Food Dehumidifier ~ Ezidri FD 1000

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Huh ??

This is not pet's section meh ?

Sharing here with all a food dehumidifier, Ezidri FD1000.
It's a wonderful little machine which remove moisture from fruits to meat, herbs and even flowers.
Zillion of things you can experiment it with ...
Of course my main motive is to make food for my precious Scott & Junior, then our self


Food Dehydrator

Food dehydrating is gaining it's popularity among pets owner's circle in recent years ...
I came to know about this wonderful machine and got really interested with it.
While trying to gather information before actually getting one ... I realized there is very little infos available.
Not the technical specs infos ... is how to use this machine in our local context.
Those infos you manage to find are selling the dehydrating treats so they are not disclosing much and treating it like top secrets.

Decided to share as much infos as I can regarding food dehydrating.
For those who are keen to get one, hope these information is able to help you in the initial stage of using the dehydrator.
For those who already own a dehydrator ... do share with us ideas and your secret recipes.
Be it for making jerky for the four leggy friends or for making fruits roll-ups or treats for the family ..
food dehydrating is a wonderful machine to have in the kitchen.
Is is also the first food related "toy" for me as I am not a kitchen person and hates cooking.

To the best of my knowledge ... there are two brand available in Singapore.
The more expensive Excalibur (square shaped) and the most popular Ezidri (round shaped).

Excalibur is available from : Lee Hung Scientific Pte Ltd

Ezidri is available from : K-industrial Services Pte Ltd




Ezidri it is for me.

You can get it at CK Tang basement household electrical appliances section.
One and only place that sell it in Singapore.

There is two models in Sing, Snack Maker selling at $218 while the one I bought is FD1000 which is a hundred dollars more at $318.
The difference between the two models, FD100 has adjustable temperature controls.
Comes with 5 trays, expandable up to 30 trays.

Additional trays are selling at $15 per piece while the soft mesh and solid mesh are selling at $5 each.
Solid mesh is good for making food roll-ups or when dehydrating meat.
Oil or juices will be collected on it so you have to use a solid mesh at the bottom tier unless what you are making is already dry.
Soft mesh will help prevent food from sticking onto the tray itself which make washing much easier.
I got myself a soft mesh for each tray I have.

















WEBSITE : http://www.hydraflow.co.nz/Ezidri.aspx

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The actual product, Ezidri Food Dehydrator FD1000.

Ezidri home food dehydrators enable you to dry and preserve fruit, vegetables, meals, meats, soups, delicious snacks and fruit roll-ups,
herbs flowers the natural way — quickly and economically — while retaining all the nutrients, natural color and original flavors.


Why Ezidri FD1000 ?

* Expandable to a maximum of 30 trays.

* Temp Control up to 65C

* Material: Food Grade - Abs Plastic Polycarbonate

* 2 years Warranty

* Ezidri is better than rectangular dehydrators because the unique airflow prevents cross contamination

This point is tested and proven ... I tried dehydrating lemon and fish together, on different trays of course.
The fish did not absorb any lemon scent and the dehydrated lemon didn't smell fishy at all ~

* Round trays offer better airflow than square trays.




The machine comes with 5 trays expandable up to a maximum of 30 trays.
I bought 3 extra trays to make 8 for a start ~




Temperature control with low 35C for herbs to highest of 65C for meat items ...


How long does it take to dry food?

The amount of time required to dehydrate depends on several factors ;
- The water content in the food
- The sugar content in the food
- The size of the piece of food
- The amount of air circulation when the food is dried
- The level of humidity in the air entering the dehydrator
- The air temperature inside the dehydrator.
- Last and most important, the type of dehydrator you are using will affect the time needed to dry food.

The lower the air temperature inside the dehydrator, the longer the drying time.
Raising the temperature in the unit will increase the amount of water removed from the food and decrease the length of time it will take to dry.
The temperature should be high enough to draw the moisture from the food but not high enough to cook it.
Temperatures that are too low may cause food to spoil; temperatures that are too high may cause the surface area of the food to harden and prevent moisture from escaping.

The three food categories -meats and fish, fruits and vegetables, and herbs- require different drying temperatures :

Meats and Fish: 60C and above

Fruits and Vegetables: 50C - 55C

Herbs and flowers: 35 - 40C








Everything can be wash except for the base unit which house the motor and fan.
Air is sucked into the base unit from under and ventilated evenly through each tray.
Do not place paper or napkin under the base unit !
Papers might get sucked into the air suction unit and thus blocked airflow and caused the base unit to overheat.
Take care not to pour water or drop stuff into the air ventilation hole at the center of the base unit too ...






* For human recipes ... please refer to this link : viewtopic.php?p=18435#p18435

* For doggy treats making ... please refer to this link : viewtopic.php?p=18445#p18445

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Dehydrated Longan

Dehydrated longan are high in iron, can be eaten like snack, mix with hot tea water or other beverage and use like seasoning in food.
A great tonic for the nourishment of the blood through reinforcing the blood-building functions
of the heart and spleen, dried longan is also frequently consumed for its additional benefits
like calming the nerves and promoting restful sleep.

