Summary of the content on the page No. 1
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS FOR
FOO
MODEL
FOR SERVICE OR QUESTIONS CALL l-800-672-6333
FOR HOUSEHOLD USE ONLY
Summary of the content on the page No. 2
IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDS When using all electrical appliance, basic safety precautions should always be followed to reduce the risk of fire, electric shock, injury to persons, includ- ing the following: 1. Read all instructions before using the machine. 2. Do not touch hot surfaces. Use handles or knobs. 3. To protect against electrical shock, do not immerse cord, plugs, or base in water or other liquid. 4. Close supervision is necessary when any appliance is used by or near children. 5. Unplug fro
Summary of the content on the page No. 3
SPECIAL CORD SET INSTRUCTIONS 1. A short power supply cord is provided to reduce the hazards resulting from becoming entangled in, or tripping over a longer cord. 2. An extension cord may be purchased and used if care exercised in its use. 3. If an extension cord is used, the marked electrical rating of the extension cord must be at least 10 amps and 120 volts. The resulting extended cord must be arranged so that will not drape over the counter top or table top where it can be pulled on by chi
Summary of the content on the page No. 4
Warnings: The following safety practices must be followed to prevent food-borne illnesses. This is the case with any food-handling product and does not to all foods, fresh and dried. ! Thoroughly wash hands before starting to work with food, and wash again each time they touch anything other than food, before resuming work. ! Scrub and sanitize trays and lid of dehydrator between uses. ! Clean all kitchen equipment thoroughly after each use. Use hot water and detergent. Further suggested ! Use
Summary of the content on the page No. 5
Introduction Congratulations, your are the owner of The Food by Mr. Coffee This instruction book will introduce you to simple and easy ways to preserve vegetables, fruits, and meats. You can make nutritious snacks while saving money on groceries. Herbs, flowers and potpourri be made by the at a fraction of the cost of store-bought goods. Please read of the instructions in this booklet carefully before you be in to use this appliance. Proper care and maintenance will ensure long life o this a
Summary of the content on the page No. 6
Operating Instructions ! Before using The Food Dehydrator by Mr. Coffee for the first time, wash the trays and cover in warm, soapy water and rinse well. Trays can be washed on the top rack of a dishwasher only. ! Simply plug in The Food Dehydrator. Push the ON/OFF switch ON. The light on the switch will illuminate to indicate that the unit is operating. ! Once drying is complete, turn the switch to OFF, and unplug unit. ! When using the Fruit Roll tray, always place on the top tray. ! Make sure
Summary of the content on the page No. 7
Genera/ About Drying Foods Why use a Food Dehydrator? COST Saving money is a major benefit of drying foods. Home-dried foods can be made at a fraction of the cost that you will pay at the supermarket. Buying produce and meats on special, or growing your own in the summer is a great way to make your food dollar stretch further. GREAT TASTE Once water is removed from fruits and vegetables, the natural flavor is concen- trated into chewy, healthy snacks. STORAGE Once the water is removed from food
Summary of the content on the page No. 8
Highlights Be sure to choose fresh, ripe fruits and vegetables. Quality meats; herbs and flowers will help insure good results. Clean produce thoroughly before using. Cut foods Slices that are about thick work the best. Foods can be sliced, shredded or diced. Cut foods, then quickly place to dry. Don’t overlap pieces on the trays, however, they may touch. Drying times are affected by the humidity, thickness of slices and moisture content of the foods. Keeping good records will help adapt dryin
Summary of the content on the page No. 9
Drying Fruits Use fruits that are fresh and ripe. Grow your own or select from a farmer’s market to help ensure quality produce. High quality produce will generate high quality results. Once you start processing fruits, work quickly to prevent spoilage. PREPARATION Wash fruits thoroughly. Remove any blemishes or spoiled spots. Slice into slices or circles or in halves. A slicer or food processor will help speed up this step. PRETREATMENT (OPTIONAL) Pretreating fruits is optional. You do not hav
Summary of the content on the page No. 10
Water blanching is a process that helps break open waxy or tough skinned fruits. Examples of tough skinned fruits are grapes, prunes, plums, cherries, some berries and figs. By breaking open the outside skin, quicker, more even drying will result. Peeling fruits is a personal decision. Skin adds a longer drying time, however, skin is a highly nutritious part of the fruit. Personal preference is the only way to decide about peeling. ACID-CITRIC ACID These two acids help to prevent browning. Diss
Summary of the content on the page No. 11
