Locating a farmer’s market in your area and buying by the bushel is a great way to save money and build your pantry.  When potatoes are in season I purchase and dehydrate enough potatoes to last through the winter.  During the fall when it’s apple season I can purchase a bushel basket of apples for $5.00.   Normally, I buy around 5-6 bushels which will last me through the winter.  I make apple bread, muffins, pancakes, pies, and many more delicious recipes using dehydrated apples.  All winter I never have to peel or cut anything and I can make meals fast and easy.

Using a Queen size pantyhose pulled over the tray is a great way to prevent the small items from falling between the screen.  You can wash the nylon and reuse.  Going to a fabric store also offers a lot of different ideas for a screen cover that can be washed.

After making lemonade don’t throw out the lemons.  Leave the lemons in the pitcher and fill it again with water and 1 cup sugar, then place the pitcher back in the refrigerator.  It will make a second pitcher as good as the first.

INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO
http://dehydrate2store.com/videos/?id=29 

(After dehydrating Let the food cool for 5-10 minutes before testing for dryness)

You want to keep your food  at  95% or more dehydrated. 
The more moisture you remove from your food the better chance of it lasting for many years. 

How will you know?
If it is sticky, put it back in the dehydrator!  

Avocados have a very high oil content and are not recommended for dehydration. They will not store well and will turn rancid after a period of time.

Blanching is when you place your food in boiling water for about one minute prior to dehydrating.

Why do you have to steam or blanch some items and not others?
Skin scalding occurs during the blanching process.  Skin scalding is done to either soften the skin of a fruit or vegetable you want to dehydrate, or to soften the skin to allow for its removal.  While blanching a grape, for example, you must blanch it prior to dehydrating in order to ‘skin scald’ or soften the skin.  While blanching a tomato or peach, however, you will find the skins fall right off.  By doing this it is possible to dehydrate your food without any unwanted skin or peach fuzz.

Food that should be blanched or skin scalded

Grapes
Tomatoes
Blueberries
Plum
Cherries
Peaches
Cranberries
Peaches
Pears
Summer Squash
Zucchini 

When buying a dehydrator the most important thing to look for is the fan placement. The fan should be located on the back of the dehydrator NOT on the top or bottom. Dehydrators that are designed with a fan on top or bottom will dry your food unevenly thus creating confusing drying times and poor air circulation. Also if the fan is on the bottom flavors from foods on your bottom rack will travel into foods on higher racks, creating unwanted flavors. I recommend Excalibur Dehydrators. I currently have two 9 tray Excalibur Dehydrators. One is three years old and the other one year old. Neither has given me a single problem and they both run constantly day and night and give fantastic looking products. To ensure loyalty from my viewers I ONLY recommend products or services I have personally used and feel are the best available. For factory Direct Savings and a Free 10 year warranty on Excalibur Dehydrators visit www.excaliburdehydrator.com 

The answer is NO.  Of course you don’t want to leave food in your dehydrator forever.  Over dying has never been a concern of mine, however under drying and leaving moisture in your food will cause your food to become moldy.  I can assure you this, if you remove 95% or more of the moisture from your food and store properly your food will last for years and taste great.

A lot of people recommend 135°F for fruits and 125°F for vegetables when dehydrating.  It has been my opinion and my experience that 120-125°F is the best temp. for both fruits and vegetables.  I dehydrate almost every day and I believe longer time and lower temperature is the best way to prevent case hardening.  Case hardening is when the temperature is too high causing the food to harden on the outside and the moisture to remain on the inside.  When this happens the moist food will sour and become rancid over time and the food will have to be thrown away. I want my food to be in the best condition for longest storage time. Avoiding case hardening is a must for successful long term storage.  You work hard to build your pantry so don’t be rushed into drying your food too fast.  Longer time, lower temp. is the best way. 

Can you fix case hardening?
If you have case hardening you sometimes can turn it around.  To do this, cut the pieces in half or put a slit in the top of the food and put back in the dehydrator, this allows the trapped moisture to escape. For sliced potatoes I simply poke them with a sharp knife and place them back into the dehydrator.   For small cubed potatoes I would just cook them up and eat them.  They are still good to eat you just do not want to store them long term.

Cheese, Milk, Eggs and Butter need to be commercially processed with special equipment. Items with high oil content must also be processed using special commercial methods, and will turn rancid in a short period of time if done incorrectly. It has been recommended by experts in food storage and dehydrating that these items be purchased through a company that can commercially process such items.