Dried longan are great for sweetening Chinese soups and in Chinese desserts too.
Best souvenir for guest and friends because of its attractive with gold color and flavor.

However, as longan is considered to be a heaty fruit thus do eat in moderation.




How do I prepare the fruit for dehydration ?

Select bigger fruits so to get bigger dried longan as dehydration will shrink the fruit greatly.
As we are doing this manually ... bigger ones are easier to de-shell and de-pit.
Shell has to be removed since we are using a dehydrator ....
After removing the shell, make four small cut in the direction of a square on top of the fruit where the pit is ...
then spoon the pit out with a small pointed tea spoon.
You will get a whole longan instead of small broken pieces.

Arrange fruit on dehydrating trays and dehydrate at 55C for 12-16 hours.




Dehydrated longan in a beautiful golden hue ...

In order to preserve freshness and color for fruit/vegetables items, it is best to store in refrigeration.
It can also be stored in airtight containers, away from direct sunlight.
However, the color of dehydrated fruit will darken slightly if not store in refrigeration ...




I usually make my longan dessert with red dates and ginkgo nuts.
The most blissful thing about this is sweet soup is that you can serve it either warm or cold (with ice added).
It’s a perfect dessert at any time of the day or as a thirst quencher.

Now that I am using dehydrated longan ... it just make the soup taste even better.
The soup has a natural sweetness and the fruit is crunchy ~
Almost like eating the fruit fresh ...

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RAISINS

Raisins, nature's candy !
Raisins are one of the most nutritious dried fruits in the world.
Raisins are cholesterol-free, low in sodium and totally fat-free.
Raisins provide many necessary vitamins and minerals, including iron, potassium, calcium and certain B vitamins.
Raisins are a good source of fiber and rich in antioxidants.
Raisins are 70% pure fructose (a natural form of sugar) which is easily digested for quick energy !

That said ... dehydrating grapes at the comfort of your own home will produce some deliciously nice eating raisins.
Dehydrate purple grapes and you get black raisins, green grapes and you get some golden raisins ~

For my first attempt to make my own raisins ... I went for big juicy purple grapes (seedless grapes ).
Just remove fruit from stem, wash and lay onto dehydrating tray ...
Dehydrate at 55C for 24 -36 hours ... as I do not pre treat the grapes.

Yes ... it takes that long to get a small bottle of raisins but trust me ... it's worth the time and effort.
It's juicy sweet tit-bits !




Here are some serving tips :

* They can be enjoyed as snack all alone without any additions.

* They can be enjoyed with other dry fruits (apricots, dates, prunes) and nuts like almonds, cashew, macadamia ... etc

* Sprinkle over to enrich fruit salads and ice creams, deserts ... etc

* Add to bakery items like chocolates, cookies, muffins, bread, puddings, biscuits, cakes, waffles ... etc

* Soak raisin in rum and you get Rum & Raisin for baking or ice cream, or simply eat it as it is ~

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Dehydrated Lemon

Lemon slices dry into beautiful, stained-glass-like creations.
They can be eaten as is for a mouth-puckering treat, floated in drinks, candied, or powdered and added to recipes for baking.

Choose fully ripe lemons that are uniformly yellow.
Wash fruit well. Using a sharp knife, slice lemons across the fruit to form rounds.
If your lemons have large seeds, try to remove as many of them as possible before dehydrating.
Dehydrate at 60C for two hours then drop the temperature to 55C for another 8-10 hours until fruit is crisp.
Stashed in tightly sealed jars, these slices can last for a very long time.

A few thoughts. If you dehydrating lemon, as with any other fruits or meat items, make sure to keep them going until they are entirely dry.
Leaving them with any moisture means you run the risk of having them go bad quite soon.
Store them out of the sunlight to further extend their lifespan.

I like to pop one into a glass of water or tea, it rehydrate and gently scents the drink with the flavor of fruit.

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Dehydrated Pineapple

Pineapple is one of those fruits which are well suitable for dehydrating.
They are easy to prepare and get super sweet when they're dried.
Great for snacking or simply add on as toppings for yogurt or ice creams.

I like to use honey pineapple from Philippines.
Use a knife to remove the skin of the pineapple. Cut just deep enough to remove all traces of the outer skin.
Remove the core and cut the pineapple into 1/2-inch pieces.
Place the pineapple pieces spaced evenly on the dehydrating tray.

Pineapples have such a high acidity that there is no need to pre-treat them.
That is the reason why they do not turn brown like any other fruits.
If you're doing more than one pineapples, do wash your hands frequently as you're cutting them or wear a pair of gloves
as they are highly acidic and it will start burning your hands.

