I jumped onto the kale woo-train about a year ago. Up until then, I had not tried this vitamin packed veggie and I wasn’t alone. Popular in Europe during Roman times and the Middle Ages, it arrived in the U.S. in the 17th century and has just recently become super popular. I love a good kale salad, and I also shared a recipe for a quick and easy kale soup on the blog.
Recently, all Hamilton Beach Social Kitchen Ambassadors were given a Food Dehydrator to try our hand at dehydrating foods. Perfect for this time of the year, mom bloggers were eager to get started trying a variety of items. Stephanie made a variety of fruit snacks, Julia made fruit leather and other yummy fruit snacks, and Heather made jerky (I can’t wait to try this one next!), just to name a few!
I’ve wanted to make kale chips in the oven for awhile, but knew when I received the Food Dehydrator that I was beyond oven-made chips. I was moving up to the big time! One surprise for those not used to using a food dehydrator is how long it takes, so definitely don’t expect kale chips an hour after you have a craving. Food dehydration is a slow drying process so I prepared the kale the night before (I used a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper) and with the push of a button was ready to go! The kale dehydrated for 10 hours and was ready in the morning – perfect for school or office lunch snacks – just ensure you put them in a container as a sandwich bag will have dire results by noon if squished (kale powder anyone?)
The Hamilton Beach Dehydrator is $69.99 and comes with 5 trays, 1 mesh sheet and 1 solid sheet giving you everything you need for making a variety of food items. The instruction booklet offers tips on cooking times and temps for various items along with a few recipes. I’m a weirdo about being matchy-matchy so I also liked the esthetics of the dehydrator and how it fit in well with my kitchen appliances.
Here’s your chance to win your own Hamilton Beach Food Dehydrator for back to school and on the go munching at fall activities!
I would love to try some different fruit – maybe pineapple, strawberries & bananas…This machine looks like it would be great for making different & healthy school snacks.
I would like to try dehydrating strawberries and kiwi
I’d love to try making beef jerky
I would like to make banana chips and other fruit
I love apple chips, I’d love to try making those first
would like to try making your delicious looking kale chips, and fruit leather!
I would love to make potato chips for my 5 year old who is a potato chip addict!
I would like to make my own dried banana chips.
I’d like to dry some fruits; bananas and strawberries, to make snacks for the kids.
I’d put in apples and pears.
I’d like to make sweet potatoes
I would love to try sweet potatoes, and some banana and strawberries 🙂
Me and my husband so this would come in handy in making our own jerkys
Beef Jerky would be really neat to try and make.
I’d love to make fruit leather!
I would dry onions since we go through them fast
I would love to try Kale as I have recently become a fan as well but I know hubby would be thumbs up for jerky!
i would like to try apples and potatoes!
I would love to try out fruit leather in the dehydrator. Thanks for the chance 🙂
yummy ! I would love to try out strawberries and banana chips 🙂
I would love to make some beet chips and apple, yumm
I would like to use this to dry fruits and to make some kale chips. I’ve heard they are so yummy! Using an oven just seems like such a waste or electricity so I never make any.
I would love to try and make some Pineapple and Kale Chips.
I would love to try to do jerky!!
I would love to try different kinds of fruit.
I would like to try apples and bananas
I want to win so I could start dehydrating my vegetables.
I’d like to try some cranberries.
I would make banana chips
I’d like to try beef jerky
I would like to try making dehydrated peaches.
I would make pineapple, cherry, apple & banana chips. Love dried fruit in my homemade granola.
I would love to try to make fruit leather in it.
I would like to dehydrate some bananas and mango.
My hubby loves beef jerky so I would make it for him.
I’d love to try to make jerky!
I have lots of fresh herbs that i would like to dehydrate. Plus would be great to make dried fruit, like banana, strawberries
I would try anything that would turn crispy, especially apples & bananas
I’d like to try to make own sweet potato chips!
My own fruit leathers.
I would like to try making beef jerky and give at shot at doing pineapple and ginger
I would like to try making beef jerky!
I’ve always wanted to try making fruit leather! This would be great!
I would like to try making Banana and apple chips in the Food Dehydrator
i would like to try a jerky
apple-cinnamon chips…yummy!!
I would love to try making apple chips.
Totally in love with this!! I would try strawberries and blueberries!!!
I would try strawberries first in it.
