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Do I actually need a dehydrator?

Dehydrating looks like boatloads of fun, but is this something I really need to get the most out of raw foods? I can kind of, sort of, dehydrate on the top shelf of my gas stove because of the pilot light. It maintains around 100 degrees. I don't think a pizza or bread would be succesful, but it dries out buckwheat sprouts and makes ok burgers.

Do all of you dehydrate? It would be nice to have taco shells, but I just don't know how I feel about buying a big plastic square right now.

Comments

  • rawcanadianrawcanadian Raw Newbie

    when you dehydrate fresh whole raw foods, they are no longer fresh raw whole foods.

    I did for a little while, not anymore, i like using my blender with frozen bananas and other fruits much better.

    I think it depends on how much cooking you want to put into it.

  • I don't think a dehydrator is neccesary for uncooking. In fact, a lot of people complain about tummy aches because dehydrated food can be so difficult to digest. I only used my dehydrator to dry fruit when I had too much. Sometimes when you buy things seasonally, there is an overabundance of what a person can eat and dehydrating fruit in the Fall is a great way to have "snacks" during the winter. I love dried apples!

    Though I've never done it, I know a lot of people have also used their dehydrator to dry foraged nettles and greens to make a their own green powder for smoothies in the winter. Unfortunately, I dropped my dehydrator and it broke. It isn't something a use a lot, so I'm waiting to buy a new one in the Fall when it is fruit drying season.

    Just so you know the machines are noisy. So if you live in a small space or with other people, it can be annoying.

  • does the excalibur make noise?

  • The Excalibur is very noisy, I have it in a special room that is sort of soundproof - wasn't built to be soundproof, just is; luckily ;)

    When I first got it I had it on the countertop in the kitchen, but had to turn it off when I had company.

  • M42M42

    I have no idea wether the alternative way of dehydrating you describe would work. But you can certainly follow a raw diet without dehydrating at all, more fresh too.

  • greenwoodgreenwood Raw Newbie

    Well I can't afford one anyway and after reading some more into it- Fred's web page- I won't bother getting one in the future- what you said makes sense rawcanadian.

  • Thanks for all the advice. I think I'll go without. I didn't realize they made much noise. That would bug me. Your right rawcanadian, the food isn't exactly whole and unprocessed anymore is it?

  • swayzeswayze Raw Newbie

    Dehydrated foods are definitely processed and no longer whole, which means they are no longer truly raw. The water has been removed, carrying vital nutrients along with it.

    Swayze

     

  • greenwoodgreenwood Raw Newbie

    I did wonder that myself when I read about dehyrdrators.

  • QTLaylaQTLayla Raw Newbie

    Oh, I love my dehydrator... bread, crackers, falafels, neatballs, nut loaf, stuffed peppers, etc etc!! Would not trade it for a sack of gold!! ;D

  • powerliferpowerlifer Raw Newbie

    is there any study or that which shows how much nutrient loss occurs when dehydrating?

     

  • superfood2superfood2 Raw Newbie

    I doubt it, powerlifter....studies have to have funding..... :/

    You can go by how you feel on fresh versus dehydrated if you'd like.

  • Also, studies fail to look at food/nutrition in a holistic manner. The only way to do a clinical study is to focus on one detail at a time, which often fails to give a good picture.

  • powerliferpowerlifer Raw Newbie

    aye i couldnt find much information at all, i was just wondering if there was any information showing a huge difference in nutrient content.

    i tend to keep the majority of my food intake to fresh anyway, some dehydrated recipes are pretty good though.

     

  • swayzeswayze Raw Newbie

    Yes, there's nothing wrong with eating dehydrated foods on occasion. I like to eat sun-dried tomatoes and nuts and seeds every once and a while myself. But they're only used as additional ingredients to the rest of my meal.

    Swayze

     

  • superfood2superfood2 Raw Newbie

    yeah, some people get excited over combinations of food and concentrated flavors, esp. if cooked food eaters or transitioners, so i think it's good sometimes to prepare them for others.

    you can't beat freshly cut ripe fruit, in my opinion, though. :p

  • swayzeswayze Raw Newbie

    Definitely. Salt-free sun-dried tomatoes were a lifesaver for me at first. They added so much flavor without any need for salt, onion, garlic, etc.

    That said, I probably would have been just fine without them if I had eaten more sweet fruit.

    Swayze

     

  • powerliferpowerlifer Raw Newbie

    whats wrong with onion and garlic?

     

  • onion and garlic gives you bad breath .

  • Some people say that garlic contains a neurotoxin, but I can only find info about one study. There have been many studies showing garlic to be beneficial. I personally have no intention of giving up onions or garlic, though you obviously need less of them when raw.

  • superfood2superfood2 Raw Newbie

    I don't eat onions and/or garlic because I don't like my secretions to stink.

  • powerliferpowerlifer Raw Newbie

    putting past the smell/taste i was more talking about the function of these which are two vegetables i love lol

     

  • greenwoodgreenwood Raw Newbie

    I love garlic- if you eat parsley with it you don't smell. My mum hates garlic but says she cannot smell it on me.

  • swayzeswayze Raw Newbie

    Onion and garlic isn't a horrible food by any means, but it certainly isn't optimal. Whenever I eat it, even in small amounts, I get a slight headache (especially with garlic) and I can smell it in my sweat the next day. Sweet Vidalia onions are okay if mixed with sweet fruit, but I still smell it on myself.

    I hardly ever make recipes so it's easy to stay away from them. :)

    Swayze

     

  • greenwoodgreenwood Raw Newbie

    Well...I have been even naughtier...just made the carob snowballs with cashew nut butter..mmm..the carob powder is very chocolatley in taste.. I showed them to my neighb our who was just coming in with two huge trays of danish pastries- he showed me his belly and it is big, he laughed and I laughed and told him he looks like he is about to give birth to danish pastries! :O

  • I am definitely eating less aromatics. Cooked, I would use at least 1 onion and a whole head of garlic in a typical meal. Sometimes I would throw in scallions at the end for good measure lol. Now I might throw in 1 clove of garlic into a blended sauce or a quarter onion. I like finely sliced scallions in collard wraps and the like. It is so much stronger raw.

  • greenwoodgreenwood Raw Newbie

    Yes, one needs less raw garlic and onions! :)

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