I tried to air dry my first grow, RH was in the 50s and it still took almost 3 days. Not sure what's available in your area but I picked up one of these it's cheap but its much faster and more convenient than air drying. The oven will work just as well though.
Common? Probably not (I have no idea, really), but they are super cheap. I have this one from amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CS5ZI6G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_TZozCbAMMT746
It is loud as fuck and super annoying, and makes your house smell like drying meat, so we generally put it in the laundry room, open the nearby window, and close the door to the room to sequester the noise and smell. It does get the job done no problem though!
I think the other option is you put it on the racks of your oven at ~150-175 degrees (F), but this can take up to 2-3 times as long as the dehydrator for the same results.
Yeh I got it off amazon , nothing too fancy. It has one temp which is 165 F which is really all you need. Throw your fruit in here for at least 8 hours and you’re guaranteed to get them cracker dry
Yes.
Lots of options there. I started out with the cheapest one I could find.
It's worked great for my needs. I marinate for 6-8 hours then drop it in the dehydrator. After 4 or 5 hours I stick a meat thermometer in the vent and once it hits 165 I'm done.
Item | Current | Lowest | Reviews |
---|---|---|---|
Nesco Food & Jerky dehydrator, 1, Speckled | $41.43 | $41.43 | 4.5/5.0 |
^Item Info | Bot Info | Trigger
FWIW, a basic dehydrator is only like $20 on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/NESCO-FD-37A-Dehydrator-Speckled-Marbled/dp/B00CS5ZI6G
Pretty much all you need, aside from the gadget above & a good knife, is some meat, spices, and sauces. It takes playing around with a few batches to start dialing in what flavors you like, but then you can open it up to other stuff like chicken jerky. The only catch is that you should really heat those up to a certain temperature first, so you may need to use your oven before dehydrating them:
https://www.jerkyholic.com/6-steps-to-making-safe-jerky/
Or just invest in a better dehydrator:
https://www.jerkyholic.com/best-dehydrator-making-beef-jerky/
But, if jerky is something you love to eat, investing in a good tool can help you in the long run. The process is pretty much:
That way, you can make it at a fraction of the price, have a variety of flavors, and control the ingredients & the macros that go into it!
People have done it but I've never tried it. I use this.
I have a cheaper Nesco and it's been a trooper. This is the one I have: http://www.amazon.com/Nesco-FD-37A-American-Dehydrator-400-watt/dp/B00CS5ZI6G It's dried well over 100 lbs of mushrooms over the past few years.
This is what I was working with
The Nesco one worked just fine. I didn't get a chance to try fruit on it before I freaked out and bought the big mamma jamma.
Use a dehydrator or if you have a box fan you can use the Alton Brown method http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/beef-jerky-recipe.html
If you don't have a box fan already I'd just buy a dehydrator - they're not expensive at all http://www.amazon.com/Nesco-FD-37A-American-Dehydrator-400-watt/dp/B00CS5ZI6G
Do it outside or you home will stink
Partially freeze your meat so it is more solid, this will allow you to get really even thin slices.
Trim off every last scrap of fat and sinew you can as these part will not dry nicely and will be chewy.
Remember that any seasoning you apply will concentrate as the water is removed