrating and oxidation.