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Whenever anyone asks me what tools are necessary for dehydrating, they often give a list of things they've seen online that are 'mandatory'.

I always like to reassure them that excess tools are not necessary.

"Your dehydrator (or oven or the sun), a knife, and a storage container are all that is necessary."

The following list may contain Amazon affiliate links at no cost to you. They are bolded and linked for you.

You don't need:

Fancy Liners - Parchment paper will work in almost every situation. Though I do love my silicone mesh liners, and I won't dehydrate food without them, if you have parchment (baking paper), it works just fine. And a fun tip - if you have some 100% cotton sheets around the house, you can cut them up, hem the edges, and use those as liners.

A tip: I usually have 2 sets of liners for every tray. I can use the extra liner to place on top of foods like greens or herbs that need to be squished to fit into the tray spaces on machines like my Excalibur.

Vacuum Sealers - Yes, vacuum sealing is helpful, but it's not mandatory. Properly dried, conditioned, and stored foods will last a long time without anything else. But it can assure you that all your hard work will last. I don't like pulling out my larger Nesco vacuum sealer for just a few jars when I'm dehydrating. I save it for those big freezer meat jobs. But I do have my handy, handheld, rechargeable vacuum sealer that works wonders! It's not currently on sale during Prime Day, but a 15% coupon is available; simply check the box to redeem it. This works for both regular and wide-mouth jars and doesn't require extra connections to work.

Fancy Storage Equipment - there's no need to purchase a ton of jars or expensive storage equipment for your dehydrated goods. Those jars you can get spaghetti sauce in at the store...those are perfect. Any airtight jar (one with a good lid) will work. You don't need to buy Mylar bags or use those expensive vacuum sealer bags. You can, if you prefer it, but it's not necessary. Ask neighbors and friends if they have extras jars lying around that they aren't using!

Expensive machines - If you are just getting started, there's no reason to spend $200-300 on a dehydrator if you don't have the budget for it. A $10 used dehydrator from the thift store will work, though I do recommend getting one that has a temperature adjustment as a single-temp dehydrator usually runs too hot to do herbs and many fruits, including tomatoes. I do recommend the Nesco Square stackable for a budget-friendly machine. However, if you're in the market for a cabinet-style machine that is a bit more visually appealing, the Magic Mill is currently on sale.

Here's what I use most often

​Excalibur Dehydrator - this was my first 'big girl' machine, and I still use it all the time

​Mesh Lining Screens - these are what I use most often

Ninja Bullet Blender - for making powders. My model isn't made any longer, but any of the mid-range priced bullet blenders will work.

​Fullstar Veggie Chopper - for making small pieces of things without having to dig out the food processor

​OXO Mandoline - for slicing things without having to dig out the food processor (can you see a theme here?) But don't forget the cutting glove to go along with it! A Safety Mandoline can work for a lot of things, too - no glove needed!

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BUT - let me just say. There's no need to spend a bunch of money on this food preservation method - especially if your budget is already stretched super thin. Use your knife, your oven (or the sun if you have it), and just the storage containers you have, and you'll be fine.

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Until next time...

Nevertheless, she preserved!

Darcy!

P.S. If you've been looking at a freeze dryer, thinking that the prices are just too high, the small Harvest Right freeze dryer is on sale right now. They also have a monthly giveaway (located on the same page in that link) that you should enter into every month!

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