Vegetable Dehydrator

[helagumamela]

I found a recipe for tomato chips that is considered to be a healthier alternative for potato chips. I love chips and tomatoes, so I really want to try this out. Sadly, I need a vegetable dehydrator to make the said chips. I looked at the appliance store near our home, but they are not selling this equipment. I was wondering if anyone here knows any alternative to a vegetable dehydrator. Links to online stores that ship internationally are welcome, too. Thanks a lot! Help a chip-lover please.

 

[Chuck]

I found a recipe for tomato chips that is considered to be a healthier alternative for potato chips. I love chips and tomatoes, so I really want to try this out. Sadly, I need a vegetable dehydrator to make the said chips. I looked at the appliance store near our home, but they are not selling this equipment. I was wondering if anyone here knows any alternative to a vegetable dehydrator. Links to online stores that ship internationally are welcome, too. Thanks a lot! Help a chip-lover please.

You can use your oven to dehydrate, just turn it way way down. Online? just go to Amazon or Ebay

 

[gata montes]

Chuck is right helagumamela - you don't need a dehydrator to dry foods - in fact - although I used to have one - I now only ever use my oven to dehydrate absolutely everything from vegetables to fruits

 

[js85]

I've heard so much about dehydrators lately that I'm considering them. I didn't know you could use your oven, I'll have to research more into that.

 

[helagumamela]

It may be weird to say, but I don't really have an oven. I do have a microwave oven though, but I doubt if that will work. I checked Ebay and Amazon, and boy! Vegetable dehydrators there are so expensive, I might just let the veggie slices dry under the sun! Hahaha. Thanks, guys for the suggestions!

 

[Trellum]

I found a recipe for tomato chips that is considered to be a healthier alternative for potato chips. I love chips and tomatoes, so I really want to try this out. Sadly, I need a vegetable dehydrator to make the said chips. I looked at the appliance store near our home, but they are not selling this equipment. I was wondering if anyone here knows any alternative to a vegetable dehydrator. Links to online stores that ship internationally are welcome, too. Thanks a lot! Help a chip-lover please.

As the others said, you don't really need a food dehydrator to make those chips. I actually make my own banana chips with the oven, they are so delicious and healthy! I recommend you to try that as well! It's an Indonesian thing, if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Chuck]

It may be weird to say, but I don't really have an oven. I do have a microwave oven though, but I doubt if that will work. I checked Ebay and Amazon, and boy! Vegetable dehydrators there are so expensive, I might just let the veggie slices dry under the sun! Hahaha. Thanks, guys for the suggestions!

It think it is very humid in the Philippines. Dehydration is the removal of moisture and in a humid environment it will be difficult to to without proper equipment

 

[marlingardener]

This is the first year we've dried vegetables--tomatoes to be specific. Here is a photo of our low-tech, solar drier:

It is simply a1 /34" frame with aluminum screening stapled above and below. My husband made an X frame to set it on, but two sawhorses would do just as well. We put it out in the sun, and take it in at night. Roma or pear cherry tomatoes take about two days to dry. We cut the tomatoes in half after washing and stemming them, put them in a vinegar bath briefly, and let them dry on a paper towel in the kitchen. Then I sprinkle them lightly but thoroughly with salt, and put them in the drier. We also dried our almonds in this drier--but didn't have to do the vinegar/salt thing! As soon as we heard a rattle inside the shell, we cracked the almonds and retrieved the nuts.

 

[helagumamela]

It is simply a1 /34" frame with aluminum screening stapled above and below. My husband made an X frame to set it on, but two sawhorses would do just as well. We put it out in the sun, and take it in at night. Roma or pear cherry tomatoes take about two days to dry. We cut the tomatoes in half after washing and stemming them, put them in a vinegar bath briefly, and let them dry on a paper towel in the kitchen. Then I sprinkle them lightly but thoroughly with salt, and put them in the drier. We also dried our almonds in this drier--but didn't have to do the vinegar/salt thing! As soon as we heard a rattle inside the shell, we cracked the almonds and retrieved the nuts.

That's really amazing! I will ask my dad if he can make something like that for me.

I also searched online for other ways to dry tomatoes. One article said that I can accomplish it by putting the tomatoes inside a vehicle
that is parked outside under the sun. It's actually more inconvenient, but I thought that it's worth sharing. I didn't know it would take that long to dry tomatoes! Thanks for the tip!