July 16, 2013
To you, Excalibur might conjure up a images of King Arthur, iron clad dudes on a horseback trampling through a jousting tournament fighting for magical powers. Up until a week ago, the Excalibur to me was just a very expensive dehydrator. This was an impulse purchase that got stowed away in the garage months ago and quickly forgotten.
Pulled out of hiding
Well, two peach trees, three apple trees and loads of berry bushes exploding with fruit compelled me to blow the dust off and give this fancy dehydrator a chance. I wish I’d done it earlier; this knight is worth every nickel.
I’ve been slicing fruit on my mandolin and then sliding it into the machine. Most dehydrators are slow to dehydrate and are a little on the needy side- Check me! Watch me! Move me! It takes time and attention to physically rotate trays throughout the process. As my dearest friends can attest, my attention span will not last through four hours of anything. So, to be able to slide it in and walk away, and return in record time to perfectly dried fruit is amazing.
From this…
…to this…
…to done!
My dehydrated goodies are being put to good use. I’ve mixed them in my granola, tucked them in the girls’ lunches for camp and given them a quick dip in melted chocolate for an easy, sweet treat. We’ve even made our own fruit strips.
All this to say, if you are considering purchasing a dehydrator or feel an impulse to make beef jerky, the Excalibur is a worthy champion.
No more garage for this guy, I’ve found a spot for him in the kitchen.
