Showing posts with label nesco american harvest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nesco american harvest. Show all posts

4/01/2012

Solar food dryer: Preserves food for year-round use, using solar energy (Rodale plans) Review

Solar food dryer: Preserves food for year-round use, using solar energy (Rodale plans)
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The Solar Food Dryer book is well organized. The blueprints and cutting diagrams are excellant. The pouch within the book that holds the blueprints after they are detached from the book has meant that my copy, more than 15 years old, is still intact.
The faults lie in the suggested glazing materials for the solar collector. The book was published in 1981, and after a thorough search I have not been able to locate any of the plastic films in the materials list. Feel free to e-mail me with glazing suggestions.

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3/17/2012

Dry it - You'll Like it Review

Dry it - You'll Like it
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This is a friendlier, more personal book than Mary Bell's Complete Dehydrator Cookbook. There's not as much in it, in terms of content, but there are things in here Bell doesn't cover - like drying grains. (Make your own corn chips with this book!)
For those who don't have a dehydrator already, or for folks who like to build things themselves, there are detailed plans and instructions to build your own "living foods dehydrator."
If you were to own *only* one book for food dehydrating, go with Bell's book. If you like to have a cooking "library" (as I do), this book is a terrific addition to it. "Try" it - you'll like it!

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12/10/2011

Yes, You Can And Freeze and Dry It, Too: The Modern Step-By-Step Guide to Preserving Food Review

Yes, You Can And Freeze and Dry It, Too: The Modern Step-By-Step Guide to Preserving Food
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Disclaimer: I work for the publisher of this book, but I didn't see it until I held my copy in my hands! (It was basically done when I started working for them.)
So-my review. I love this book! (I pretty much only review books if I love them, so you won't see me give too many less than stellar reviews.) This morning, I started my first project from it! I'm fermenting some extra collard greens. I went a little crazy at the Farmer's Market on Saturday. It was preview day. Anyway-
I have taken an interest in all of the home preservation interest lately, but I haven't really done much of it. When I lived in Pennsylvania, I would pit and freeze sour cherries by the bag-full, because they're so hard to find. But that was the extent of my food preservation. And even that was suspect. I would freeze the cherries with so much water in them that my pies would frequently not set. (I could have used Daniel's handy tip about freezing things like peas, cherries, corn, etc. on cookie sheets and THEN bagging them to avoid excess water.)
Tips like that (They're called "From the Tip Jar" in the book) are one of the reasons why I like this book so much! In addition to step-by-step instructions for each different preservation method (freezing, canning, drying, dehydrating, fermenting, pickling, etc.), there are tons of asides and tips. I learned a lot about food and cooking while reading the book.
I haven't tried much in the way of canning because I've been either 1) terrified of killing myself or loved ones with food poisoning or 2) I had yet to discover a book that would help me do it successfully without being overwhelming. I have to say, I really like the step-by-step photographs and the descriptions in this book. Many home canning books or pamphlets I've seen are mostly pen and ink illustrations, and those just don't do it for me.
This book seems like it would be great for new gardeners, people new to food preservation, and people interested in saving money. Also, I'm intrigued by the flavors and recipes in the book. I LOVE fermented pickles and they're almost impossible to find. Until I read this book, I didn't even realize that the reason why I love New York Deli pickles is because they're fermented, not pickled in vinegar.
I'm planning to try many different projects from the book, and it is making me think more about what I plant in my garden this summer so that I have things to experiment with. The author also gives strategies for getting great, in-season and affordable produce at farmer's markets, too.


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Preserving food is hot! The local food movement gains even more popularity as consumers return to vegetable gardening to grow their own food. They increasingly have become interested in the techniques for "putting up" their bounty. Driven by the recession; the need for healthier, chemical-free food,and taste, people everywhere are preserving the abundance of fruits, vegetables, and herbs harvested from their garden (or someone else's). You don't even have to grow your own to preserve freshness; non-gardeners too are learning to preserve with locally grown produce bought from local markets. Targeted at anyone who wants to capture the flavor of freshness, whether it's from making tomato sauce, drying herbs, or preserving jams and jellies.