Eggs, however, can be scrambled and dehydrated and then re-hydrated with boiling water, but you cannot use these dehydrated scrambled eggs in cakes, breads, or other baked goods. Also, you cannot fry them up into an omelet the only thing you can do is eat them scrambled. The shelf life when done at home is not as long as if purchased by a company in # 10 cans. Dehydrated scramble eggs are great for someone who is going hiking or camping. My advice is to buy the powdered eggs that have been safely dehydrated by commercial equipment and properly stored. They taste great (like a fresh egg) , and are more versatile for cooking and much more safe. The same goes for Cheese, Butter and Milk.

Dried beans are great to use in your pre-packaged foods too, just make sure you use a slow cooker (crock pot) when dried beans have been added.  This is because the beans take much longer then noodles or barley to re-hydrate and cook.  I recommend using a crock pot with all soups.  The cook time is about 5 1/2 hours or longer with a crock pot.  Of course, with dried beans it will take longer and it is always a good idea to soak them prior to preparing your dish.

Celery, once dehydrated, will never have the exact texture as fresh raw celery, but you can add it to your potato salad dehydrated and it will soften to a crunchy texture. If you don’t like that texture try soaking it in cool water for 15 min, until you get the texture you want . Celery and all other vegetables when dehydrated and cooked will turn out just as if you started from fresh. Trying to get exactly back to the raw form isn’t easy to achieve

Don’t forget that you can dehydrate all your frozen fruits and vegetables from your grocery store, saving room in your freezer.  All your frozen foods have already been prepped, just open the bag and throw them on the tray frozen.  This includes thick French fries and hash browns.  Melons are better if pureed and made into fruit rollups.  Frozen strawberries are easier to cut when they are only half way frozen.

I WOULD NOT recommend dehydrating meat for long term no matter how you package it.  Dehydrated meat becomes rancid after a period of time.  The only way to increase the life of the dehydrated meat would be to freeze it after dehydrating.

WHAT I WOULD recommend is to purchase freeze dried meat from a company that sells it, or to can your own meat with a pressure cooker.  I have stocked up on tuna, salmon, corn beef hash, beef stew and canned chicken.  Tuna in a can has a very long shelf life.

When you dehydrate your foods you place the enzymes in suspended animation. When you re-hydrate the food you re-activate the enzymes.  Enzymes are what break down food causing it to decompose.  The minute you pick the food from the plant the enzymes start breaking down the food.  By steaming the food you stop the enzymes from breaking down the food and converting sugar into starches.  The sweetness in your corn will remain sweet if steamed prior to dehydration and when re-hydrated will have the same sweetness.  Temperatures over 140 degrees destroy the enzymes through a process called denaturing which slows them down thus stopping them from breaking down and converting food.  There is no need to worry of ‘losing enzymes’ when dehydrating.  Any extreme temperature or environment presented to an organism will cause the denaturing of enzymes.  This includes heating food in an oven or microwave, freezing in a freezer or adding a lot of salt.  Consuming mass amounts of enzymes in your diet is not necessary.

ALL LOW ACID FOODS

Beets
Corn
Carrots
Asparagus
Cabbage
Peas
Beans
Broccoli
Potatoes
Cauliflower
Green Bean
Pumpkin
Peas

Oranges
Lemons
Limes
Collard Greens
Spinach
Mushrooms  (If wet or soaked in water before dehydrating mushrooms will turn dark in color.  They are OK to eat this way)
Parsley
Dill
All herbs

Never use sugar in fruit rollups,  the sugar will crystallize over time.  Instead use honey or corn syrup.

When using zip bags to dry your fruit rollups make sure any print on the bag is facing away from the rollup.  Otherwise, it will pull the print up when the rollup when removed.

I like to use duct tape when taping down the zip bag because it does not fall off in the dehydrator and it is easy to remove from the trays.

Shrink wrap makes a great package for the rollups when sealed using your sealer.

Also, the wax inserts in cereal boxes make a great package for fruit rollups.

Cooking the fruit in a sauce pan before dehydrating makes a translucent roll-up whereas uncooked makes a more firm and solid color roll-up.

INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO
http://dehydrate2store.com/videos/?id=14 

When peeling your oranges, mangos, papayas, apples, peaches, pears, and lemons place the skins on the tray with the skin side facing DOWN and dehydrate.  After dehydrating most skins can be ground and put in homemade herbal teas, sauces, cookies, cakes, and breads.

