Dried pears
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,782
    Dehydrators are a great appliance. Way better than that dumb quesadilla maker that you got for Christmas 8 years ago and only used once. My two favorite things to dehydrate are fruit leather (think 'organic' style fruit roll-ups, without the corn syrup) and dried pears.

    Fruit leather is really easy. Take some apple sauce and mix in whatever proportion of fruit puree you think will taste good, then spread it onto the handy form they give you, or a piece of plastic wrap if you lost that thing many years ago like I did. Then turn the thing on. The temp really doesn't matter too much, but I usually go with a lower setting. 110F, round about.

    For dried pears, I ran into a few issues. First, I tried to just slice them up and toss em on the dehydrator. They turned out horrible. The texture was just like the dried apples that come in mixed dried fruit gift baskets. Very rubbery and slimey. Gross. The second problem was the shape of the pear. It has much more fruit at the bottom than it does at the top. If you try to halve and dry them like any other fruit, you'll get a crunchy dry rock on the top, and a mushy lump on the bottom.

    Here's what I came up with to solve those problems:

    Step 1-Halve the pears and remove the seeds. I take out the hard shell parts that cover the seeds as well, because I hate biting into one of those things. This cheapo apple corer works great for this. Just twist and gouge.



    Step 2-The pears need to be poached. I find that a cheap white wine does the best. Go grab the cheapest reisling you can find and boil the pears in that until they're nice and soft. Reds will work too, just make sure it's not a dry red wine. The flesh of the fruit needs to be softened to get that nice texture that you find in store bought stuff. The great thing about this step is that it allows you to use fruit that isn't ripe yet. It doesn't seem to matter.

    Step 3- When the pears are soft enough, put them in the dehydrator on a low setting and wait until the thicker/lower portion isn't mushy anymore. The top part will seem too dry, but the next step will correct that.

    Step 4-Put the whole load of dried pears in a bag for a week or so. The remaining moisture in the bottom parts will be drawn up into the over dried tops, giving you a nice even moisture content.

    Step 5-Hide them from yourself, or you'll eat 5-6 pears in one sitting. That's no bueno the next day...


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    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,782
    These ones are dark, because I used a way over expired red wine I made when I was recently married, like 8 years ago. Even the crappiest of wines works great.
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 122,638
    Sounds fun and tastey. How long does it take in the dehydrator?
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,782
    Lakewood said:

    Sounds fun and tastey. How long does it take in the dehydrator?



    depends on the size of the fruit. these were medium-small. they took about 14 hrs.
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 122,638
    Any advice on what features make a good dehydrator?
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,782
    I'd have to look at what's out there. I've had this one for more than 15 years.
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,782
    after a quick look on amazon it seems like most of the models out have the same features i like on mine but haven't improved on the main design flaw. I like the fact that you can stack the individual trays to make the unit as large/small as the batch that you're drying. the newer ones have the heater fan on the top of the unit as opposed to mine. i don't know if that's an improvement or not.

    the biggest annoyance with mine is the design of the trays. the way they patterned the material to allow for airflow also makes them really annoying to clean.
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 122,638
    FromZwolle said:

    after a quick look on amazon it seems like most of the models out have the same features i like on mine but haven't improved on the main design flaw. I like the fact that you can stack the individual trays to make the unit as large/small as the batch that you're drying. the newer ones have the heater fan on the top of the unit as opposed to mine. i don't know if that's an improvement or not.

    the biggest annoyance with mine is the design of the trays. the way they patterned the material to allow for airflow also makes them really annoying to clean.



    Cool, I'll look into it.

    would drying in a smoker with no wood, just a little charcoal and low heat work?
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,782
    Lakewood said:

    FromZwolle said:

    after a quick look on amazon it seems like most of the models out have the same features i like on mine but haven't improved on the main design flaw. I like the fact that you can stack the individual trays to make the unit as large/small as the batch that you're drying. the newer ones have the heater fan on the top of the unit as opposed to mine. i don't know if that's an improvement or not.

    the biggest annoyance with mine is the design of the trays. the way they patterned the material to allow for airflow also makes them really annoying to clean.



    Cool, I'll look into it.

    would drying in a smoker with no wood, just a little charcoal and low heat work?


    maybe, but you'd need to add a fan. my dehydrator has a range of 95F-145F. if you could keep it steady at those low temps and keep air flowing over it, you'd be in business.
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 122,638
    I might just throw a little muffin fan in and give it a try. What's the worst that could happen, right?
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,782
    Lakewood said:

    I might just throw a little muffin fan in and give it a try. What's the worst that could happen, right?



    that's what i was thinking. worst case, you waste $3 in fruit.
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • C_BC_B
    Posts: 89,005
    Lakewood said:

    I might just throw a little muffin fan in and give it a try. What's the worst that could happen, right?


    The worst? Botulism I suppose, but the risk factors for that wouldn't really be present in the scenario you have presented. I would say general failure to succeed would be more likely.
    "On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,782
    chandlerbang said:

    Lakewood said:

    I might just throw a little muffin fan in and give it a try. What's the worst that could happen, right?


