Ok...so parchment paper is out. Another thing I've ready about people using is nylon stockings for fruit and soup trays. Have any of you tried that?
Ok...so parchment paper is out. Another thing I've ready about people using is nylon stockings for fruit and soup trays. Have any of you tried that?
I don't see how it defeats the purpose of the square unit. You still get extra surface area for jerky, fruit, and other solid foods. And as far as I can tell, the circular unit doesn't offer anything that the square unit doesn't have (please correct me if I'm wrong).
From their website, it seems the square unit is the newer model, so I'm guessing the square shape is supposed to be an added benefit without losing any other functionality.
Also, the supplies are the same for both (except for the extra trays). The FD-80 is designed to use circular liners, I don't see any square liners, even on their website. And it sounds like you'll have to order the liners from the web anyway, even if you get the circular model.
Edit: I'm sort of confused as to why they don't have square liners for the FD-80, really. It seems like that would be easy to add, especially since they have square small-mesh liners. I'm struggling along with you on this one DivaB.
Last edited by Corncob; 01-12-2012 at 11:43.
I wouldn't just do jerky, my main thing that I want to use it for is complete one dish meals and stews. Since that would be my main use, I would like to use the additional space provided by the square unit, but would require the fruit trays to do these meals as they are runny. Putting the round trays into a square unit for my use, makes it so that I can't use all the space I should be able to with square trays. So this part just goes to what your intended purpose for the dehydrator would be.Originally Posted by Corncob
I'm still digging for other ideas though. As mentioned, I would much rather have the square since it has 41% more drying space (probably why it comes with only 4 trays rather than 5 which is another thing I need to consider)
for fruit leather i would think that silicone baking mats would really work good, nothing sticks to those.....it would be a bit expensive to start with if a person had to buy 5 or 6 at once, but they are reusable and last forever
boot
The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us. ~Bill Watterson
Someone earlier mentioned saran wrap...wouldn't that melt? Or would that be okay?
I picked up that Nesco FD-61 last night. I will be checking my local bed bath and beyond (where I bought the dehydrator) and my local walmart and kmart. I see someone already tried that with no luck but I will see here. Can't wait to get this puppy producing.
And thanks for the website suggestion - that site looks like it has a wealth of information.
"In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy." -D'Signore's, Tide Mill Farm, Edmunds, Maine.
I haven't had any problems with parchment. Maybe I'm just lucky. Typically when making fruit leather, I put parchment down on top of the fruit leather tray before I pour.
Then after about 1/2 the time, when the top is dry but the the bottom is wet, I'll flip it and peel the parchment off the new top. Sometimes becuase the fruit is not dry, it will stick, but not too big of a deal.
You can't dry things too cool or too long. You can dry them too fast and too hot and it will cause case hardening where the outside is dry but the moisture in the middle can't escape.
I've never had a problem with parchment paper, either. Even when I've handled it gently, washed, and reused it.
Another substitute for fruit leather trays are plastic lids, laid on top of the tray's grid. The lip helps contain the semi-solid/liquids.
I don't see how nylon stockings would work for drying leathers.
Rosaleen
Hennessy Hammock afficionado and supporter.
I've read over and over again today that heavy parchment paper will work.
Parchment paper will work.
IMHO it is much more of a pain compared to the actual fruit leather trays though.
There is a slight lip on the fruit leather trays that keep juices in place.
For my money, invest the extra couple bucks for a couple of fruit leather trays; especially if you plan on using the dehydrator regularly for juicy/runny items.
YMMV
excalibur fan blows across the food from the rear to the front, other inferior brands blow from the bottom (nightmare to clean) or from the top, either way makes all food flavors blend together. do you really want mangos that taste like jerky? yuck!
excalibur, if you ask me
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