Dehydrating "Crackers"

[LisaDS88]

I've made some fabulous "raw cracker" recipes in the dehydrator that taste great, but the problem is THEY NEVER GET CRISPY!!! I just left a batch of Spicy Flax Crackers in the dehydrator (Excalibur) for 48 hours at 110 degrees, and they are just now chewy. They still taste good, but I was wondering if it really is possible for raw crackers to actually get "cracker-like" in the dehydrator. At this rate I would probably have to dehydrate them a week before they would be crispy. I've experimented with different thicknesses and nothing seems to help. Has anyone been successful making crackers?

[Rawkinlocs]

Yep, it's possible! I made them and had some while I was away that were VERY crispy. Maybe you're not spreading the batter thin enough. It should be very thin and if holes form as you spread, don't sweat it as the flax goop holds it together.

Also, you ARE flipping them off of the teflex and onto the mesh screen once one side is done aren't you?

I used to get pliable crackers, but I just started spreading thinner and had great success ever since!

[LisaDS88]

This last batch I made was REALLY thin, and they were a little better. But still more chewy than crispy. The recipes I've used call for ground flax seeds mixed with stuff like zucchini or nuts. Maybe just plain flax seeds would work better.

[LisaDS88]

I've been flipping them, but leaving them on the teflex sheets the whole time. Maybe that's it.

[Rawkinlocs]

Hmmm...now that you mention it, it DOES seem like crackers made with ground flax meal tend to take a little longer than crackers made from soaked, whole flax seeds. The ones with soaked whole seeds seem to dry lighter and crispier and the ones with ground tend to dry more dense and take longer to get crunchy.

I prefer the ground flax seeds to whole ones, but if it's that major crunchy/crispy cracker you seek, whole ones might be your best bet!

[Rawkinlocs]

I've been flipping them, but leaving them on the teflex sheets the whole time. Maybe that's it.

Could be! The teflex is for when things will spill through, but once that one side on top is dry, flipping over onto the mesh screen will speed up drying time.

[greggfiller]

Hi,

I just finished making crackers that are quite crispy, however not with flax. I soaked wheat and rye berries, mixed them with dehydrated garlic and blended it in a blender with just enough water to get it going. After that I hand-mixed in caraway seeds and put it in the dehydrator. The crackers were somewhat thin, maybe between 1/8-1/4" thick.

My guess is that whatever the cracker mix consists of, it has to be processed very fine to very small particulate to make for crispy crackers.

Good luck, Gregg

[Kris]

It does depend on the humidity where you live, too. We just tried our first batch of corn chips, and although changing from teflex to mesh sheets helped, they took FOREVER to get dry. But we live on an island, a couple of blocks from the ocean. So there you go.