Right temp. for dehydrating???

[plucked]

I just dont know what the right way to dehydrate is. Dr. Cousens says 145 for up to three hours for really moist stuff, then switch it down to 105-115. But others say that's too high.

Im making a thin flax thingy with fruit in it right now. It stuck together very well, so its not that moist. I did turn up the dial for almost an hour, but it just seemed wrong. But I also dont want to allow bacteria to grow!

I dont even know if the temp. on this thing is correct (its pretty old). I'll probably get a thermometer (if not a brand new appliance someday!).

Did I just waste a batch of very good food? Has it gone to the "dark side" of cooked? I wanna be proud of myself :(

Some guidance here kids! What's your take on how to dehydrate???

Thanks all!!! :p

[sport]

You should really set your dehydrator at 105 to be safe. It will fluctuate a little so at times will be higher. I know that seems low but it is best. 145 is cooking without any doubt. You can go to 115 (for less than half an hour) but you have to have great faith in your thermometer and your appliance so why take the risk. 105 will get your stuff dry but may take a little longer. Dehydrating should be looked on the same way as growing. You can't hurry it and must let nature take it's course.

[plucked]

thanks for the reply sport. I wonder what other folks think here too. Reading Cousen's "theory" was like reading an advertisement (which I have no doubt it was) for excalibur dehydrators.

I think it still makees sense what he says, the temp. being cooler inside at first 'cause the moisture level is higher. But like you said sport, better safe then sorry.

[rawpriestess]

Hi, Well, I will tell you how I do it.

If I am dehydrating almost anything, I dehydrate at 115 degrees, I have calibrated my dehydrator with two separate thermometers.

Unles I am doing something like an entire dehydrator of tomatoes, very wet, or breads, easy spoilage, then I do 2 hours at 145 degress.

Now, I had heard from several Raw Gurus, about this 145 and was skeptical, so I tried an experiment.

I took two loaves of raw bread and put thermometers in them and dehydrated one at 145 for 2 hours, the inside never got to 105 and the outside never got about 110, how weird is this?

then I took the other one and dehydrated at 115, the inside never got about 90 and the outside never got above 100.

Now, after about 2 hours, the outside was kind of dryish, and the temp started to climb up a little, but the inside NEVER got above the temps listed.

So, I asked Victoria Boutenko about this and she explained that just like in SAD cooking, when baking bread, the bread is in a 350 degree oven, but does the bread actually get to 350 degrees? NO

When making a roast in a 350 degree oven, how hot does the roast get? About 200 maybe a little more, depending on our juicy it is, or how long you are cooking it, that is how you tell if it is rare, or well done etc.

So, just because the dehydrator temp is 115 degrees, does not mean the food gets that hot.

And the more moisture in the food, the higher temp you can use in your dehydrator.

Besides, I tend to believe the experts such as Gabriel Cousens, about these things. I mean they are experts, and we pay them the big bucks for their books, advice, and knowledge, I say, then we can choose to use that knowledge.

[sport]

I think that the real test would be to put live seeds in at that temp and then try to sprout them to see if the are still live. Should that work and is anyone willing to try it.

[ReneeSC]

Thank you, RP!

This helps. I've been having trouble with keeping things consistant in my dehydrator; it's an older model, large, but still older.

I started flipping the dial up to 145 degress in the beginning for a few hours..and then turning it down to 115 or below for the rest of the way.

It's help the moisture problem I was having.

[rawpriestess]

Your are welcome ReneeSC

Sport, this would work, but again, the point of turning up the temp is ONLY when dehydrating a large loaf of raw bread, or something super wet,

seeds just don't fit that category.

But you could certainly try it.