We have an Open Country. It's a round, 5 tray, thermostatically controlled, 500w dehydrator. Last summer we were blessed with more fresh fruit than we knew what to do with. "Bob" just kept bringing it faster than I could can it. It was his way of saying thank you for supplying him with wood chips that he used for mulch around his berry bushes and fruit trees.
We decided to try dehydrating since you can load it, turn it on, and walk away. I would load it before bed or before going to work and when you come back - it's done. For peaches and pears, sliced about 1/8 inch thick, it took 8-9 hrs at 120 degrees. Apples 7-8 hrs. I looked up our electric rate and figured out that it cost $0.47 to dry each batch. That's a 1qt baggie stuffed full of dried fruit. ( About 4oz.) We liked this machine enough to buy a second one just before apple harvest. We also dried cukes, peppers, and some tomato.
A lot of people I've talked to about them swear by the "Excalibur", the Cadillac of dehydrators, but at over $300, it would have taken a long time to recover that kind of investment. The Open Country was $90 at Bass Pro Shop. It comes with 2 plastic tray's for making leather( fruit roll-ups). One thing I learned when making leathers - they can stick to the tray's, so spray them before you pour the puree in. One more thing. Don't use the time and temp settings that come with the machine. We turned some beautiful blackberries into little charcoal briquettes following their directions. There are several good books that teach you to dry most anything. Hope this helps.
BTW. I have to agree with doc. I wouldn't do onions. We just dig one up when we need it.
will just order a can or a case from honeyville farms. Think it took me 6 months to use up the one from my veggie sampler. Appreciate the input on dehydrators.
