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7
Lay food pieces evenly on trays. Do not overlap food pieces, as this will inhibit drying time. As each
tray is loaded, place it on the dehydrator to begin drying. Please change the position of the trays
during drying process if you find that certain trays are dried unevenly.
Because of the unique design of your electriQ vortex system dehydrator, you will be surprised at how
quick the drying process is.
Drying Times
Drying times indicated in this user manual are for reference only and they may vary a lot, depending
on the type and amount of food, thickness and evenness of the slices, percentage of water in the
food, humidity, temperature of air, altitude. Drying times may also vary greatly from one area to
another and from day to day, depending on the climatic conditions. Keep records to help you predict
drying times for specific foods.
Drying Temperature
Fruits, fruit rolls (fruit leather) and vegetables should be dried at 40 - 60℃. By drying foods in this
temperature range you will minimize the loss of heat-sensitive vitamins A and C. All foods sweat
when they begin to dry, the temperature may be set higher at 60℃ or 70℃ during the first couple of
hours of drying. The actual temperature of the food will remain to around 5o to 6o℃, lower than the
air temperature for the first couple of hours.
Meats and fish should be dried on the highest temperature setting of your dehydrator at 70℃. These
temperatures also keep bacteria and other spoilage micro-organisms, common to meat and fish, to a
minimum during the first stages of drying.
Nuts and seeds are high in oil, and if higher temperatures are used, they will tend to become rancid,
developing unpleasant flavours. The best temperature is from 35 to 50℃.
Herbs and spices are most flavourful when they first open and should be harvested while very fresh,
before they begin to blossom. Because the aromatic oils are very sensitive, temperature should be
set to 35℃.
Flowers, herbs and spices used for potpourri should be dried at 35℃ to maintain aroma and colour.
Take care not to load trays too heavily as this will prolong the drying time.
Packaging
Some pieces may dry in a shorter time than others. The dried food should be removed and placed in
an airtight container while allowing the rest of the pieces to remain in the dehydrator until
sufficiently dry.
Package all dried foods promptly to prevent contamination and to prevent stickiness and re-
hydration caused by humidity. Store dried foods in airtight, moisture proof containers.
Home vacuum packaging devices are ideal for packaging dried foods as eliminating the air will extend
the shelf life of dried foods 3 to 4 times.
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