A couple week's ago, as I was biking to our local farmers market, I received a call on my cell phone. The phone being nestled snuggly in my purse, in the basket, on the back of my bike - well, I didn't hear it. But the voice mail message was nothing but good news! My friend's mother (who hits all the promising garage sales each Saturday morning) has been on the look out for 1) used canning jars and 2) a food dehydrator. As you can see, a food dehydrator it is! For $3 bucks! Um, yeah. Sold! There's just one catch. There are no instructions. Now, I've looked online and although I can't find an electronic instructions manual for a Sweda Food Dehydrator, the general instructions for drying fruits and veggies seems to be pretty straight forward and translatable for just about any machine. The only problem is that this one has vents on both the top and bottom.
From what I understand, the vents help keep the temperature down (the ideal range for dehydrating is 85-145 degrees - dehydrators tend to run at 140 degrees). So here's my question. Does anyone have a dehydrator like this? How do you use the vents? The top vent has a setting of 0-4; the bottom vent has a setting of A-E. Any ideas?
42 comments:
Experiment. I have a similar dehydrator and it sucks. It only has on/off and my understanding is that you have to rotate the shelves periodically. I made a report of my experience with that little piece of junk -- and I'm bidding on an Excalibur on ebay now. Sadly, it's already too overcast and cool for my solar dehydrator to be useful. Dang it.
I'm with Jenn. Expermient. I have a Nesco - vents only on the bottom. It is super easy to use, though, and I've always been happy with the results. The dehydrating process is so slow that, if you do it during the day instead of overnight, you should be able to keep an eye on things.
You know that it was an "As seen on TV" product right? I don't know if that will help you at all in your search...
jennconspiracy - I figure at $3 even if it sucks at least I can give it a shot. Hopefully it's not too complicated. I'll have to report on how it works when I finally give it a go. I've been dreaming of dried strawberries. Yum!
green bean - What kinds of things should I be looking for as I keep an eye on it? Have you tried drying fruit? That's what I'm most interested in.
dramamama - Yeah, I noticed that, but at the website, they no longer list the product. Oh well. Looks like experimenting is the way to go.
I have an OLD dehydrator, but I leave all four vents open on both the top and the bottom.
I dehydrate everything, like apple chips, bananas, parsely, spearmint...are ya gettin' me. I love mine and would miss it terribly if it were gone.
cooking lady - thanks for the tip! I'm trying to dry bananas today. If all goes well, I may be hitting you up for more tips :)
I found a little article
http://www.pickyourown.org//dryingfoods.htm
I know that some books have sections on dehydrating, Ball's Blue Book of preserving and canning. I think Nourishing Traditions might have some stuff, check your cookbooks just in case. I bet you could use a thermometer in that thing if needed...just a thought.
Enjoyed reading your blog and thought to forward this on. Just found the manual. It is 3 pages with no real instructions except the noteworthy ones here and a few recipes. "Unit must be stacked with all 5 grids facing up and must use all grids each time or unit will burnout". Large note states"All vents, top and bottom, must be open". Also, "Do not operate with top vent or bottom closed at any time and ALWAYS keep top vent at FULL OPEN position"(cap emphasis is from manual)."To clean bottom, wipe with damp cloth, PLATE IS NOT TO BE REMOVED FOR CLEANING. To clean trays or lids, use sponge and mild soap"."Do not use outdoors". "Dries most foods in 24 or 36 hours". "NOTE: Time may vary drastically in relation to size of pieces and ripeness". No meat recipes. Only fruit recipes which are to be sliced uniformly 1/4 inch thick.
I found the same dehydrator at Goodwill and I'm in the process of doing my first attempt at using it. So far we just hit the 24 hour mark with bananas, pears, grapefruit, and pineapple. Not even the bananas are done... But like you said: For the price it is worth some experimenting. I hope we both have some luck with it. Amber david_amber07@hotmail.com
I am grateful for the helpful information given here on the Sweda dehydrator. I just received one from my mom (who at 91 is no longer using it). No instruction booklet though. I had a dehydrator, but it has disappeared (someone must have borrowed it, but I no longer remember who!) so until mine reappears this will do quite nicely. I have rinsed the dust off it and left it to air dry. Planning on drying some peppers & pears tomorrow! If these turn out, onions & carrots are next!
Thanks again!
I can't find my manual any more and was looking for one to download when I came across your "help" post. Obviously I don't remember all the instructions, but I do remember that the thicker and juicier items needed all the vents open, while the less moist ones varied as to what was open and what was closed. The manual was several pages long and included recipes for fruit, vegetables and jerky. Guess I'll look for general recipes.
