Drying your food is an excellent method to save money and protect the taste of summer. If you have a Ninja Foodi Air Fryer, then you’re in luck! The Ninja op301 air fryer has a dehydrate feature that can help you dry out anything from fruits, vegetables, herbs, meat–even cheeses.
In this article, we’ll show you how easy it is to dehydrate with your new kitchen appliance–follow these simple steps: Fill the trays with fruit or vegetables of your choice.
For best results, slice the food into 1/8-1/4″ slices before loading it onto the trays. Foods with high moisture content (like strawberries) will take longer than foods with low water content (such as peppers). Experiment with different types of foods to see how long they take to dehydrate–some will be ready in as little as 4 hours, while others may take up to 12.
Select the “Dehydrate” feature
It’s easy! Just press the “+” or “-” button on your Ninja Foodi until you reach the dehydrate selection screen. Then choose the humidity level that applies to you (if any). During the summer, you will likely want to keep it on “Lo” (which runs at 44% humidity), but during the winter months, you may need to raise the humidity level to “Hi” for your food to dry.
Set the time and press Start!
Once you’ve selected your desired settings for time and humidity, hit start on your Ninja Foodi, and you’re good to go! As your meat dehydrates, the quantity of time it demands will change. Check on it every so often by touching the food with a fork or tongs–if there’s any moisture left, just hit start again for a little longer.
If you have the op301 Deluxe edition of the Ninja Foodi, then you can take full advantage of the tray rotation feature to make your drying time even faster! When this option is activated, your trays will rotate in ever-increasing intervals until the dehydrating process is complete.
Once it’s done, remove your food from the trays and enjoy! You may require to cut them into shorter parts or strips so they’ll be simpler to eat.
If you want to use your dehydrated food for soups, homemade jerky, trail mix, or other recipes that require rehydrating the food first, place it into a container with just enough water to cover it and let it sit for about 30 minutes–no longer than an hour. You can also rehydrate your food by cooking it in the microwave or oven before you eat it–add a tablespoon of water when microwaving, and preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit before adding in your dehydrated food.
Dehydrating with the Ninja Foodi is easy! Because of its versatility in cooking so many different types of food, you’ll save money by purchasing seasonal fruits and vegetables when they are at their lowest prices. Then you can make your own dried fruit snacks, trail mix, soups, pasta sauces/paste, homemade dog treats, flavored nuts–the sky’s the limit!
If you have any problems with dehydrating in your Ninja Foodi, leave a comment. And, of course, we would love to see your photos and recipes.
Why Should You Buy a Dedicated Dehydrator?
If you already have an air fryer, do not rush to buy a separate dehydrator machine. It will not help you reduce the costs and save more money. You can save money by preparing healthy dried foods instead of buying expensive store-bought snacks with preservatives and other chemicals in them.
Here’s how:
The air fryer is a great dehydrator compared to the oven. It will save you more time and money if you prepare your dried foods in it instead of using your range at home.
By following these simple steps, you can quickly prepare healthy snacks for your dogs, such as faucet chips, dried fruit puree, or chewy goodies:
Wash and dry fresh food and cut fresh food into small pieces or seasonings to stop the acne and start dehydration.
If you have an air fryer with dehydration mode, set it accordingly.
If you have a Ninja Foodi, opt for the draining method at 132 degrees Fahrenheit for a few hours until your food is crispy and dry.
As an alternative, you can also prepare healthy snacks in the oven: Preheat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, Place food on it and close the door. Bake until your healthy goodies are crunchy and ready for storing.
If you use the dehydrate mode on your Ninja Foodi, preheat it to the lowest temperature. The best option is to put the dehydrate mode on and close the lid. Once you hear a beep, add your food and leave it for a few hours until it gets dried completely.
Conclusion
Dehydrating is the process of removing water from food. This preserves it and allows for storage at room temperature or in a cooler without worrying about spoilage. The best thing about dehydrated foods is that you can make them right there on your countertop with little effort.
All you need is some good quality product, which should be washed thoroughly before being cut into pieces no more significant than 1-inch square. You then place these pieces onto what’s called a mesh screen or tray that has been placed inside your ninja foodi op301 air fryer.