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Food Dehydrator &
Jerky Maker
Care/Use &
Recipe Guide
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Welcome to the fun and exciting world of food dehydration, ® ® and thank you for choosing NESCO American Harvest ® — “The world’s fastest, most even drying dehydrators.” — Our long history of developing and manufacturing food dehydrators and accessories enables us to bring to you the best in patented drying technology. If you have any questions regarding your food dehydrator and/or food dehydration, please contact our Customer Satisfaction Department at 800-288-4545. Our associates will be ha
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Important Safeguards —This product is designed for household use only— When using electrical appliances, basic safety precautions should always be followed, including the following: 1. Read all instructions. 2. Do not touch hot surfaces. 3. To protect against electrical hazards, do not immerse power unit or any part of the dehydrator cord or plug, in water or any other liquid.* 4. Close supervision is necessary when any appliance is used by or near children. 5. Unplug from outlet when not in u
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® ® Product Information — FD-50/FD-50T Snackmaster Pro The Snackmaster Pro dehydrator is perfect for amateurs and professionals who want to make their own natural snacks, including fruit rolls, dried fruits, and beef jerky. The Snackmaster Pro comes with four trays and is expandable to ® 12 trays (with additional Add-A-Tray accessories) for up to 10 sq. feet of drying space. The quiet 2,100 rpm motor and 500 watts dries items quickly. The adjustable thermostat (95° - 155°F) provides the flex
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FD-50/FD-50T Product Information (continued) Use and Care Trays Your dehydrator trays are easy to clean. Simply soak the trays in warm water with a mild detergent for several minutes. A soft-bristle brush will loosen food particles that resist softening by soaking. Don’t clean trays with any metal objects or scour- ing pads as they tend to damage the surface of the trays. Trays can be washed on the top rack of your dishwasher if you remove them before the drying cycle. Caution: Remove trays befo
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® ™ Product Information — FD-60 Snackmaster Express The Snackmaster Express dehydrator is perfect for amateurs and professional who want to make their own natural snacks, Adjustable thermostat including fruit rolls, dried fruits, and beef jerky. The Snackmaster Express comes with four trays and is expandable to 12 trays (with additional Add-A- ™ Tray accessories) for up to 10 sq. feet of drying space. The quiet 2,100 rpm motor and 500 watts dries items quick- ly. The adjustable thermostat (95° -
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FD-60 Product Information (continued) Use and Care Trays Your dehydrator trays are easy to clean. Simply soak the trays in warm water with a mild detergent for several minutes. A soft-bristle brush will loosen food particles that resist softening by soaking. Don’t clean trays with any metal objects or scour- ing pads as they tend to damage the surface of the trays. Trays can be washed on the top rack of your dishwasher if you remove them before the drying cycle. Caution: Remove trays before the
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® Product Information — FD-1000/FD-1010 Gardenmaster ® The Gardenmaster dehydrator is the ultimate garden preserver. It is ideal for people who dry produce, flowers, herbs, and spices on a regular basis. The Gardenmaster dehydrator comes with four trays and is expandable up to 30 trays with Add-A-Tray® accessories. Each tray holds up to one square foot of produce — you can dry up to 30 square feet of garden items, fruits, herbs, spices, and crafts simultaneously ® with Add-A-Tray accessories!
