Cabela's Commercial Food Dehydrator 28-0301 - Manual (Page 10)

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CLEANING INSTRUCTIONS
• IMPORTANT! Clean the Dehydrator after EACH use. Do not use abrasive
cleansers. The Racks are NOT dishwasher safe.
• WARNING! DO NOT immerse the Dehydrator in water. DO NOT spray the
Dehydrator with water. DO NOT let water drip into the Diffuser.
• DO NOT allow grease to build up inside the Dehydrator, especially on the Diffuser.
Component damage or fire may result.
• Turn off and unplug the Dehydrator. Allow the Dehydrator to cool. Clean the
Racks, interior and exterior Cabinet, Diffuser, Door and Drip Tray as described
below.
NON-STICK RACKS
Wash the Racks by hand with a soft brush in warm soapy water. Rinse and
towel dry. Make sure the Racks are completely dry before returning them to the
Dehydrator.
CABINET INTERIOR
Wipe the Cabinet Interior and clean Rack Supports with a moderately damp
cloth and soap if necessary. DO NOT use abrasive cleansers. Wipe off any
residue if soap is used. CAUTION: DO NOT let water drip into the Diffuser.
Electric shock or unit damage may result. If necessary, cover the Diffuser with
a dry towel while cleaning the Cabinet Interior and Rack Supports.
CABINET EXTERIOR
Wipe the Cabinet Exterior with a moderately damp cloth and soap if necessary.
Wipe off any residue if soap is used.
DIFFUSER
Wipe the top and sides of the Diffuser
with a slightly damp cloth and soap
if necessary. DO NOT use abrasive
cleansers. Remove any residue if soap
is used. CAUTION: DO NOT let water
drip into the Diffuser. Electric shock or
unit damage may result.
Inspect the vent holes on the sides and
top of the Diffuser. All the holes must
be clean and fully open. Use a toothpick
or other pointed object to remove any
residue. Be careful not to push residue
into the Diffuser.
DEHYDRATING TIPS
As with most methods of cooking, good preparation is essential to success. Following
a few basic guidelines will greatly increase the quality of the dehydrated product and
decrease the time needed to make it.
NOTE: Before dehydrating, heat meat to an internal temperature of 160 o F (71 o C)
and poultry to 165 o F (74 o C) to kill any bacteria that may be present. Heat the meat
or poultry in an oven, not the Dehydrator.
• To prevent fruit from darkening, briefly soak slices in lemon or pineapple juice
before drying. You also can soak fruit slices in ascorbic acid, which is sold in most
pharmacies and health food stores in powder or tablet form. Prepare a solution of
ascorbic acid according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Soak fruit slices in the
solution for 2 to 3 minutes before dehydrating.
• Water or steam blanch* vegetables before drying to stop enzymatic action. To
water blanch, place vegetables directly into boiling water and cover. Remove after
three minutes. To steam blanch, place vegetables in a steamer basket and steam
for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Maintain a uniform thickness when slicing food items for dehydration. This will
ensure the items dry at the same rate.
• Maximum slice thickness for fruits and vegetables should be 1/4” (0.7 cm) unless
otherwise specified by a recipe.
• Maximum slice thickness for meats should be 3/16” (0.5 cm) unless otherwise
specified by a recipe.
• Lean meat makes better product than fatty meat.
• Marinate meat before heating and dehydrating.
• Food shrinks by half or more during dehydration. A pound of meat, for example,
will yield 1/2 to 1/3 lb (0.15 to 0.2 kg) of jerky. Don’t cut pieces too small.
• Store dried foods in a closed container in a cool, dark, dry location. The best
storage temperature is between 50 o F and 60 o F (10 o and 16 o C). Dried food should
retain its freshness for months when stored this way.
• The actual time needed to dry a food depends on many factors including the food’s
moisture content, fat content, thickness and temperature as well as ambient humidity
and temperature.
• Water droplets may form on the surface of meat and other items while drying.
Occasionally blot the food items to remove the droplets.
*Blanching is not required for all vegetables. Check the recipe or a drying guide.
WARNING!
Before cleaning, assembling or disassembling the
Dehydrator, make sure the Dehydrator is OFF and the PLUG IS REMOVED
FROM THE OUTLET/POWER SOURCE!
Top Vent
Holes
Be sure the
Holes are Open
Diffuser