There's nothing like getting a new piece of kitchen equipment, whether it's a new stick blender, induction hob or mixer, we've all put these machines through their paces to see what exciting new recipes can be introduced to the menu. With the introduction of the Buffalo dehydrator, experimentation reaches a whole new level....
Buffalo 6 Tray and 10 Tray Dehydrators
1. You can dehydrate fruit
Dehydrating removes water and concentrates flavours, so most fruit tastes great after dehydrating. Not only is this a fantastic way of reducing waste, some unusual, crispy textures can also be created. Just don't forget to remove stones, pips, cores and seeds where possible!
2. You can't dehydrate food which has gone off
Unfortunately as a general rule of thumb, once food has turned no amount of dehydrating or cooking will bring it back. However, Dehydrated rotten food, peels or even coffee grounds are perfectly suitable for composting.
3. You can dehydrate food.. again
It doesn't matter how well you seal the box - the last few crackers, biscuits or even cereals always seem to lose their crunchy texture. Using a dehydrator can perfectly re-crisp all sorts of foods - a great way to save money and reduce waste.
4. You cant (shouldn't) dehydrate butter/fat
Dehydrating butter turns it to powder for a convenient alternative to the real thing. However, although powdered butter is commercially available, traditionally high fat foods such as avocado, nuts and cheese are somewhat tricky to dehydrate well and typically don't store long before going off. Butter is especially difficult to dehydrate - although not completely impossible.
5. You can dehydrate flowers and spices
Dried flowers make excellent table decorations or aromatic potpourri. A dehydrator can easily dry large quantities and has the added benefit of also acting as an air freshener during the process. Using other ingredients such as fresh vanilla or cinnamon can infuse the surrounding air with natural, seasonal fragrances.
6. You can create garnishes
Once dehydrated, try vacuum packing sliced tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil. Leave for two days to re-hydrate and then blend for fantastic, mouth watering garnishes.As you can see, the dehydrator is one of the most versatile additions to the home or commercial kitchen. The options really are limitless - from proving bread dough to reducing excess salts in food.
Read Thornbury Castle's infamous chef Mark Veale's take on product testing the Buffalo Food Dehydrator and to view the whole range of dehydrators at nisbets.co.uk with FREE next day delivery.
By David Evans
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