Using a Dehydrator

A year ago or so I bought a fairly simple food dehydrator with six shelves. It has sat for awhile, but this year I decided to put it to work. Work indeed; it has been going almost non-stop since the tomatoes, peppers, and grapes have began producing here in sunny CA. Now there is no such thing as too many tomatoes. And the yellow raisins I have made from our green grapes are delicious.

To make a very delicious harvest of dried tomatoes, just slice any or all of your tomatoes 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick and lie them flat on your dehydrator shelves. Dry until completely dry (check them every few hours) and enjoy either plain, in salads, ground into a powder, or drenched in olive oil with basil or rosemary packed in beautiful jars. This makes a delightful gift too. The dried tomatoes have a very rich flavor, so much more enhanced somehow than regular tomatoes.

I also used my dehydrator to dry all those extra soft plums from our plum tree. The results I got were delicious and tasty prunes. Even with the seeds still inside, they are magnificent. My next plan is to use more apple slices and banana slices to dry. Am I glad my dehydrator is off the shelf and in good use daily and so is everyone else who samples the harvest.

By Karen from Davis, CA