food drying - help // advice needed

i have just [ well 3 weeks reckless experimentation ] bought a food dryer // dehumidifier - mainly cos i have not got a ` real oven ` to do this in

everything seems to be going ok

except - my bananas are a disaster

they reach the correct consitency and taste ok when added to my morning cerieal - but they look disgusting

shriveled brownish lumps

how do i get " presentable " banana chips ????????????

sucess stories so far = apples , mushrooms , tomatoes , onions , roast chicken ` jerky ` , lamb jerky [ lots of ` waste ` that went into a curry ] , potatoes [ cooked - they make great instant mash ]

all fine - palatable and reasonably attractive

but 2 attempts at bananas have had exactly the same result

perfectly eddible - but not nice to look at - i ate them all with cereal and milk - but my mate wouldnt try them

so how do i make banana chips that look tasty ??????????????

also any other ideas

i have currently got a " one pot " experiment of very thick chilli and rice in the machine - will see how that turns out

a reply to: ignorant_ape

You cooked the potatoes whole, or in cubes/slices and then dehydrated them?

You know , I do not think bananas are possible . No matter what I do , they always come out with that "brownish" tint. They are still good though.
I would like to have an answer myself....

You need to soak the bananas in pineapple juice after you slice them, this will help make them stay pretty.

a reply to: Foderalover

Won't they then taste less like bananas?

They need to be dipped in a citric juice, I use lemon. They still will not be as pretty as the store banana chips. I believe manufactures use a sulfur solution to keep them from turning brown. But it isnt as healthy.

How to google-- i mean dry out banana chips.

I have attempted banana and they never look good. The meat will always react with the air and go brown.
Anyone atyempted grapes? Slices of pineapple are mt fave.

a reply to: boymonkey74

"Anyone atyempted grapes?" I make raisins all the time. But, I find it works best to let them dry on the vine. Then pick the raisins.

a reply to: misskat1

Holy crap of course they are I forgot lol.
Sorry like phone fat fingets.

a reply to: boymonkey74

Small phone...im getting worse lol.
Anyhow I love drying things gonna attempt fish this weekend.

a reply to: boymonkey74

* plugging nose *

a reply to: boymonkey74

Ive been wanting to experiment with fish, so let us know how it works out.

Will you be soaking it in a brine solution first? And if you are going to brine it first, will you be trying to duplicate the "smoked flavor"? I live on the Sacramento River and am part native so I am able to participate in the Salmon runs. Most of the natives I know "can" the salmon in mason jars or freeze it.

But I prefer smoked salmon. I really dont like fish much only the smoked. So, let me know how "dehydration vs smoked" turns out. JFYI some of the best smokers are made from old refrigerators.

a reply to: boymonkey74

Anyone atyempted grapes?

You have no idea how much this made me laugh. That's priceless. What made me laugh even harder was this:
Misskat1:

I make raisins all the time. But, I find it works best to let them dry on the vine. Then pick the raisins.

You:

Holy crap of course they are I forgot lol.

Thanks for the laugh. I really needed it.

a reply to: ignorant_ape
I think manufacturers fry the banana chips. That's what I've heard, anyway. I've seen a couple people on here suggest dipping the banana chips in citrus juice. That should work. I know that if you dip apple in it, it keeps it from turning brown.
If you like cheese, I've heard of people using a dehydrator to make cheese puffs. I'm not sure exactly how they did it; though.

a reply to: ignorant_ape

Bananas will look disgusting if they are dried/aged naturally, without the addition of chemical preparations. Those pretty looking lumps of pastel yellow which appear in cereal and musli are not naturally dried, but aided in their dehydration with chemical additives which help them retain their healthy appearance. Its all flim flam of course.

a reply to: misskat1

I was rhibking of salting some cod for a few days and then popping it in.
Like fish jerky.
I got my likkle dryer robot to make and keep jerky but it lasts five mins. I can not eat enough.

ok - thanks all - i shall try again tommorrow with bananas half will be basted in lemon juice - the remainder pineaple jiuce - lets see which does best

i realise that with a 40 quid bobby machine i am not going to replicate professional reatail products - but its fun and far cheaper [ estimate the machine will pay for itself in 11 months ]

PS - i am building a smoker too - not sure what the neighbors will make of that - but its a " nest " calor gas bottles - one for the burner and a top section with the food racks

its maybee not the best design - but its free materials - and i am only going to be doing low volume - so - hey we will see how that goes

a reply to: boymonkey74

I owned a restaurant for many years, and I made a lot (a whole lot) of jerky. I found that it was easier to buy a already cooked roast for roast beef sandwiches, slice it 1/4" thick, season and dehydrate.

The reason is because a huge amount of the moisture was already cooked out, and because it was precooked, I didnt have to worry about it being cooked well enough. (you always worry about making someone sick in the restaurant business) It was actually cheaper in the long run, due to the less moisture lost in processing the jerky. And if you go to a restaurant supply story (cash n carry in California) you can buy huge roasts for a great price. Make sure you pay with cash as they dont usually accept cards or checks unless from a registered business.

Let me know how the fish turns out. I am thinking of using a brine with some molasses or brn sugar and liquid smoke.

a reply to: ignorant_ape

Free materials always make the best design!!