[.]

[Newt]

Bananas? Try a big can of Costco tidbit or chunks Pineapple. More sugar and tast better IMO.

[Quark]

I tried pineapple tidbits the other night; threw 'em on the unit at 9 PM, checked at 1 AM, other fruits were done, but not pineapple. Left it on til I left for work at 7:20 (because I sure as hell didn't want to miss seeing the spectacular sight of the bus pulling away from the bus stop when I was a block away), but most tidbits were still soggy, and others looked like dried up yellow bellied sapsucker babies. They started out as frozen bits, though. I mean the pineapples, not the sapsucker babies. Would that make a difference, if they were frozen (again, I'm talking about the pineapple)?

[scalpel]

This foodTV show called 'food jammers' dehydrates an entire thanksgiving turkey dinner to take on a canoe trip. If you have bittorrent http://www2.digitaldistractions.org:8080/torrents/Food%20Jammers%20-%20S01E02%20-%20Dehydrated%20Turkey.torrent

[Malachai Constant]

few things from personal experience mushrooms- slice and dry great for omelets, soups and entrees. onions - use yellows not sweets and do outside spagetti sauce - dry into leather and reconstitute in boiling water green and red peppers - slice and dry venison - if ya got it not really worthwhile to make own jerky otherwise apples - slice thick add sulphite if brown bothers you strawberries - ok but not great

[jenjen]

Get yourself some really ripe mangos. Slice them thick and toss them in the dehydrator. They come out like candy. I like my bananas sliced lengthwise into 1/4ths and dried into sticks. Weird looking, but I like the texture better than if they're sliced crosswise into coins.

[Canuck]

I know you're not looking for dinner ideas, but I love to dehydrate a can of chili - Nalleys, Stagg, whatever you prefer - then throw that in a zip lock with minute rice, and voila. Red beans & rice, sort of. It's surprisingly tasty in the woods. For fruits I love to make dried cherries, although by the time I've sliced them in half and pitted them it looks like I murdered someone in the kitchen. But, they're fabulous. I've also dried apricots before and man do they take a long time but they're so much better than the stuff you buy in the grocery store.

[treasureblue]

I've done a couple hikes with a Mountaineers leader who dehydrates chocolate pudding. She also takes a Costco Apple pie, adds enough water to blend it in the blender and voila' - dehydrated pie!

[Quark]

MC, I dehyrdrate strawberries and have good luck with them. You gotta put them on the screeny/meshy tray, rather that the grate, cause they stick to the grate. Sprinkle some ginger on pears, cinnamon on apples. Thinly sliced oranges (leave peel on) are excellent, too!

[Rich Baldwin]

Try dehydrating water. That would reduce its pack weight.

[Canuck]

[Allison]

[nuclear_eggset]

Not sweet (unless you make it with apple juice and cinnamon), but flax crackers are FABULOUS for sustained energy on the trail - a good source of fat and protein. Soak flax seeds for 4-6 hours in water (or apple juice) - adding a little at a time to make a very thick "goop", then spread onto a saran-wrapped (or teflexed) dehydrator tray in 1/8" or 1/4" layers. Dry for ~6-8 hours on one side, then flip and dry another ~4 hours on the other. (~120F)

[Quark]

NukeEgg: can sesame seeds be added to the mixture? I just put seeds & juice in? No other stuff? I assume I buy this at a place like the bulk foods area at say Natures Pantry, or the QFC in Walllingford.....?

[nuclear_eggset]

Sesame seeds would be good - and that's definitely the right way to go with this sorta thing... play! :-) Other seeds would be good (I know someone who would put pumpkin seeds in). I like making a spicy version with fajita seasoning and a little chili powder. :-P Other juices would be fine, I think, but I don't know what other juices the flavor of flax seeds would go well with... Tomato, maybe, especially if you add some well diced onion and carrot and bell pepper. Mmm... A meal on it's own! I don't know about the QFC in Wallingford (never been to Wallingford :-) ), and chances are that it won't be in the bulk section, but it's worth checking. A health food store is almost guaranteed to have it, but the regular grocery stores up here often have it as well (many times in the baking section, or in the 'health food' section, particularly if there's a refrigerated health food section, as flax seed is best kept in the fridge or freezer).