Here's an idea for Xmas presents or just to give a friend or neighbor. I dehydrate a lot of summer produce. I layer veggies in a quart canning jar, such as carrots, peas, onions, green and sweet peppers, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, diced potato, and some dehydrated hamburger. Add a couple beef boullion cubes, and a packet of herb seasonings. A jar or can of tomatoes and a recipe card telling how to rehydrate all the dried things, and approx. cooking time for a great veggie soup. One jar is usually plenty for a single person and two will do for a family. I seal them with a vacuum sealer, but just a screw lid will suffice. They are much appreciated. Add a jar cake and they have a whole meal!

-- Hazel L. Mauger (hazelm@tenforward.com), September 28, 2000

Answers

Hazel, Great idea!!! How do you dehydrate hamburger?

-- Carol (cwaldrop@peoplescom.net), September 28, 2000.

Hi Carol, I use 9% fat hamburger. Fry it on medium heat until slightly browned and have gotten some more fat out of it. Let it cool enough to be able to handle it, press it between paper towels, then spread on rack in dehydrator. Dehydrate @145 degrees until it looks like little pebbles. I keep some on hand all the time and it saves many trips to the store. It can be used for most any recipe calling for hamburger. I make jerky from hamburger, too, (9% fat)to send to my grandson in China. All his Chinese friends love it.

-- Hazel L. Mauger (hazelm@tenforward.com), September 29, 2000.

Hazel, how do you store the dried burger? You mentioned the vacuum sealer (got one, don't you love it!?)--do you store it that way, in cupboard or in frig or freezer.

I thought I'd done everything with my dehydrator including drying sourdough starter so I could send it through the mail to friends far away and I've made lots of jerky but never thought of this. Thanks!

-- marilyn (rainbow@ktis.net), September 29, 2000.

Marilyn, I have the wide and regular jar sealer tops for My Tilia FoodSaver. I keep the sealed jars in a cardboard carton in my store room. Don't really know if it is necessary to keep them in a box, but keep all my dehydrated food in boxes (in the dark), as I have a window in the room. The room is cool most of the time, but I do not think that is important for dehydrated food. I love my sealer, too. I am able to save money by purchasing family size portions of meat and sealing servings for 1 or 2 for the freezer, and the meat may be a year old but just like fresh.

-- Hazel L. Mauger (hazelm@tenforward.com), September 29, 2000.

Wow. Neat idea, Hazel. I didn't know you could dehydrate hamburger at home. I guess I will have to break down and get a vacuum sealer, and a better dehydrator. The one I have doesn't have a temperature gauge, you just do it manually by opening the vents or closing them a little, whatever you need. Have to experiment, I guess, but I'd worry if it weren't done correctly. I've made jerky from ground round often. It turns out great. Jan

-- Jan in Colorado (Janice12@aol.com), October 03, 2000.