Food Dehydrator Wanted to Borrow

[Emma Hileman]

Hi! I was hoping that someone here might be able to help me out - I would like to borrow a food dehydrator just a couple times to dry berries (I work at Kestrel Perch berry farm). I would only need to borrow it maybe once every month until September so that I can dry raspberries, strawberries, currants, etc. In exchange I could give you some of the berries, or other goods, or a service of some sort - whatever! Free babysitting? Just a thought. Anyway, I live downtown in Ithaca, so preferably someone close, but if you have a food dehydrator and are willing to lend it out let me know! Thanks - also, has anyone ever dehydrated fruit after it's been in the freezer? Does it work as well? Can you just dehydrate it frozen, and no need to thaw it??

[IthacaNancy]

Hi Emma,

I have a food dehydrator I could loan to you.  I pick at Kestrel Perch on Tues/Weds.  

I would guess you would do better to thaw and drain the fruit first, since so much liquid is released when the fruit thaws.  No point using the dehydrator to evaporate it, when the juice might be nice as an addition to a beverage or maybe cooked down on the stove and then used to coat the fruit at some point during the dehydration process.

[Emma Hileman]

Thanks! I'm out of town coming up - but maybe I could get it from you either June 27 (anytime during the day) or July 3 or 4th at the berry farm? On the 3rd I will be there from 4:30 - 6:00, which would be the best time for me. But I will also be there on the 4th pretty much all day. And thanks for the info about the excess water -  I will see how it goes!