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11/27/2011

Jerky: Make Your Own Delicious Jerky and Jerky Dishes Using Beef, Venison, Fish, or Fowl (A. D. Livingston Cookbook) Review

Jerky: Make Your Own Delicious Jerky and Jerky Dishes Using Beef, Venison, Fish, or Fowl (A. D. Livingston Cookbook)
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Livingston takes a definite outdoorsman approach to jerky. He is sharply critical of USDA safety regulations, and he doesn't believe in nitrate cure as a preservative (he includes it in a few recipes, but says it's for preserving the color of the meat, not as a safety procedure). Some of the air-drying recipes gave me the willies just thinking about them! Livingston's approach to safety is to use meat from trusted sources, which often means avoiding the local supermarket in favor of a butcher or processor. He says if you use meat from known sources you'll avoid many problems. Good advice, but not always practical.
The book is lively and readable, but too many of the recipes are for curing 10 pounds of meat -- I wish he'd included smaller-quantity versions of some of them.
This is NOT the definitive book for beginning jerky-makers, but it's probably a good buy for an experienced jerky-maker to add to his/her library.

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There's nothing like tasty, chewy jerky for satisfying those hunger cravings. Moreover, jerky is made from lean cuts of meat, so it's naturally low in fat and high in protein. Homemade jerky is far superior to the packaged kind, is much less expensive, and is surprisingly simple to make. A. D. Livingston shows you how, including: which cuts of meat to buy and how to prepare them; jerky drying methods; where to buy supplies and equipment; how to store jerky; mouthwatering recipes for beef, venison, fish, fowl, and exotic meats. For backpackers, country-living folks, jackleg cooks, and anyone who wants a snack that isn't junk food, Jerky is a welcome and unique cookbook."Your mouth will water just reading the recipes." -Sportsmen's Series: Big Game (a special edition of Fishing & Hunting News magazine)

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11/03/2011

Nesco Add-A-Tray for FD-1010/FD-1018P/FD-1020 Review

Nesco Add-A-Tray for FD-1010/FD-1018P/FD-1020
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Not a whole lot you can say... the product is as described. Fits the FD-1010 dehydrator perfectly. They're the same exact trays as the ones that came with the dehydrator. I've now accumulated 6 total trays. Will probably go up to 12. I plan on reviewing how well the dehydrator works when that many trays are loaded on. It says it's expandable up to 30 trays, but I cant imagine the heat would reach the top very well with 30 trays. Plus you'd have to put it on the floor with that many trays cause it'd be too tall to sit on the counter ;.).
The only negative thing I could say about these is the price (I paid ~20 USD after tax/shipping). After all, it's just a piece of plastic. There was a lot of resellers of this product at the time I first bought it, so I thought there should be a little more competition and lower prices. I would've already bought a lot more if they were cheaper.
[update 1/24/08]
Finally got around to using these. they worked great, however, cleaning them was a pain in the A$$. I put them in the dishwasher on low heat, and they warped. Ridiculous that at $10 a tray, it's not made dishwasher safe, especially something that hard to clean. The same goes for these trays: [...] (bought one of each to see the difference). Downgraded to 2 stars.
[update 6/14/11]
Just saw that Nesco has made a new (square-shaped) dehydrator. The trays for these are about an inch shorter (width-wise), but due to being square, hold about 30 sq in. more (think two 3x5 index cards worth of space). I wasn't able to find out any information regarding washing them in the dishwasher... but being a newer product, its possible they may be made dishwasher safe now. That is, if the good people at Nesco read their customer's reviews ;.)
You can find that dehydrator here:[...], and the trays for it here: [...]

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10/23/2011

Deni Food Dehydrator - Five Stackable Trays -Dehydrater Review

Deni Food Dehydrator - Five Stackable Trays -Dehydrater
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I don't see any info about an adjustable thermostat. This looks a lot like one I got for a birthday. I can't use it because the drying temp is higher than allowed for raw foods, so if you are looking for something with an adjustable thermostat for raw food dehydrating, stick with the Excaliber, or at least something that you can adjust the temp on, instead of going for something that is being compared to Excaliber as though it is better.

