Natural Fruit Chips in an Excalibur Dehydrator

[Wafoodie72]

Love this - and your kiddo is gorgeous!

[danthadon87]

Great video! Where did you get the excalibur with a timer? Because i can't find it on amazon. What do the increments of time on the timer read as?

[BabyKieransParty]

hahaa I love how your in mama mode always thinking of keeping the little people safe... made me smile. To hear somone thinking like me ('',)

[brettburky]

What a great video. Just got the Excalibur for Christmas from my family and I think I messed up the first batch of apple chips. A meat slicer...hardcore :) I was thinking of getting a mandoline slicer because I think I cut it too thick.

Plus I set it at 105 for the raw benefits and it has been a day and it is still going. We'll see how that turns out.

Anyway, nothing really to ask, just want to say Im subscribed and RSS your site. Got the Vitamix too, so I'm finding some cool stuff there.

[aLittleInsanityVideo]

@brettburky Thanks for the comment! Congrats on the new Dehydrator! It is helpful to have even slices, but it may also help if you raise the temp to 115 degrees. Trust me, you will not lose any nutrients since the moisture in the apples will keep the temp low. Plus, you will avoid any bacterial growth that comes from sitting too long. Also, be sure that your heating coils are warming up - they can shift during shipment - check Excalibur's FAQ's for help on this. God Bless! ~ Erika

[brettburky]

@aLittleInsanityVideo Thanks so much for that info. I have done around 5 batches since I had a little Christmas vacation. The longest part is prepping it. Then I finish it and then my wife and daughter eat it all within a day. I guess that is a good thing.

I never really thought about the bacterial growth, didn't know that was an issue. I spray the stuff with lemon juice every time.

The even slices are something I haven't perfected either. I have been doing pears and apples.

[clockworklilac]

Thank you for the upload. I'm wondering what the noise level is on the excalibur models. I'm just wondering if it's worth investing the extra money in the one with the timer so that I can run it while we're at work instead of trying to talk over it all evening or having it running overnight. Is it a loud machine?

[aLittleInsanityVideo]

@clockworklilac Our Excalibur Dehydrator sits on the counter in our kitchen and often runs 24/7. The noise is obvious, but not so loud that I can't talk on my phone. It's kind of like having a fan running on low in the background... I don't even notice anymore. I know someone that keeps their dehydrator on a shelf in the garage so they don't have to hear it at all. I love the timer on mine, but you can also set a kitchen timer/alarm to turn it off manually. God Bless! ~ Erika

[giannadapple]

I really want to buy a dehydrator to make my rabbits healthy treats and I want to know how well this works

[aLittleInsanityVideo]

@giannadapple That's a good question! I have never used my dehydrator to make rabbit treats - but I'm sure that with the right recipe, it would be great! God Bless! ~ Erika

[babythebabyslings]

So please tell me more about the spray you are using. do you use fresh lemon juice? Why do you have so much mixed, does it not go bad easily or did you have a ton things to spray it on that day?

[aLittleInsanityVideo]

@babythebabyslings I typically use 3 parts water to 1 part pure lemon juice (fresh is always best, but you can also use all natural bottled juice). When I really want to preserve the color (such as apples & bananas), I use a 2 to 1 ratio, or straight juice. Be sure to coat the fruit generously... you will go through more than you think, but if you have any left over, you can store it in the fridge for 2-4 weeks before it goes bad. Thanks & God Bless ~ Erika

[david88at]

How long does it take on average to dehydrate fruit? Sources on the net say about 6-24 hours?

Sorry if you mention this in the video. I don't have speakers at the moment.

[aLittleInsanityVideo]

@david88at Yes, it can take anywhere from 6-24 hours depending on the thickness of your fruit/veggies and how chewy or crispy you want the finished product to be. As an example, when I dehydrate Banana rounds that start off about 1/4" thick - it usually takes about 18 hours for them to dehydrate so they can be packaged without molding in the fridge. Another great YouTuber on this subject is @dehydrate2store, she has a great collection of dehydration 'how to' videos. Thanks & God Bless! ~Erika

[99sra]

Are all your recipes raw?

[aLittleInsanityVideo]

@99sra Most, but not all... I try to find a balance in our house by making sure we maintain at least a 50/50 ratio of raw to cooked whole food. Thanks for the comment! God Bless! ~Erika

[prboes6]

Nice video, just what I was looking for. Great idea with the slicer. The dried pineapple is to die for.

[ALifeOfScrap]

The slicer is an amazing idea! Thank you for sharing... I'm off to check on slicers!

[chrismd00]

Nice video and nice not to see any tats!

[aLittleInsanityVideo]

@chrismd00 LOL! Thanks for the comment! God Bless! ~ Erika

[305kaddillak]

GREAT vid! CUTE kid!! xoxoxox

[PiercingKnight]

hey so after you dehydrate food using excalibur how do you make it go back to normal to eat?

[aLittleInsanityVideo]

@PiercingKnight We almost always eat our dehydrated fruit as is - it is a delicious treat/snack. But, you can soak the fruit in water until it is soft again & add it to recipes that call for fruit. However, most fruits won't have the same firm cell structure (like when you defrost strawberries after they have been frozen). Veggies on the other hand, can be re-hydrated very well. Another YouTuber @dehydrate2store has awesome how-to videos on this topic. Hope that helps! God Bless! ~Erika

[justwatching4us]

Thanks for sharing. Always wanted a dehydrator but just didn't think it was worth it. Now I really want one again!!!

[alejonsu]

Erika, Thank you for the video, very informative. Yesterday we bought a lot of bananas because they were so cheap. So today I did know what to do with so many bananas. I ordered a dehydrator and will get it tomorrow. I look forward to implement what I learned for you video. Thanks again.

[aLittleInsanityVideo]

@alejonsu Thanks for the comment! I hope your dehydrator came & that you are enjoying it... Bananas are one of our family favorites to dehydrate! We've got about 600 bananas ready to harvest in our backyard, so our Excalibur Dehydrator will be working overtime soon! =) God Bless! ~ Erika

[aLittleInsanityVideo]

@MrViolentlyHappy Thanks for the comment & the sweet words about my baby! :) I'm sure you'll get a VitaMix & Dehydrator... hang in there! It took a loooong time for me to save up for one and a lot of garage sales to raise the money. Someday you are going to be an awesome parent to your children as you pass on the love for eating healthy. God Bless! ~ Erika

[aLittleInsanityVideo]

@4007fairview What timing, that's amazing! :) Thanks for the comment!! I look forward to hearing what you end up dehydrating and how it turns out! :) God Bless! ~ Erika

[4007fairview]

Hi Erika ~ Well, I didn't use the electric slicer to slice them - but I'm dehydrating your pineapple rings. I've been dehydrating pineapple for some time, but I've never done rings. Always bits and pieces (to make Ani Phyo's Donut Holes here on YouTube).

Yes, the timing was great, I'm so thankful to know about using the slicer and that I didn't go ahead and sell ours.

We enjoy a light sprinkling of cinnamon on the apple slices and then dehydrate.

Thanks again!

Debbie *Ü*