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Adding a new appliance to your kitchen is fun at first, but what about after that “new” wears off? Use our dehydrator cookbook guide to find the resources that will help you get the most from your food dehydrator.
Adding a new appliance to your kitchen is fun at first, but what about after that “new” wears off? We all want to get the most bang for our bucks, especially when an appliance is expensive or takes up a lot of precious counter space – or both.
Even seasoned dehydrator users are always interested in new ideas, as well as older ideas they haven’t yet discovered.
The cookbooks in our list below include dehydrator recipes, tips and ideas for everyone, whether you’re brand new at dehydration or an old hand at it. Check them out, and you might just find a treasured resource.
The title pretty much sums it up, but in fact this cookbook offers even more. It includes valuable information about the proper sanitation and storage of foods, techniques for re-hydration, and tips on everything from backpacking to baby food. This is one of the two bestselling dehydrator cookbooks on the market (the other one is next).
The Dehydrator Bible: Includes over 400 Recipes
This is the second of the two top selling dehydrator cookbooks. About 20% of this book is dedicated to information on using a food dehydrator, with the remainder being recipes for cooking with dehydrated foods. If you’re looking for ideas on cooking with dehydrated foods and ingredients, this one is definitely worth a look.
Mary Bell’s Complete Dehydrator Cookbook
Also very popular, this cookbook is divided into two sections. Part one is all about food dehydration, and part two is about cooking with dehydrated foods. Recipes include soups, salads, sides, sauces, desserts, breads, snacks, beverages and more. For the most part, the contents of this cookbook may be more pleasing to beginners than to advanced users.
Food Drying with an Attitude: A Fun and Fabulous Guide to Creating Snacks, Meals, and Crafts
This is another cookbook by Mary Bell, and it is not huge (160 pages) but does cover a wide range of topics. There is even a chapter that includes craft ideas. One aspect reviewers of this book like is that the author helps you go beyond the norm to use your dehydrator in ways you may not have considered.
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Dehydrating Foods
If you’re familiar with the “idiot’s” book series, this one is pretty much what you would expect. It is written mainly with the beginner in mind but also includes some more advanced techniques and ideas. Even those more advanced at dehydrating foods may find it to be a useful reference. For a good look at what’s included, you can use Amazon’s “look inside” feature and read through the table of contents.
The Ultimate Healthy Dehydrator Cookbook: 150 Recipes to Make and Cook with Dehydrated Foods
The ultra high consumer ratings on this cookbook may be deceiving because very few are from a verified purchase, and many are from those who received the cookbook free in exchange for a review. However, the author is a certified personal trainer and has authored numerous cooking and nutrition books. It’s not expensive, and to make your decision easier you can see a great deal of this cookbook’s content by using Amazon’s “look inside” feature.
Preserve It Naturally: A Complete Guide to Food Dehydration
This cookbook is actually included in the purchase of some Excalibur food dehydrator models. It does include recipes, but the emphasis is on how-tos and information such as fruits and vegetables that are best suited for dehydration, and those that are not. This cookbook was written specifically for the Excalibur models but provides times, temperatures, and tips that may be helpful for other dehydrator brands.
Trail Food: Drying and Cooking Food for Backpacking and Paddling
This is obviously a special interest cookbook, but it has earned a very high average rating from customers who have provided reviews. It includes preservation information as well as suggestions on planning and meal ideas. Anyone could pick up some good tips from this book, but it’s especially good for outdoors lovers.
What About A Food Dehydrator Cookbook for Jerky?
Unfortunately, our search for cookbooks strictly about jerky didn’t turn up any that seemed worthy of a recommendation. (If you know of one, please leave a comment below and let us know!)
We do find lots of great information and jerky recipes on the web, and you can follow us on Pinterest to keep up with what we share. Our Pinterest boards dedicated to jerky and food dehydrators include:
- Jerky Unplugged
- Turkey Jerky
- Fruit Leather (aka fruit roll ups recipes)
- How to Dehydrate Food – Tips, Ideas, Instructions…
- Food Dehydrators Reviews & Recipes
Shopping for a food dehydrator? Here’s a great place to get started:
See all the top sellers in our Food Dehydrator Comparison Chart (all brands). Compare details and specifications side by side.
Editor’s Top Picks:
- Excalibur 3926TB 9-Tray Dehydrator: Read Review — See it on Amazon
- Cosori Food Dehydrator: Read Review — See it on Amazon
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