    The worst? Botulism I suppose, but the risk factors for that wouldn't really be present in the scenario you have presented. I would say general failure to succeed would be more likely.


    highly unlikely. if you were to test run the system with raw meat, and happen to undershoot the temps, then maybe. but with fruit, very unlikely.
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 122,638
    FromZwolle said:

    chandlerbang said:

    Lakewood said:

    I might just throw a little muffin fan in and give it a try. What's the worst that could happen, right?


    The worst? Botulism I suppose, but the risk factors for that wouldn't really be present in the scenario you have presented. I would say general failure to succeed would be more likely.


    highly unlikely. if you were to test run the system with raw meat, and happen to undershoot the temps, then maybe. but with fruit, very unlikely.


    I'm with FZ on this... Botulism in this scenario seems pretty unlikely. im thinking gross, squishy overcooked pear or rock hard leather is fairly likely, disease causing pathogens, no so much...
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • C_BC_B
    Posts: 89,005
    Where's that sarcasm font? (looks around)
    "On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,782
    chandlerbang said:

    Where's that sarcasm font? (looks around)



    yo mamma has is. B-)
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 122,638
    FromZwolle said:

    chandlerbang said:

    Where's that sarcasm font? (looks around)



    yo mamma has is. B-)


    shes always got the best stuff
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,782
    and here's some fruit leather. mmmm,

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    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 122,638
    FromZwolle said:

    and here's some fruit leather. mmmm,



    looks like a skin flap for a graft...

    delicious.
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,782
    it's the iris of a dinosaur eye.

    Thym
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • frydogbrewsfrydogbrews
    Posts: 44,679
    e coli could go nuts if you put that in a smoker, botulism needs a no air environment to grow, like deep inside a sausage or inside something that has been improperly canned.

    still very unlikely though, just don't use pears with dirt on them and you're fine

    Thym
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,782
    frydogbrews said:

    e coli could go nuts if you put that in a smoker, botulism needs a no air environment to grow, like deep inside a sausage or inside something that has been improperly canned.

    still very unlikely though, just don't use pears with dirt on them and you're fine



    no smoker, dehydrator.
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • frydogbrewsfrydogbrews
    Posts: 44,679
    i thought lake said he was thinking about smoking his? anyway, even that doesn't really matter since they are boiled first.
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 122,638
    frydogbrews said:

    i thought lake said he was thinking about smoking his? anyway, even that doesn't really matter since they are boiled first.


    I was, and still am. But not really smoking, just a little charcoal for heat and using the smoker because its about all I have that can hold a low temp for a long time.
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • frydogbrewsfrydogbrews
    Posts: 44,679
    Lakewood said:

    frydogbrews said:

    i thought lake said he was thinking about smoking his? anyway, even that doesn't really matter since they are boiled first.


    I was, and still am. But not really smoking, just a little charcoal for heat and using the smoker because its about all I have that can hold a low temp for a long time.

    you could just use the heat off the back of the fridge and a small, clip on style fan. or a small fan like that in a car with its windows up. you're looking for air movement more so than heat. before i bought my dehydrator, i rigged up all kinds of stuff that functioned pretty well as a dehydrator. car and fan worked best though, and since you are in sunny cali, might be the best route for you to go.
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,782
    frydogbrews said:

    Lakewood said:

    frydogbrews said:

    i thought lake said he was thinking about smoking his? anyway, even that doesn't really matter since they are boiled first.


    I was, and still am. But not really smoking, just a little charcoal for heat and using the smoker because its about all I have that can hold a low temp for a long time.

    you could just use the heat off the back of the fridge and a small, clip on style fan. or a small fan like that in a car with its windows up. you're looking for air movement more so than heat. before i bought my dehydrator, i rigged up all kinds of stuff that functioned pretty well as a dehydrator. car and fan worked best though, and since you are in sunny cali, might be the best route for you to go.


    well well well. it looks as though dr jerry hacked fry's account. :P
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,782
    in the sunnier, hotter areas, they often use big steel boxes (much like that brinkmann smoker Lake has) with steel mesh screens to offer air circulation to make jerky and such. i bet if you put a muffin fan in that smoker with the air vents open on a hot day, you'd have a decent dehydrator without the need for a heat source other than the sun.

    Thym
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 122,638
    FromZwolle said:

    in the sunnier, hotter areas, they often use big steel boxes (much like that brinkmann smoker Lake has) with steel mesh screens to offer air circulation to make jerky and such. i bet if you put a muffin fan in that smoker with the air vents open on a hot day, you'd have a decent dehydrator without the need for a heat source other than the sun.


    that's true.. it's probably 100degF in there even on a cool day.
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • JayrizzleJayrizzle
    Posts: 90,675
    keep it under 118F to keep the enzymes intact... you guys are all on the raw diet right?
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  • ThymThym
    Posts: 122,638
    Dr_Jerryrigger said:

    keep it under 118F to keep the enzymes intact... you guys are all on the raw diet right?



    no
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • JayrizzleJayrizzle
    Posts: 90,675
    Lakewood said:

    Dr_Jerryrigger said:

    keep it under 118F to keep the enzymes intact... you guys are all on the raw diet right?



    no


    then you win, win at not hating yourself
    image
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