The Complete Idiot's Guide to Dehydrating Foods

Save money and preserve your harvest with more than 80 delicious recipes! The Complete Idiot's Guide to Dehydrating Foods is a comprehensive introduction to the process of food dehydrating. Today, people are using home dehydrators for drying and preserving all types of foods, and at a fraction of the cost were they to buy commercially-dried foods. The authors take you through the dehydrating process, step by step, and show you how create a huge variety of dried foods, while maximizing your yield and savings. Here's what you'll find inside: 80 simple and delicious recipes for fruits, vegetables, herbs and blends, meats and jerkies, dairy, crackers, grains and granola, fruit leathers, vegetable and fruit powders, dried soups and snacks, as well as desserts and healthier pet treats that your pet will absolutely love Practical guidance on buying the right dehydrator, setting up your dehydrating kitchen, purchasing essential tools and supplies, food safety and storage, and how to troubleshoot common issues Clear instructions for techniques to help make your dehydrated foods come out perfectly every time including slicing, peeling, prep work, pretreating, and rehydrating, plus tips for room drying and sun drying your foods Fun ideas for making special gifts with your dehydrated foods, plus tips for making gifts with dried flowers, creating potpourri, and more