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FD-1000/FD-1010 Product Information (continued) Use and Care Trays Your dehydrator trays are easy to clean. Simply soak the trays in warm water with a mild detergent for several minutes. A soft-bristle brush will loosen food particles that resist softening by soaking. Don’t clean trays with any metal objects or scour- ing pads as they tend to damage the surface of the trays. Trays can be washed on the top rack of your dishwasher if you remove them before the drying cycle. Caution: Remove trays b
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General Drying Guidelines here are no absolutes and quite a • Do not add fresh produce to a partial- few variables in food dehydration. ly dried batch. It will slow the rate of T The only way to become proficient drying for both products. It is possible is to dry, dry, and dry some more! however, to combine partially dried Certain varieties of produce, the humid- foods on to fewer trays. ity in the air, and even methods of food handling make a difference in the drying • Many people have more
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to a minimum during the first stages of Drying Time drying when they tend to multiply. Because of the unique design of the ® Nuts and seeds are high in oil, and if patented Converga-Flow system of ® ® higher temperatures are used, they will your NESCO American Harvest dehy- tend to become rancid, developing off drator, you’ll be surprised at how quick- flavors. The best drying temperature ly most foods dry. for them is from 90° to 100°F (30° to 40°C). Drying times may vary, depending on the typ
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• Fruit rolls should be leathery Plastic freezer bags can be used. Plastic with no sticky spots. storage bags not labeled for use in the • Jerky should be tough but not brittle. freezer generally are not airtight nor • Dried fish should be tough. If the fish moisture-proof and should not be used is high in fat, it may appear moist due to store dried foods. to the high oil content. • Vegetables should be tough or crisp. Since most packaging materials are transparent, store packaged dried foods i
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The ideal storage temperature for Fruits or vegetables may also be rehy- dehydrated food is 60°F (15°C) to drated in liquids other than water, below freezing. The ideal storage place including fruit juices, cider, vegetable is your freezer or refrigerator, particu- juices, milk, consommé, etc. Refrigerate larly for storing low acid foods such as these foods while they are soaking to meats, fish, and vegetables. reduce any risk of spoilage. All fruits dried with skins intact should Do not add sea
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Drying Fruits time needed depends on the thickness ruits are ideal to dry because they and toughness of the skin) to speed have a naturally high sugar con- dehydration. This makes the skin more Ftent. They are high in acid (and porous by removing the natural wax consequently less prone to spoilage and coating and thereby speeds up the drying micro-organisms), and taste delicious! time. This process is called checking. Seasonally, fruit can be obtained in bulk Small lines appear on the fruit sk
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Slice fruit directly into juice or ascorbic Should I Pre-Treat? acid mixture. Soak 5 minutes and place Pre-treatment isn't necessary for most on trays. Fruits can also be dipped in fruits. The majority of fruits are simply honey or a honey/fruit juice mixture. sliced and dried. However, some fruits tend to oxidize more than others. Oxidation causes browning of cut food Syrup Blanching surfaces when fruit is dried, This causes Fruit which has been syrup blanched is a loss in flavor and vitamins
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Conditioning Drying Fruit Rolls Moisture will tend to equalize through- Fruit rolls, also known as fruit leathers, out a container of dried fruit when left are a favorite snack for young and old at room temperature for several days. alike. It is a chewy fruit product made If some pieces are drier than others, from puréed fresh fruit which has been the conditioning process will allow the dried and rolled into snack sized pieces. moisture to equalize. If any condensa- Fruit rolls are easy to make
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Preparation Fruit Roll Recipes Wash fruits and cut away any bruised Strawberry Rhubarb Leather or spoiled portions. Purée fruit in a 1 cup rhubarb 1 blender until it is very smooth. In some ⁄4 cup water blenders with some fruits, you may 2 cups strawberries 1 want to add a little juice or water to ⁄2 cup honey start the blending process. Combine 1⁄4 cup water and 1 cup rhubarb. Simmer on stove over medium Fruits generally need no added high heat for 5 minutes. Add 2 cups sweetening, but if frui
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Fruit Drying Guidelines Expect a variance in the time needed to dry different fruits. Drying times are affect- ed by the size of the load, fruit thickness, the moisture content of the food itself, as well as other variables discussed in Drying Time, page 10. If pre-treatment is suggested, use one of the pre-treatments indicated on page 14. The guidelines below are general. For the most accurate drying times, keep records of your own specific experiences in the space provided under each general
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Fruit Drying Guidelines Average Food Preparation Drying TimeUses Grapes Leave whole, remove stems 10-36 hrs. Raisins; use in baked goods, cereals and snacks If blanched 6-10 hours Kiwi Peel, slice 3/8" to 1/2" thick 5-12 hrs. Snacks Mangos Remove skin, slice 3/8" 6-16 hrs. Snacks, cereals and thick from seed baked goods Melons Remove skin and seeds. 8-20 hrs. Snacks Slice 1/2" thick Nectarines Quarter or slice 3/8" to 6-16 hrs. Snacks, desserts and 1/2" thick. Pre -treat baked goods Orange
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Drying Vegetables ome vegetables are quite good dried. action which will continue during Others lose their appeal and are better drying and storage. Water blanching is Sfrozen or fresh. Some vegetables are not recommended because of the loss of far better frozen than dried, if you must water soluble vitamins and minerals. preserve them. Vegetables have a low acid and sugar content that makes them more Note: Blanching softens the cell struc- subject to spoilage, and tend to have a far ture,