I use my glass jars for short term storage. When they become empty I refill them with my items that have been vacuum packed, Mylar bagged, or oxygen packed. Don’t get me wrong , your food will last for a year and longer in the jars, but the issue is the light breaking down the food. If you place your jars in a dark area then your food will last virtually forever, so your biggest concern is light exposure over a long period of time. Years ago jar companies made a blue jar for canning to detour light. You can still find the blue jars (I have some) if you go to attic or garage sales. Three years ago you couldn’t even give them away (as with clear Masson/ Ball jars) but today you have to fight to get them. I would not recommend these old jars for canning due to safety reasons, but they are great for long term storage of dried foods.

When stored properly and kept in a cool dry place your foods can last up to 30 years depending on the item.
I would recommend going to www.survivalacres.com and clicking on their dehydrated shelf life chart.

Now, if you want to get the buckets for free simply drive behind a doughnut store, restaurant, or bakery.  I have found 10 at a time sitting out side the dumpster while driving by a bakery in my neighborhood.  Alternatively you can go inside the store or restaurant and ask them to save the empty buckets for you.  Most places will do this.  Just make sure the buckets have the number 2 with the arrows going around it, this means the bucket is safe to hold food.  You will be surprised on how many buckets you can accumulate over a short period of time.  If the seal of the lid is in bad condition then purchase a new lid with a good rubber seal at any home supply store.  I like ‘Tractor Supply’ store, the lids there have a great rubber seal and the cost is around $2.50 per lid.

If it is a warm rainy day and the windows are open and you don’t have air conditioning or a dehumidifier running then hold off until another day before dehydrating.  When the conditions are as I just mentioned, you are asking your dehydrator to dehydrate your food and your whole house!  Attempting to defeat this will only cause you to be upset with the dehydrator thinking you have a bad one.  Just relax, sit back and thank God for all the wonderful rain that will bless you with an abundance of food to dehydrate.

Whenever food is processed in any way nutrients are lost. For this reason it is important that you spray lemon juice on your carrots, apples, bananas, pears, strawberries, papaya or any low acid item before dehydrating in order to add extra vitamin C.  This process will also help to retain the natural beautiful colors of your fruits and vegetables.

I spray lemon juice directly on the items instead of soaking them in a bowl.  If you soak your bananas in the juice they will become soggy.  Also, soaking food takes away important vitamins and minerals.  If you put honey in the lemon juice, like some people suggest, I find that the bananas become sticky and soggy and after dehydrating they will stick together, which is not good.  Also, when soaking in lemon juice there is a lot of waste when you toss the leftover juice down the sink. Spraying or misting with concentrated lemon juice is the best technique.

Things you do not want to spray with your lemon juice are green leafy produce like spinach or broccoli because it will brown or burn the items. 

Pineapple juice is also a possible vitamin C rich liquid you may spray onto your foods before dehydrating.  However, I recommend concentrated lemon juice because pineapple juice tends to make your dehydrated items more on the sticky side due to the excess sugars.

Foods that should be sprayed with concentrated lemon/pineapple juice:
(All your low acid fruits.  This maintains color and adds a little extra vitamin C) 

A MUST:
Apples 
Banana 
Pears 
Strawberries 
Apricots 

IF YOU WANT:
Raspberries 
Rhubarb 

It is very difficult to give an exact time frame for dehydrating foods because of all the variables.  Humidity outside and in the home, thickness and type of cut, how loaded the trays are, and even different brands of produce play a big part in dehydration time. Also the type of dehydrator you use plays a large role. If the fan is on the top or bottom of your dehydrator it will take longer for the food to dry because the circulation of air flow is disrupted by the other trays.  If the fan is in the back of the dehydrator (where it should be) your food will dry faster and more evenly. 

What I can tell you is this:
You never want to increase the temperature to dry faster this will cause  “case hardening”.  This is when the outside of the food hardens and moisture is trapped on the inside and is unable to dry because it is incased in a hard shell.  This will cause your food to sour and have to be tossed.  Your best bet is long time and low temp. Never try to speed things up by increasing the temp in order to finish at a certain time.  Regardless if I am doing a fruit or vegetable I never go over 125°F.

