If you enjoy the chewy, delightful flavor of fruit leather, dried fruits, sun-dried tomatoes and trail mix, then you’d probably love to have a food dehydrator in your kitchen! This handy little tool isn’t just for making treats that are yummy, it’s also ideal for making long-lasting foods that boost your healthy diet. In fact, dehydrating foods helps to preserve their vitamins, minerals and enzymes, leaving behind more of the good stuff for much longer than fresh produce. At Hallelujah Diet, we’re huge fans of the Excalibur Dehydrator. But is it worth the investment? Let’s take a look.
What is a Food Dehydrator?
Food dehydrators are countertop appliances that use a heat mechanism to eliminate moisture from foods while naturally preserving their taste and nutrients. After drying, foods are much smaller and lighter. While fresh fruits and vegetables are great for our diets, they have a very short shelf life and therefore aren’t ideal in all scenarios, so dehydration combats that issue. Food dehydration isn’t new—in fact, it has been in use as a preservation tool since at least the time that Jesus walked the Earth—and it’s not likely to go out of style anytime soon! The Excalibur Dehydrator is one of the most popular and most often recommended food dehydrators on the market. The Excalibur brand has been producing high-performance dehydrators in Sacramento, Calif. since 1973, so it’s had nearly four decades to perfect the product. The Excalibur 2900-EC Food Dehydrator is a nine-tray food dehydrator that uses a consistent, low temperature to dry food while preserving active enzymes and also meeting safety standards of drying meats. It’s truly one of the kitchen’s most versatile appliances!Features of the Excalibur Dehydrator
How does the Excalibur stack up to the competition? This adaptable dehydrator is one of the most popular thanks in part to the fact that it has an extra-large capacity, user-friendly features and patented technology to ensure that food dries safely, evenly and quickly. Here’s a quick glance at the features of the 2900-EC model:- Features nine square trays with a total of 15 square feet of drying space, perfect for making large batches of yummy, dried food
- Uses an adjustable thermostat that helps you make the right adjustments for the perfect fruits, vegetables, herbs and dried flowers
- The trays are removable and adjustable, so you can make room for large or bulky items, such as whole fruits or dough
- Features a unique, patented drying system that employs horizontal airflow so that your foods dry evenly
Do I Need a Dehydrator? Benefits and Uses
The most obvious benefit of a food dehydrator is the fact that it preserves vitamins, minerals and enzymes in raw foods while simultaneously enhancing their shelf life. On top of that, food dehydration can help you eliminate preservatives and additives from your diet by allowing you to transform fresh fruits and veggies—perhaps those you’ve grown yourself—into long-lasting, shelf-stable treats. What’s more, dehydrating food can help you save money by allowing you to make snacks at home and extend the shelf life of your produce. All in all, dehydrated foods are great at helping you get your recommended dietary allowance of beneficial nutrients found in fresh foods, so you get savings in the form of your money and your health. But your Excalibur Dehydrator isn’t just for food! There are all sorts of creative ways you can use your dehydrator to enhance your life, boost your health and save money. Here are some of the things our customers make using their Excalibur Dehydrators:- Dried fruit
- Fruit leather
- Sundried tomatoes
- Pet treats
- Potpourri
- Dried flowers
- Dried mushrooms
- Raisins
- Raw kale chips
- Dried nuts and seeds
- Yogurt
- Raw crackers
- Onion rings