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10/16/2011

Good4u 10-tray Food Dehydrator with 40-hour Digital Timer Review

Good4u 10-tray Food Dehydrator with 40-hour Digital Timer
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After much research, I decided on this dehydrator. I liked the idea that it has a timer. I anticipate that this feature will be helpful with my busy schedule. I have never owned a dehydrator before, so I cannot compare it to any past experiences. I am just beginning my journey toward an all raw diet, and I knew a dehydrator would be essential. Surface area and cost were also factors that led me to purchasing this particular unit.
I opened it the day I got it, washed the trays and liners and started to use it. I filled up the top 5 trays with raw jalepeno corn chips, one tray with kiwi, one tray with pear and one tray with pineapple. I turned it on and stood next to it for a while to ensure that everything was running properly. For some reason, I began having difficulties breathing. It was as if there was something toxic that was burning off of the heating element. I didn't notice an odor or experience a chemical burning sensation, just difficulty breathing in. This was very alarming. I quickly turned off the unit, removed all trays in order to keep all that food from being contaminated and turned the dehydrator back on. I left the room and my breathing returned to normal. I again stood next to the dehydrator and again had difficulty breating (thus proving it was truly an issue with the dehydrator that was causing the problem). I left the room and let it run for several minutes. I came back in to check things out and everything seemed ok, no difficulty breathing. I think there must have been something on the heating element that burned off. So before you do all the work to prep foods for dehydrating, make sure you let it run for a while first.
With that problem resolved, I loaded the trays in and began dehydrating. The fruit dried nicely on the fine mesh tray liners. The corn chips, however were a different story. The top two trays had the corn chip mash on teflex liners. The next three trays had the corn chip mash on parchment paper (I am waiting for the additional teflex sheets that I ordered). After 24 hours in the dehydrator at 105 degrees F, the top two trays of the corn chips on the teflex sheets appeared to be burned. This ovbiously defeats the purpose of dehydrating to accomodate a raw diet. I am not sure if the top two trays got too hot, or if the teflex sheets had something to do with it. A little more experimentation should resolve that issue as well.
Ultimately, despite the above issues I am pleased with this unit. It is quite large (about the size of a small microwave), but I have a big kitchen, so no worries there. If you are limited on space, check the measurements before buying. I find that it is not very loud. I like that it's white - it goes nicely with my other small appliances.

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10/15/2011

Nesco Jerky Xpress 350 Review

Nesco Jerky Xpress 350
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The person I gave this to loves this product. Works great and everything has tasted great too. Love that it comes with a Starter Kit for someone who might not know where to start.

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10/11/2011

Nesco CLT-2 Vision Add-A-Tray for FD-36 Dehydrator Review

Nesco CLT-2 Vision Add-A-Tray for FD-36 Dehydrator
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I received the trays in perfect condition. I am so happy to be able to still get the trays for my dehydrator. It is not a new one. But they fit perfect. 5 stars. Bravo. And Thankyou Jean

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9/27/2011

Good4u 6-Tray Food Dehydrator with 40-hour Digital Timer Review

Good4u 6-Tray Food Dehydrator with 40-hour Digital Timer
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I like the fact that it doesn't have one big front door. I like the fact that I can set the time to whatever I need it to be and when it is done it shuts its self off. I didn't realize how valuable 40 hours can be. I love how the front of the shelves form the closing. I have no regrets in purchasing it. I purchased it because a friend also had one. I bought it based on her great comments about it. Good4U really is good for you. LOL!

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9/26/2011

Nesco American Harvest Add-A-Tray for FD-50, Set of 2 Review

Nesco American Harvest Add-A-Tray for FD-50, Set of 2
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I bought these trays for my nesco Snackmaster FD-60. Even though it says these fit the FD-50, they fit mine as well. My dehydrator is the one with the motor on top. These trays are the exact same ones that came with my machine. Buy 2 to get the free shipping!

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The sky's the limit! Well, not quite, but you don't have to be restricted by the number of drying trays your dehydrator included. These add-a-trays allow you to expand upward and no tray rotation is necessary. How is that possible you ask? The drying pressure adjusts automatically to the number of trays you are using. Various models are expandable to different numbers of trays, please check your owners' guide.

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9/24/2011

Nesco FD-60 Snackmaster Express 4-Tray Food Dehydrator Review

Nesco FD-60 Snackmaster Express 4-Tray Food Dehydrator
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We bought a Snackmaster, Jr. about twenty years ago and never had any problem
with it. It finally died. So we looked for another one and we found this one.
The air and heat comes from the top of machine and circulates around the food that is being dried. It seems to dry the food faster than the old one and it is much
easier to clean. We really like it so far.