An average drying time list
8-15 hours All fresh vegetables including peppers         
8-10 hours Frozen vegetables (remember to place on the tray while frozen )  
8-10 hours Mushrooms and onions (sliced and chopped)  
12-15 hours Sweet and white potatoes  (thin sliced, chopped)
8-10 hours Fruits, very thinly sliced
12-15 hours Fruits ¼  inch slice  
15 hours plus Fruit rollups  (depending on how much corn syrup and honey used)
15-20 hours Grapes
18-20 hours Blueberries
Up to 2 days Whole prunes (remove pits)
12-15 hours Peaches, plums, pears, apples, nectarines, rhubarb  

The most important part is not so much the length of time in the dehydrator, but the percentage of remaining moisture left.  For long term storage you want to stay at 95% and above.  Testing for dryness will be your best barometer.  Your food should easily snap and should not be sticking together.

After, dehydrating  your food place it in a zip-lock bag for a few days before storing away in your vacuum bags.  This will give you a chance to see that your food has fully dehydrated. If your food appears limp you can put it back in the dehydrator again for a few more hours.

Mushrooms should be wiped clean with a damp cloth if dirty.  Never soak them in water or place them wet in the dehydrator or they will turn dark in color.  They are fine to eat this way, they just look unappealing.  I like to purchase pre-sliced mushrooms when they are on sale because they have been cleaned and cut.  You just throw the pre-sliced mushrooms right on your dehydrator and they turn out perfect. Fresh is best, always.

Strong smelling foods should not be dehydrated in the same batch as other foods.  Try putting your dehydrator outside on a hot dry day when doing your garlic and onions to avoid the spreading of strong unwanted scents through your home

TIP: If onions make you cry…
Place them in the freezer for one hour before chopping them.

Oxygen packs are small oxygen absorbing packages that are to be placed into your vacuum sealed bags, buckets, or cans of dehydrated foods.  The purpose of an oxygen pack is to absorb any residual oxygen that might be present in your bag or can.

What size to use?
100 cc per one gallon vacuum bag or  glass jar.

2000cc per five gallon bucket with a five gallon Mylar bag.  This is something you would use when you are placing items directly into the Mylar bag and not vacuum sealing them.  Example: Wheat, oats, corn, beans, barley and so on.

When must you replace them?
When you open a jar and no longer hear the “POP” or the suction sound then it is time for a new oxygen pack.   If you open a jar and hear a pop, then close it and open it again fifteen minutes later you will not hear the suction noise again. This does not mean you need a new oxygen pack because a jar usually takes a few hours for the lid to be suctioned on.  If there are foods that you are opening and closing on a daily basis then there is no need for an oxygen pack because the food is being rotated quickly.

White potatoes (‘regular’)
If you boil potatoes with the skins on then put them in the refrigerator overnight it firms up the potato and makes it easier to peel, cut and shred.
Make sure to cook your potatoes before dehydrating or they will turn black in the dehydrator.
Do not over cook your potatoes or they will fall apart.

Mashed Potatoes You will not be able to achieve mashed potatoes using dehydrated potatoes. It's better to purchase potatoes that have been flake dried ( instant potatoes ) with special equipment.

Sweet Potatoes
If you want your sweet potatoes in slices or cubes then you will need to cut them first and then steam them.  Always put them in water that is gently boiling, if you place them in water that is ‘rolling boiling’ they will fall apart or mush.  If you want mashed sweet potatoes boil the potatoes with the skins on then, after they are cooked through, remove the peelings and gently mush them with your hands as you drop them on the tray.  I never have had to place anything over the mess tray when dehydrating mashed sweet potatoes.  Dehydrating white mashed potatoes, however, requires commercial equipment to successfully accomplish.  I have found that getting the lumps out is a near impossible task and it is much easier to buy from a company.  This also goes for dehydrated eggs, milk, and cheese.  These items require specific machinery and procedures, therefore it is far easier to find a reliable company to provide these products to you.

Fruit powders can be used to make jellies and breads or can be added to sugar to give a fruity taste and cut the amount of sugar being used. Powdered fruits can be put in oat meal, yogurts, smoothies, shakes, desserts, sauces, teas, pies and drinks. The great thing when you dehydrate on your own is that the flavor and nutrients are better. This is because most of the factories that make the powder you buy in stores use old bruised fruit or left over peelings. When you do it yourself you get to pick the quality of the product. 

Here is a good rule (but, use your judgment)

Vegetables:   approx. 1 cup boiling or cool (depending) water per 1 cup dehydrated vegetables
Fruit:  approx. 1 cup boiling or cool (depending) water per 1 cup fruit

Allow the items to soak and absorb the water before draining off the excess liquid.