Drying Vegetables Choose vegetables that are fresh and crisp as they will yield the best results. PREPARATION As with fruits, wash the vegetables and remove any blemishes or spoiled spots. Cut into slices or wedges. PRETREATMENT (OPTIONAL) As with fruits, vegetables need not be pretreated to achieve good results. Listed below are several pretreating options. Pretreating does help retain color, extend shelf life and enhance nutritional value. Blanching Blanching can be used to stop the flavor lo
Summary of the content on the page No. 12
FRUIT AND VEGETABLE DRYING CHART Wash thoroughly fruits and vegetables prior to preparation. PREPARATION DRYNESS TIME VEGETABLE TEST Apples Pare, core, slice into rings. Pliable Dip in pretreatment for 2 minutes. Drain, arrange on tray to dry. 4-12 Artichokes Brittle Cut hearts into strips. Boil minutes in a mixture of 1 TBSP. lemon juice and 1 cup water. Apricots Dry in halves turned inside Pliable IO-36 out or cut into quarters. Dipping in pretreatment helps to retain color. Asparagus Cut
Summary of the content on the page No. 13
FRUIT/ PREPARATION DRYNESS TIME VEGETABLE TEST 4-15 Carrots Slice or dice, steam until Leathery tender. 4-15 Separate into florets. Cauliflower Leathery Dip into mixture of 2 QTS. water and 3 TBSP. salt for 2 minutes Steam until tender. Celery Separate and stalks. Brittle 4-12 Cut stalks into slices. Place both on tray to dry. Remove leaves first they dry faster. C Pitting is optional. Stem Leathery 6-36 when ready to use. Cut Sticky in half, turn inside out. Place skin side down on tray. Cho
Summary of the content on the page No. 14
VEGETABLE TEST (Hours Grapes Remove stems: Water bath for’ Pliable (Raisins) Lemons 4-24 Mushrooms to retain white color. I Nectarines 8-24 Okra Choose young okra. Leathery trim pods, cut into circles. Onions/Leeks Remove tops, bottoms and skin. Cut slices or chunks. Use cheesecloth to prevent falling through tray. Stir while drying. Oranges Do not peel. Cut in circles 4-15 or slices. 2-4 Parsley Tear into small pieces. Chop Brittle once dried. Parsnips Slice or dice, steam until tender. L
Summary of the content on the page No. 15
DRYNESS PREPARATION TIME JEGETABLE TEST (Hrs) Wear rubber gloves Peppers-Hot Leathery 4-16 while handling. Place whole on trays to dry. Remove cap. ‘Slice in Persimmons Pliable 6-24 circles or slices. Remove core. Cut in slices, Pineapple Pliable/. wedges or chunks. If Leathery canned, drain and pat dry. Plums Cut in half, remove pit. Pliable 6-24 4-16 Brittle No need to peel potatoes. Potatoes Slice dice or grate, cut into Steam until tender. Place. on trays. Boil in water bath Pliable 1
Summary of the content on the page No. 16
Meats and Fish Review “Warnings” on page 3 for important information. Meats or fish can be dried using two different methods. Jerking meats, or processing prior cooking, yields tough, chewy but great tasting meat. The meats are soaked in a salt-based marinade, then dried. Dried meats and fish are cooked prior to drying. Proper cooking should kill bac- teria present in raw meats and fish prior to drying. The dried meat and fish prod- ucts can be used for stews, sandwich spreads, or stroganoff. T
Summary of the content on the page No. 17
Fish Use fresh fish, cut into strips. Larger fish works best. Properly clean fish and keep cold prior to drying to help reduce spoiling. ‘Remove the bones and cut into strips. Soak in a mixture of 1 quart water and cup salt and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove from liquid, pat dry. Place into a flat pan and sprinkle liberally with a salted seasoning mixture. Use at least 1 tablespoon salt per 2 pounds of fish. Cover and refrigerate for about 6 hours. Then place seasoned strips onto trays to d
Summary of the content on the page No. 18
Herbs/Flowers/Potpourri Properly clean all herbs and flowers prior to drying. HERBS AND SPICES Almost any herb can be used for drying. These can be dried right on the stalk or stem. Remove the stems and leaves once these are dried. Labeling the herbs or spices prior to drying will help make identification much easier once dried. Place in plastic bags in the whole form, then store in a cool, dry place. Crush or rub leaves when ready to use. This helps to keep the flavor intact. Make sure herbs ar
Summary of the content on the page No. 19
Storage and Labeling PACKING Freezer bags with the zipper-type tops are excellent for storing dried foods. Place foods inside, squeeze out as much air as possible, then seal shut. sealed, vacuum bags can also be used. Vacuum sealing will extend the shelf life even longer. Glass jars that seal tight can also be used. STORAGE Store packaged foods in a dry, dark place. Cooler is better. Keeping foods in a refrigerator or freezer will greatly extend the shelf life. Light and heat cause the deterior
Summary of the content on the page No. 20
Dehydrated foods are great eaten dry, but they can also be rehydrated close to their original form. Dried foods can be rehydrated by soaking them in liquids such as water, fruit juices or stocks. Rehydrated are great in pies and sauces. Dried vegeta- bles can be used for stews or soups. Do not add salt or sugar to water, this will slow down the rehydratfng process. Various methods for rehydrating are outlined below. Choose the method that best your needs. FRUITS ! If using cold water, soak in