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Dry fruit, vegetables, trail mix, jerky, and more in hours instead of days with this 500-watt food dehydrator. The unit's patented Converga-Flow drying system forces air down the exterior pressurized chamber, then horizontally across each individual tray, converging in the center, for fast, even, and nutritious drying. Flavors don't mix, and there's no need to rotate the trays. Its top-mounted fan eliminates the worry of liquids dripping into the heater chamber, and an opaque Vita-Save exterior helps block harmful lights in order to retain more of the food's nutrients and vitamins during the drying process. The unit's adjustable thermostat ranges from 95 to 155 degrees F, providing the flexibility needed to ensure excellent results. A set of 4 trays comes included, but the unit can be expanded to up to 12 trays (additional trays sold separately) for drying larger quantities at a time. Accessories include a fruit roll sheet and two original-flavor jerky spice and cure packets for making jerky. With its sleek, contemporary design, the food dehydrator measures approximately 13-1/2 by 13-1/2 by 9-4/5 inches.

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9/18/2011

Nesco FD-39 500-Watt Food Dehydrator Review

Nesco FD-39 500-Watt Food Dehydrator
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My title says it all. While the unit is indeed noisy...it's not that bad. Definitely not the pitch of a 'hair dryer'. I have processed close to 75 lbs of beef over the past 9 months and it's performed like a champ! Further, I find that 5-7 hours is all it takes for the jerky dehydrating process...higher if you like nuggets. I love that I do not have to re-stack trays (I used to have a Ronco with a base heating element w/ no fan). Finally, it is super easy to clean provided you pat down your raw meat before putting them on the trays.
Ultimately, the unit works and works well. What more can you ask for?


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9/17/2011

Nesco American Harvest Add-A-Tray for FD-1000, Set of 2 Review

Nesco American Harvest Add-A-Tray for FD-1000, Set of 2
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If you already own the wonderful Nesco food dehydrator, then this is your next logical and sensible purchase. You might as well be able to produce more of your favorite dried food in one process. For me, I like to make a lot of beef jerky at once. The added trays make it possible to dry four pounds of ground sirloin in five hours. The trays are exact duplicates of what you are now using. Just be certain of your Nesco's model number pryor to ordering this useful addition to you machine.

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NESCO EXPAND ADD A TRAY2 Pack, Add A Tray, Expand The Nesco/American Harvest Gardenmaster Dehydrator Up To 30 Trays, Drying Pressure Adjusts Automatically To The Number Of Trays, No Tray Rotation Necessary, Fits Models FD-1000, FD-1010 and FD-1020Add this two-tray set to your Nesco American Harvest Maid dehydrator FD-1000 to expand its capacity for drying food, herbs, granola, and flowers. You can purchase multiple sets to increase the dehydrator's capacity to a maximum of 30 trays. The trays have flexible bottoms, making it easier to clean off bits of dried food. The set measures 15-1/2 inches in diameter and is 2-3/8 inches high.

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9/12/2011

Nesco BJX-8 Jumbo Jerky Works Kit Review

Nesco BJX-8 Jumbo Jerky Works Kit
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am a casual user of the food dehydrator, mainly for beef jerky. I had always used thin cut steak and marinated it for a day or two and then dehydrated. Well, I received a Nesco dehydrator for christmas which had jerky spice packets included with it. Reviewing how these packets worked, i saw that it called for ground meat, a new concept for me. Well, I broke down and got this item and mixed up a small batch, and I am never going back to the steak. It took a while for me to perfect which flavors to use, but this is as close to store bought jerky you can get. My best batch is 3lbs of 96%lean ground beef, one Hot & SPicy pack, One teryaki pack, and One original pack...with one 4 oz bottle of Hickory Liquid smoke...and presto...Store bought beef jerky. I have a Nesco dehydrator (see my other review nesco fd-60), and 3 lbs ground beef fill all the trays with the flat jerky strips. Lowrey's beware. And it's quick to make this, no marinating or cutting up beef, just buy the meat, mix the spices in, and into the gun it goes, and little formed strips of beef come out the gun. It's just like a caulk gun. I make the flat strips, but this kit comes with the capability to make beef sticks as well, which are awesome as well. Try this jerky fans, you will not be disappointed


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