When a jar lid has been canned and then opened the seal on the lid has been compromised and could leak air.  However, you can reuse the lids that you have used for your dehydrated foods because the lids were not processed in a pressure cooker. 

Wash everything down with an anti-bacterial cleanser of your choice.  Just like when canning foods, it is important to practice good hygiene while dehydrating as well.  This ensures a good end product with a longer shelf life.

Wear latex or vinyl gloves!

There are natural oils and moistures in your hands which will contaminate your foods by reintroducing moisture.  The whole idea to dehydrating foods is to maintain a good quality food with a long shelf life.  Wearing protective gloves helps you obtain these goals.

Warm up your dehydrator

Air circulation helps eliminate the growth of contaminates, therefore it is best to start the dehydrator and get the air moving before putting your food in.

TIP: It is so much easier to cut your dehydrated foods with kitchen scissors instead of using a knife.  Some of the dehydrated foods you can simply crumble in your hands.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) has canneries that you can go to and purchase Mylar bags and oxygen packs for very little money. You can also purchase wheat, oats, corn meal, beans and other dried foods and have it placed in #10 cans. The LDS members are very kind, willing to help, and very knowledgeable in food storage. You do not have to be a member to go to some of the canneries; however the canneries are non-profit and therefore run through tithing in the church. For this reason some locations require that you be a member to purchase from them. I recommend you call your local cannery and ask their policy prior to visiting. By going there you can build your pantry fast and for very little money. The Cannery is a smart tool in helping you build your pantry so please take advantage of it. If you are interested e-mail me the town or city you live in and I will try to find one in your area.

You never want to increase the temperature of your dehydrator in hopes of a faster drying time.  This will cause “Case Hardening”.  This is when the outside of the food hardens and moisture remains trapped on the inside.  This moisture is then unable to dry because it is encased in a hard shell.  This will cause your food to go sour and then must be tossed.  Your best bet is long time and low temp.  Regardless if I am dehydrating a fruit or vegetable, I never go over 125°F on my dehydrator, unless it is very humid then I might go to 130 degrees with fruit, but NO higher.

There several ways you can do tomato paste.

1) You can puree tomatoes that have been canned
2) You can use whole tomatoes and scald off the skin then puree
3) You can puree whole tomatoes with the skins on
4) You can pre-cook your puree as you would with fruit roll-ups or do it raw

A trick you can use to help remove water from the tomatoes is to put them in a clear gravy separator and place them in the refrigerator over night.  The next day pour off the water that separated from the tomatoes.  Your paste is now thicker and easier to make into a roll-up.

Blueberries
Place the blueberries in a pot of boiling water for about one minute.  The information I received over the years said to place them on a paper towel and then on the dehydrator tray.  Lately, I have been placing my dehydrator tray across the sink like a strainer and pouring the blanched blueberries over the top of the tray.  The less you have to move them around the better.  I found this makes a big difference and the berries don’t mush.  I suggest adding cold water to the pot before pouring it over the dehydrator tray.   After placing them on the tray I prick them one by one with a toothpick to let the air out.  My Blueberries are done in about 18 hours.  If you remove the tray and some blueberries are still large and soft or can be easily mashed in your fingers they are not fully dehydrated.  Puncture another hole in them and place in the dehydrator longer.

Bananas
Always use a stainless steel knife when cutting your bananas, if you use a regular knife the finished product may be brown in color (These are still fine to eat, just aren‘t and appealing).  Use concentrated lemon and lightly spray the bananas as soon as they are cut. Handle your fruit as little as possible.  Test the banana to see if it is done by removing one slice and letting it cool for 5-10 minutes.  The slice should be crisp and not sticky.  Place them into a zip-lock bag for 2-3 days before packing.  After a day, shake the plastic bag; if they are sticking together place them back in the dehydrator for 3 more hours.  If the bananas are over ripe to begin with they may be on the chewy side after dehydrating.   If the banana is somewhat green to begin it may turn a little pink in color after dehydrating, not to worry they are still good to eat.  I have never had my sliced bananas encounter case hardening when the temp. was higher.  Even so, I still keep my temp. at 125°F.

Raspberries
Try to keep your raspberries as dry as possible.  Rinse, but do not soak, in water prior to dehydrating and wash minutes before dehydrating.