I'm praying someone has a picture of the bottom of this dehydrator. My brother borrowed my machine. Thinking he was being nice he took heat element with the cord off to wash all plastic parts. I'm not sure now how the cord sits. I've been searching the web for 7hrs. without any solution. Please someone help me!
Just bought the same food dehydrator at a thrift shop for $2.... any other tips on how it works?
I too, as many of you, received this unit used and with NO instructions. After watching a few you tube videos on dehydrating and reading the website www.dehydrate2store.com I decided to "experiment" a little too. She recommends dehydrating at 120-125 degrees. This unit is simply on or off, so I thought maybe I could lay my candy thermometer in there to check it! Bottom tray temp read 135-140 degrees. Middle tray and top tray read 125 degrees! :) I am now ready to truly experiment with real food this time! Those temps were all with ALL vents open, both top and bottom. Hope this post will help someone else as I too have spent a lot of time searching the web for user guide.
The closest manual I could find is this one. It's a Sunbeam Dehydrator and works the same as the Sweda...by that I mean it only has ON/OFF.
http://kitchen.manualsonline.com/support/telebrands-corporation/food-processor/user-manual-for-food-dehydrator-1907502
Good luck...and I found (if making beef jerky) leaving the bottom tray empty is better as the meat in that one won't dry out faster than the other trays. And also periodically rotate and shuffle the trays so they dry evenly.
I JUST PURCHASED THIS SWEDA FORM AN ONLINE YARD SALE PAGE. NOT KNOWING MUCH ABOUT DEHYDRATORS OR THE ART OF DRYING FOODS, I NOTICED THIS SWEDA DOES "NOT" HAVE A FAN! JUST A HEATING ELEMENT ON THE BOTTOM. HAVE NO IDEA EVEN WHERE TO START WITH THIS..WILL SOMETHING LIKE THIS DO JERKY? JUST FRUIT? I'M GUESSING IT'S BETTER THAN WASTING ELECTRIC BY USING MY OVEN?
Instructions for the Sweda Dehydrator
"Easy and convenient to use!
Just slice...take any fruit vegetable, even meat. With a knife or foot processor, slice food uniformly, about 1/4 inch thick.
....and dry
Place sliced foot in the food dehydrator tray. adding extra trays (included) as needed. The Sweda Food Dehydrator's convenient one step operation does all the rest. Dries most foods in 24 or 36 hours, even while you sleep.
How to Operate Your Food dehydrator (pink insert)
Unit must be stacked exactly as shown on the cover of the cookbook. If stacked incorrectly, unit will burnout (base, white tray with grid side up, trays with double rim down, grid topside)
NOTE All vents top and bottom must be open at all times.
Do not remove any trays, always keep 5 trays in use [this doesn't seem to agree with the cookbook (all of 5 recipes)]."
There are more "safeguards" that are basically the same as any other electrical appliance warnings.
And that is all, folks, not much to go on
Thank you, all, very much!
And, what an easy-to-use blog this is. No signing up, giving a pint of blood, etc... THANKS! Karen
I have never posted a blog before and am not sure how to get back to this should I close the link I got this dehydrated yesterday at a yard sale too! $2.00. No booklet. No fan. These posts were helpful.
I says,
Thank you for the advice because I have had one in my loft in the garage and I don't remember when I bought it. Seems like about 10 or 15 years ago. I washed it real good not submerging the element and will let it air dry for a day or two. I want to do some venison jerky from a buck I killed last year and I asked the processor to cut a few roasts for jerky as I like snacks out there in the cold. I will use all of the ideas in this helpful blog and thank you so much for the info.
Wow, my husband found a dehydrator at goodwill and brought it home. Like most everyone here, no instruction book, just a box. I found this blog and poof! Y'all have answered all of my questions. So excited to get started tomorrow. I am definitely going to bookmark this page.
Thank you much,
Candi
I, too, bought my unit at a second hand store for $5, complete with the box And a small instruction booklet same as written about above. Yesterday I loaded it with tomatoes, peaches and apple slices. After 12 hours I would guess the slices are halfway dried. I rotated the shelves as was suggested and will see what the next 12 hours does!
Well, I'm another one. I was given one of these by a friend who either received it free or cheap with no instructions. Thanks to the help here, I have now loaded it with cranberries, and it is heating with all the vents open. I put them on straight from the freezer, so I'm hoping that's not a mistake. We shall see.
Hello,
Indeed a good post, And I believe having a Food Dehydrator at our home is very important as it helps dehydrating food,, so we need the best food dehydrators, that's why I have recently purchased one of the best food dehydrators available, because i want to make best food with food dehydrator.