Set to 55C and dehydrate for 12-16 hrs till it is leathery and not sticky ...
When fully cool, they are crispy.
If you don't want them crispy, just check them more often and turn off the dehydrator when they're at the chewiness you like.
Store in refrigeration to maintain color and freshness.

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How to Dehydrate Strawberries ?

Couldn’t be simpler : slice and dry.

Slice the strawberries uniformly in 1/2 inch slices.
This will help them to dry evenly. Spread them out on the dehydrating tray and make sure they are not overlapping each other.
Air must be able to circulate freely around the strawberries.

Dehydrate at 55C for 10-12 hrs.
Check them periodically. Strawberries should be almost crisp but remain pliable.

Pack strawberries in an air-tight container. Vacuum packing strawberries will further prolong their shelf life.
Store in a cool dry place. Strawberries should be used within a year.

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Dehydrating Apples

You may use another types of apples, or a combo of red and green.
It's your choice to keep or removed the skin, for me, I usually remove the skin regardless of which type of apples I choose to dehydrate.

One thing to note, dehydrated apples without any pretreatment does not produce crispy apple chips.
It is chewy and not crispy like you imagine it to be.
However, with added spice like cinnamon makes a big difference ...

Simple steps ; Peel and core, cut into slices or rings one-eighth inch thick.
Skin maybe left intact but it tends to harden during dehydration.
Dehydrate at 60C for 2 hours then reduce to 55C for another 8-10 hours or till fruit is dry.

Dehydrated apples should be soft and pliable with no moist area in the center when cut.
You may want to store it in refrigeration to maintain color although it is not necessary.

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Dehydrated Mango with Coconut

Ingredients :

One fresh ripe mangoes

One lime for pre-treatment use

One cup of water

One-half cup of fresh coconut flakes


Method :

Juice the lime into a medium bowl and strain out any seeds or pulp.
The lime juice prevents the mango from browning during dehydrating process.
Add the water to the bowl and soak the cut up mango slices in it, let stand for 5 minutes.





After soaking mango in the lime water, spoon each slices carefully onto the dehydrating tray.
When done, sprinkle the coconut flakes on each piece of mango with your fingers.

Dehydrate the fruit at 55C for 10 – 12 hours, or until the mangoes are dry to the touch.
Store in airtight containers when fully cooled and of course, do enjoy some immediately ~

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Dehydrated Beef Jerky

Yes ! You did not see wrong, it's beef jerky marinated with char siew sauce from Lee Kum Kee ...

Was in an urge to make some beef jerky and do not have the usual ingredients for making, thus ... lee kum kee.
Well you never know till you try it out ...and lucky me it turned out pretty nice. lol !

Method of preparation, simple as 123 ...
Wash and slice some lean beef to 1/8 of an inch ... thicker if you like more chewy jerky.
Marinate with Lee Kum Kee char siew sauce for 3 hours, leave overnight for thicker slices.

Dehydrate meat at 65C for 6 hours and you get some chewy beef jerky to enjoy with your favorite tv programmes !

It is that simple.

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Another batch of beef jerky marinated with char siew sauce.

This time, I sliced the meat to very thin to get crispier bite.
End product was as I had wanted, chewy beef jerky ~
The char siew flavors come to you as you chew into the jerky ...
With just the right amount of sweetness ~

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Am pretty happy eating char siew beef jerky so am in no hurry to try out the "ang mo" style beef jerky ~
I will have to buy at least 5- 6 types of spices like garlic powder, onion powder, some marinating sauces etc which I have none !

Hmmm ... if char siew sauce works ... how about using recipe for marinating bbq chicken wings ?

Just give it a try lor ...

Here's what you need for the marinate;

Light sauce, black sauce, oyster sauce, ginger juice, some Chinese wine, pepper, sugar and some sesame oil and a clove of garlic.
Actual amount of each ingredients to be adjusted to the amount of meat to be marinated.
Marinate meat for at least 3 hours ... leave overnight if possible.

Dehydrate at 65C for 6 hours or till meat is dry with a slight crisp.
Do take note jerky is softer when it is warm ...

End result ... the smell did not entice me at all.
I was a little reluctant to try but then who will if I don't ?

Smell failed ... taste was kinda weird ... likely due to the oyster sauce.

Guess it's time to invest in some proper spices for beef jerky !

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Recipe first ... pics later ...

Raw Oatmeal Raisin Cookies


Ingredients :

2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup cashews

* makes approximately 12 cookies


Method :

1. Grind 1/2 the oats, 1/2 the almonds and cashews in food processor until fine.
2. Pour into a large bowl
3. Pulse the rest of the almonds until chunky
4. Transfer almonds to bowl
5. Add raisins and honey to bowl and mix well
6. Spoon the mixture onto dehydrating tray in a small dough shape
7. Dehydrate at 55C for 10-12 hours or till cookies are crisp