I love the intense flavour of dried tomatoes
I would like to dehydrate some mangoes
MMM Banana chips and beef jerky!
Bananas, strwberries and kale.
i would like to make beef jerky
The kale chips look yummy but would also like to try mangoes
I would dehydrate pineapple.
I would love to dehydrate blueberries.
I would dehydrate apple slices, banana chips and beef jerky.
Strawberries, I love dehydrated strawberries.
Beef jerky!
I’d make apple chips and beef jerky!
Fruit leather sounds awesome 😉
Fruits, Veggies…Jerky. The dehydrator would definitely get a workout haha!
Dried fruit, fruit leather, beef jerky…all sound awesome!
I can’t wait to use it on some fresh Ontario Apples this fall
I’d love to try jerky & apples
I’d love to dehydrate bananas and make banana chips
apples and bananas, my kids love these
I can think of lots of yummy vegetarian treats I could my my husband and son! First stop- kale chips with nutritional yeast seasoning.
I’d love to make dried strawberries
I would like to make beef jerky
I would try making Kale Chips! My fave and probably some fruit chips as well 🙂
I’d bring out my inner kid, and make fruit roll ups/fruit leather!! YUM!!
I’d make beef jerky or banana chips!
I would love to make banana and apple chips
I would make prunes with all the plums we have!
I would use this to make beef jerky for hubby!
I’d like to make some healthy fruit snacks for the kids
I’d dry some fruit for my kids school lunches!
love to try making beef jerky
I would like to make mangos and strawberries
I would make beef jerky.
Bananas,stawberries and apples
oh so many things! Kale chips, zucchini chips, beef jerky…..
I think I’d like to try dehydrating wild blueberries first. I always have a glut in my freezer (sometimes that’s all I have filling it), so this might free up some space if I can dry some and store it in a cupboard.
I’d love to try making beef jerky. hot and spicy beef jerky
I would make so many things in my dehydrator! I would make apple rings, apple raspberry(and other) fruit leather, dried mangoes, and maybe beef jerky.
I would love to use the dehydrator on apples, mango, raspberries and strawberries!
I would make delicious apple and banana chips!!!
i would try doing apples and bananas at the same time
I would love to do beef jerky.
I would like to try making fruit chips in the Food Dehydrator, such as apple chips, banana chips, kale chips, sweet potato chips, for starters.
I would try bananas because I love banana chips.
I would try strawberry first
i would try fruit slices , banana & apple
I wouldlike to try to make fruit roll ups!!
The first thing I would love to try is apples! My kiddo’s love them, especially dried and so do I. I buy all kinds of fruits dried, so this would save me lots of money and time! I love the idea of making my own without any added chemicals & in my own kitchen!
I would like to make beef jerky.
I would love to start with strawberries and potatoes and go from there.
banana and apple chips~
Banana chips! They’re my daughter’s favourite!
apples pears bananas
I would like to try making apple chips.
I would do strawberries & apples
I would like to make apple chips.
I Wuld love to make fruit leather with my daughter
Oh I’m dreaming of dried apricots, peaches, figs, mango, papaya, figs, mushrooms ~ oh so many fruits and veggies and herbs I’d love to try!
I’d like to try making apple chips and banana chips.
banana chips!
I would like to try Strawberries and Bananas in the dehydrator!
I would do a bunch of fruit for myself & maybe try beef jerky for my husband!
I would like to try dried fruit, such as mangoes or apples.
I would dry a ton of fruit.
I would dry fruit and vegetables
I would love to try pineapples and strawberries!
This is one kitchen appliance I would love to have!
I would love to make fruit leather.
thanks
Banana chips would be nice!
My daughter and I would love to try mango in the dehydrator. It would be a great snack for school.
I would try pineapple and apricots Taste great and apricots have iron
i will dry apples slice
I’d make banana and pineapple chips.
I would try banana, strawberries and apricots
I would love to try beef jerky n banana chips
I’d like to make fruit leather and homemade jerky!
I would do strawberries
I’d love to try bananas, strawberries & cranberries. We have a red currant bush with loads of berries, so I’d love to try those as well. Thanks for the chance! 🙂
I would love to make fruit wraps in them
I think I would try apples and bananas first in this Hamilton Beach Food Dehydrator.
My son loves figs, so I know that would be happening, I would also do apples, I love apple chips