By the way, Keep up the good work.
Bought a Sweda dehydrator at goodwill. It had no directions. I used it for the first time yesterday to dry basil leaves. I put them in the middle rack wih the top and bottom air holes all open. They took about 12 hours for 1 ack of basil leaves.
I hope that helps.
Thanks everyone for all your help. Someone gave me an old Sweda when I was trying to dry poblano peppers. I didn't even know there were vents (luckily they were already open....). Anyway, it was very successful so now I'm drying garlic to make garlic powder.
And then basil, like the last poster!
Awesome, blog posts! Thank you SO much to each of you. I received mine as a hand me down with the little booklet. Only like stated above by anonymous March 2, 2015. They are exactly as posted, very vague. No vent, or temp, time guide lines etc.. This is the first dehydrator that I've had without a fan, heat or fan regulator. It works great, though! We've made jerky, several times, dried fruits, and more! Delightful, and nutritious.
A friend brought the dehydrator over to me to use...admittedly it is a slow, unloveable dog. But it is usable. Thanks for all the help, I am going to invest in a thermometer and work with it. Victoria G. Oswego, NY
Hey thanks for the info I too boughtine at a good will my question is though had anyone made deer jerky in it and how long did it take,we're the vents open or closed,please help...
Well, I see that these comments started way back in 2008 and I was thinking it stopped then, but I see it went on to pretty recently. So -- I got a Sweda dehydrator, box and all, at Goodwill for $3. OK, a good enough deal to try it out. And today I sliced up a small sweet potato and decided to dehydrate it. It came out great! But, the problem is, it only took about 2 hours to get wrinkled. I am afraid if I left the slices in longer (like overnight), they would burn up or set the house on fire. Anyway, they were good and I intend to experiment with it. And yes, there were no directions, so I had to figure it out myself. Yes, no off and on switch. I put the slices on the rack next to the top. We'll see what the next batch tastes like.
I have a sweda dehydrator and it has no fan on it, is that normal? There's just the heating coils and I don't Wana waist meat on it if I'm missing a whole level
I have used this dehydrator for 25 years and I love how beef jerky comes out. Usually finished in 24 hrs. Just keep an eye on it, bottom rack is the hottest and may need to rotate racks. I keep the vents open. Good luck and enjoy this easy to use dehydrator.
My brother-in-law gave me a Sweda several years ago ,no instructions . Want to make jerky because recently found diabetes & don't want preservatives of store bought & cost entirely too much ! I'll let you know how it turns out . Also have an awesome marinade recipe normally used with venison if anyone interested .Thanks so much for y'alls help !
Someone gave me a sweda with no trays. Does anyone have one that doesn't work but still have the trays?
Just bought a Sweda for $2 at a yard sale. Mine has the manual..
Very little info provided in it.
Shelly smith can you post the Manual that came with your dehydrator??????
I also like everyone else on here seemed to have acquired one without the manual.
Thank you in advance!!
https://homerevamping.com/how-to-use-a-sweda-food-dehydrator/#Prepare_the_foods_to_be_dehydrated
Regarding Sweda Dehydrator Manual
Garage sale no manual. This is what I found. Someplaces want you to sign up for account to download manual but later wants to charge a fee.
What is your average time start to finish? when your doing banana’s, compared to Apple crisp’s? Also is there a standard thickness of cut bananas you prefer?
Thank you for your time and input I appreciate your knowledge”
Hi! Does anybody knows if the Sweda dehydrator is BPA free? Thank you.
Good question. I just picked one of these dehydrators up from Goodwill. I washed and rinsed it thoroughly before I used it. I decided to dehydrate some bananas. I was expecting the room to fill up with an awesome smell of bananas drying as I've heard other people in videos say as they're dehydrating them. But the smell is so bad, I had to turn on my fan over my oven. Hoping this was just normal for this product, I let it continue. When the bananas were done, I tasted one of them it was extremely toxic. I had to throw them all away. I'm going to wash it and rinse it again, but the next time I'm just going to plug it in and let it run with nothing in it. If I smell that same plastic smell again, I'm just going to throw it all away.
My old Sweda is reading around 160 on an instant read thermometer. I raised the whole unit up about an inch to get the bottom vents involved and that helped lower the temperature (to 160). Thank you to all the people who said "experiment."
Apples Vents top 1 bottom c for 24 hr
Banana, 1b 24h
Grapes 2b 24h
Orange rind 2b 13h
Peaches 1b 42h
Pears 1c 30h
Pineaplle 2c 25h
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