Trouble with dehydrator

[wildflower]

I was so excited to use my new dehydrator (purchased the one from Wal Mart suggested in previous post) and successfully made some granola. My tomatoes, bananas, squash have been drying for 30 hours and look as if they have been on counter all day. I assumed they would be crunchy. Am I missing something or maybe I am broken???

[rawpriestess]

WOW. How industrious.

Well, I don't have this model, I have the Excalibur, but Rawkinloks has this one, and I know it shouldn't take that long to dehydrate.

You should feel warm air coming out of it, and your veggies should dry within 15 or so hours.

I am hoping you aren't broken, but if you are, Walmart does have a pretty good return policy.

[Rawkinlocs]

Yes, I do own that model and my fruit and veggies don't take that long to dry. What temp. do you have them set at? Maybe turning it to 105 if it's lower than that. Now, tomatoes sometimes take a little while due to the water content. The squash, how thick or thinly did you slice them? The bananas, are you trying for crisp banana chips? I've never had my banana chips to get crisp and wouldn't want them that way. Usually, they dry to a fruit-leathery kinda texture...kinda soft but firm/pliable.

[vegangelist]

ditto the squash and bananas for me too. they don't get entirely crispy. the squash more than bananas. the banana chips that you get at Whole Foods have lots of junk added, which explains their crispiness. the bananas, even when sliced quite thinly will just get really chewy. but, really, that makes for a very satisfying treat. when i first made them, my husband fell in love and stole the jar, tucked it away in his truck :)

kristi

[rawjojo]

I too have this model (2 of them in fact, because I like them so well) and I agree it should not take that long. I usually dehydrate everything between 95 and 105 depending on what it is. I would definitely try something again and if you are still having problems then I might exchange it for another!

rawjojo