Papayas and Pineapple
Papayas and pineapple should both be steams prior to dehydrating if you are going to use them un Jell-O.  Also I believe pineapple is better if steamed prior to dehydrating if you plan to use it in an upside down cake, breads, cookies, smoothies and so on.  The only time I do not steam my pineapple before dehydrating is when I plan to grind it up in powdered form for teas and sauces.  You can eat steamed or unsteamed dehydrated pineapple and papaya for a great on-the-go snack.

I think that one of the best investments you can buy in food storage is a vacuum sealer.  You can use it for so many other things besides food.  Example: Meds, soaps, blankets, important papers, putting together small car emergency packs, matches, clothes, and anything you want to protect against moisture.  You can vacuum seal your cheese and it will last four times as long.  The same goes for all the other leftovers in your refrigerator. 

What to buy?
Regardless of which vacuum sealer you have, the most important thing is the bag!  You must have a 3 Mil (thickness) vacuum bag.  If there is one time during the storing process where you shouldn’t settle for the cheaper product it’s right here.  You can have the most expensive Vacuum sealer on the market, but if you are using poor quality bags you might as well forget it. I prefer the microchannel 3 Mil bags that can be found at www.dcprocessingequipment.com for their durability and longevity. I am not a big fan of the cheaper bags that can be found at Wal-Mart. Your food storage is important and it does not pay to use cheap vacuum bags.  If you MUST use them, first put the dehydrated food in a plastic zip-lock bag but do not zip it closed, leave it open at the top then seal.  But remember, I recommend 3 Mil or better for your vacuum bags.

Wheat will store up to 30 years if left un-milled in the berry form.  Milled flour will last for 5 years if you store it with oxygen packs, vacuum bags, and Mylar bags and then place it in a bucket with an air tight rubber seal.  You should find the coolest spot in your home to store your food.

When people think you’re crazy for storing food, just forgive them and keep on storing.  Building a pantry for your family is one of the smartest things you can do.  It’s not about digging a hole and hiding it.  It’s about preparedness against hyperinflation so that we will always be able to afford food for our families.  It’s about having a reliable source (and a green source) of storage verses refrigeration.

A few years ago we had a storm in our city and lost power for two weeks.  The food in our refrigerator and freezer had to be thrown out.  It is important to learn to preserve and cook with our food so that we can bring the greatest amount of security to our loved ones in the event of disaster or something as sudden as a loss of electricity.

It doesn‘t make sense to waste money on all of those overpriced prepackaged foods from the store, when you can do it yourself for a small fraction of the price!  Now you can prepackage your own meals with food from your garden or food you have selected yourself from the store.  For instance, if you have bananas that are not being eaten fast enough you don’t have to throw them out, you can dehydrate them! 

Dehydrating takes a fraction of the space, weighs less, saves money, requires no refrigeration and will last for years.

Please think about dehydrating, it makes cooking so much easier and I guarantee you will save a ton of money.

If you are making prepackaged soups for easy cooking or to give away you can add all the spices to the mix.  The only things you must keep separate are the bullion cubes (because they contain moisture), corn starch, and flour (because it will absorb moisture).  You can place these items in a separate little sealed bag and put it right in with your dehydrated foods.

Remember to add salt AFTER everything is cooked.  Salt slows down the re-hydrating process.

You should never store your food on a concrete floor.  Place it on a skid or elevate it off the floor so it is not directly on the concrete.  Never place your stored food where the sun is beating down on it, by a furnace, or anywhere really hot.

Winter is great because the furnace is always going and it’s dry in your house. The down side is your garden is 3 feet under snow.  The upside to winter is you can load up an all the produce that grocery stores put on sale to lure you in.  How many people can load up on 10 lbs of carrots, bananas, etc.?  
YOU CAN, because YOU have a dehydrator!

When making yogurt make sure your jars and lids have been sterilized and dried thoroughly, You don’t want to breed any bacteria other then the bacteria that makes the yogurt. 

INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO
http://dehydrate2store.com/videos/?id=25

Do not add the heaping tablespoon of commercial plain yogurt until the temp. of the milk is at or below 120°F but not lower than 100°F. Remember a temperature over 120 degrees will kill the yogurt culture and you will not be able to make yogurt.  If the temp. drops below the 100 degrees the milk will sour. Keep your dehydrator between 118-120 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place in 4 small jars and leave them untouched in the dehydrator for 6 hours. 

RECIPE AVAILABLE
The recipe is also available in the Recipes section.

Water / moisture
Oxygen
Light
Heat
Rodents and bugs