ECG SO 375 Mode D'emploi page 40

7. Before testing the product, remove a handful of food from the dehydrator and let it cool for a few
minutes. The hot product seems to be softer, moister and more fl exible than in cooled state. The product
must be dry enough to prevent microorganisms from multiplying and spoilage. Dehydrated produce
must be hard and brittle. Dehydrated fruit should be leathery and fl exible. The home dried fruit should
be drier for long term storage than the commercially available dried fruit.
Fruit – fl exible
Produce – dry, brittle
Fungi – leathery to brittle
Herbs – crumbly
8. Switch the dehydrator off after fi nishing the drying process, unplug from the outlet and allow it to coool.
Table for drying some foods
Fruit
Sort
GB
Apples
Apricots
Fresh pineapple
Canned pineapple
Ripe bananas
Pears
Strawberries
Plums
Grapes
Cherries
Peaches
Citrus fruit
Rhubarb
Vegetables
Sort
Artichokes
Asparagus
Beans (green)
Broccoli
Caulifl ower
Savoy cabbage,
cabbage
Carrots
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Preparation method
cut slices or circles, remove
core
cut in halves or quaters
peel and slice circles
slice, dry off
cut into 4 mm round slices or
strips 4 mm thick
remove the core, cut in half
or slice
cut in half, small ones whole
halves or whole, with the pit or
without
incise, preferably a seedless
kind
whole, with the pits
well ripened
slice or separate, the peel in
strips for fl avour
use only fragile stems, after
washing cut into 3 cm chunks
Preparation method
clean, cut in half
peel, whole or cut into 2 cm
pieces
cut off ends, slice crosswise
divide into pieces, soak ½ hour
in salt water
divide into pieces, soak ½ hour
in salt water
clean and slice into strips
slice diagonally or across
Spec.
Dryness test, surface
pretreatment
yes
yes
–
–
–
yes fl exible, leathery
yes
–
– fl exible, leathery
–
yes fl exible, leathery
–
yes
Blanching in min. Dryness test, surface
2–4
2–3
3–4
3–4 with tablespoon
of vinegar
3–4 with tablespoon
of vinegar
2–3 in steam
2–3
Drying time
in hrs.
fl exible 4–15
fl exible 8–36
fl exible 6–36
leathery 6–36
brittle, crisp 5–24
5–24
not dewy 5–24
fl exible 5–24
6–36
leathery 6–36
5–24
fl exible 6–36
not dewy 4–16
Drying time
in hrs.
brittle 4–12
brittle 8–36
brittle 4–14
brittle 5–15
leathery 5–15
leathery 4–12
leathery 4–12