What Not to Do with Your Meat Dehydrators

Creativity fuels the fun you have while cooking and food prepping. Experimentation is how great dishes or snacks are created—sometimes by trial and error, sometimes completely by accident. That said, some things have already been attempted and found to be lacking in either flavor or success. When it comes to using your meat dehydrator, we encourage you to get creative but to remain aware of what you should avoid.

Meat Dehydrators Are Multipurpose

You can drop the word “meat” and just think of this tool as a dehydrator. It is amazing because it aids in preservation by removing moisture. For example, cooked lean meats make delicious and chewy jerky for a high-protein snack. Furthermore, your meat dehydrator can be used for more than just meat. Salmon, tuna, and other seafood also make excellent jerky. Use it to preserve fruit like apples, bananas, and strawberries as well as vegetables like zucchini, potatoes, and peas. Dehydrated foods can be enjoyed as a crunchy snack or rehydrated for later use. This makes it possible to easily store a wide variety of foods. Your meat dehydrators can also be used for crafting purposes including papercrafts, apple head dolls, and making potpourri.

What Not to Dehydrate

Now that you have the rundown on some of the possible uses your dehydrator can handle, let’s take some time to outline what you should avoid. Some of this may seem like common sense, but we recognize the need to get creative with your kitchen tools. Our goal is not to stifle your creativity but to give you a leg up when it comes to safety and success.

• Liquids: This includes sodas, water, and juice. If your goal is to preserve liquid, then you should turn to canning. It can be equally as fun and satisfying and will save you on a major mess.
• Certain Dairy: Specifically butter and milk. High-fat items do not like to be dehydrated. That is why lean meats are recommended for making jerky. It is possible to dehydrate cheese and eggs, but you have to be extremely careful and precise while doing it and even then, it might not turn out as intended. 
• High Fat Items: As mentioned above, high fat will lead to high failure. Items like avocado, nuts, and non-lean meat should be avoided because it will take a long time, the end result will not be very flavorful, nor will it have a particularly long shelf life.
• Store-Bought Condiments: Anything that already contains a lot of preservatives and additives does not need to be dehydrated. All of the extra chemicals and sugars make it difficult to safely dehydrate. These already have a long shelf-life to begin with, so you are better off just storing them as is. Additionally, you can choose to get small packets of condiments if your goal is to be able to bring them camping or hiking.
• Olives: Is it possible? Technically yes. Is it good or worth it? In our experience, no.

Regardless of what your primary dehydration goals are, you can find quality meat dehydrators at LEMProducts.com. Take some time to explore your options and discover the right fit!