One of the ways we are preserving food and wasting a lot less is dehydrating. Banana chips are one of our kids favorite snacks. Honestly we get the bananas out of the discount bin but make sure they are still firm and not mushy and guess what? There is nothing wrong with them. I know all the research I have read says to make sure you get the “highest quality and freshest ingredients” When it comes to banana chips we don’t find much, if any, difference as long as the fruit is firm. It does take a long time to dry all the moisture out of the slices but the sweet snack is worth it.
Ask me about my dehydrator. We have two and use each of them for different produce and I’ll tell you why.
Heavin's Homestead 
O.K. I’m asking about the dehydrator… Please do tell.
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Hi Mary, I actually now have two dehydrators. I started out with a round 7 tray Ronco that an amazing friend gifted me a few years ago when I had posted on social media that I was looking for one. I used that machine to make banana, strawberry and apple chips as well as dried peppers and herbs. I found it’s best application was for the herbs. The others took so long to dry and I had to constantly rotate the trays. With the herbs I use mainly the top 3 trays unless I am drying something like a flower head or rosemary which are thicker and take longer to dry. Herbs like Basil, Oregano, Thyme and parley dry out pretty quick in the upper three, sometimes just the top one try. It is a great place to start and learn patience.
The other dehydrator I have I had been saving for since I received the Ronco. It was on my “Wish List” for over a year. Happily staring me in the face from the chalkboard paint of the front of our kitchen cabinets.
Excalibur 2900 ~ Nine tray multi temperature control with back fan. I had saved quite a bit but still didn’t have enough and then one day there she was in all her glory posted on the online yard sale site. I was able to purchase it from a fabulous woman who was downsizing. She also have me some recipes, drying mats and a hang dry system a friend of hers had made for the mats. If you are reality interested in buying a quality dehydrator I highly recommend an Excalibur model. These are not perfect and I will be trying them again soon. The Excalibur has more space, shelves, surface area as well as the fan that blows and circulates the air around to evenly dry the fruits/veg without rotation of the shelves.
Everyone eats them and they go pretty fast. Most of our dry fruits do. I hope this year I can get a lot dried and put up.
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