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Mary Bell's Complete Dehydrator Cookbook [Hardcover]

Mary Bell
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (105 customer reviews)

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Book Description

May 23, 1994

Far from being a fad, food dyhydrating is one of the most ancient, effective, and nutritous ways of preserving food. Now, at last, there is a book that teaches absolutely everything there is to know about using an electric food dyhydrator to dry foods at home -- and gives more than 100 foolproof recipes for scrumptious snacks and meals made from dried foods.

With this extraordinary book, you can learn how to cross junk food and expensive store-bought snacks off your family's shopping list -- and add to your cupboard homemade, preservative-free fruit leathers, candied apricots, beef (and fish) jerkies, "sun" dried tomotoes, corn chips, banana chips, and so much more!

Mary Bell gives specific techniques and instructions for preparing every kind of fruit (from apples to watermelon) and vegetable (from asparagus to zucchini). She also provides important shopping tips for buying an electric food dehydrator. The recipes for cooked meals (including mushroom soup, sloppy joes, pesto, and moist banana bread) will make this book a kitchen classic. And recipes for lightweight, filling trail snacks mean that the book will travel, too.

Additional chapters explain to how make herb seasonings, granolas, celery powder, cosmetics, dried fruit sugars, potpourri -- and even pet treats!

Food drying is an excellent way for gardeners to preserve their produce. It is a great way to make healthful snacks for the kids. It's perfect for the new wave of thrifty consumers who can't bear to spend dollars at health food stores for treats they cold make for pennies themselves. And food drying doesn't use chemicals or preservatives—so it's great for you and for the planet, too!


Frequently Bought Together

Mary Bell's Complete Dehydrator Cookbook + Pack of 9 Premium 14" x 14" Non-Stick Dehydrator Sheets- For Excalibur 2500, 3500, 2900 or 3900 + The Dehydrator Bible: Includes over 400 Recipes
Price for all three: $46.75

Buy the selected items together


Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mary Bell has spent more than twenty years traveling around the country demonstrating food dehydrators and food drying techniques. When not on the road, she divides her time between Madison, Wisconsin, and Lanesboro, Minnesota, where she and her husband work at the Forest Resource Center, an environmental education facility. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin and holds a master's degree from Saint Mary's College.



An editor at Gourmet Magazine for over 10 years, Evie Righter wrote the text to Gourmet's Menus for Contemporary Living. She has worked on books by many of the greatest talents in the world of food, including Alice Waters, Ann Willan, Michél Guéard, and Wolfgang Puck.


Product Details

  • Hardcover: 280 pages
  • Publisher: William Morrow and Co., Inc.; 1st edition (May 23, 1994)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0688130240
  • ISBN-13: 978-0688130244
  • Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.3 x 1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (105 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,548 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mary Bell has spent more than twenty years traveling around the country demonstrating food dehydrators and food drying techniques. When not on the road, she divides her time between Madison, Wisconsin, and Lanesboro, Minnesota, where she and her husband work at the Forest Resource Center, an environmental education facility. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin and holds a master's degree from Saint Mary's College.

Customer Reviews

Easy to read and follow the instructions, very good. N. Pemberton  |  20 reviewers made a similar statement
Highly recommend the book to any beginner. GinPat  |  19 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
180 of 184 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars The "bible" for dehydrating foods. September 24, 2002
Format:Hardcover
If you have a food dehydrator collecting dust somewhere, get this book and haul it out!

This is the best basic book I've seen for preserving foods through dehydration. Not only does she tell you what you need to do *before* you dry it, but she tells you what you can do with the stuff after it's dried. Recipes that are useable, recipes for camping, and some that will surprise you - this is a very comprehensive book.

This is a must-have for backpackers who want every ounce to count, since dried foods weigh so little. A must for parents who read the "Fruit Roll-ups" label in horror: make your own fruit leathers! She'll tell you how to make fantastic beef jerky, too.

If you dry foods, you need this book.

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180 of 184 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars I'd pay three times this amount for this book September 29, 1999
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
I've had my dehydrator for 5 years and thought I'd dried everything in every conceivable way but Mary Bell has some fantastic ideas. Easy read and easier recipes. Especially liked the section on backpacker food. My dehydrator has been running 24hrs/day since I got this book. Thank you, Mary Bell, for this great book.
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139 of 144 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Strongly recommended for those considering a dehydrator September 8, 2002
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I bought this after I bought my dehydrator, although I would have bought a better dehydrator if I had read this before. This book gives several great reasons why you should consider a dehydrator, and how to make the most of it. I could have never imagined making a tofu cracker, for instance!!

After I read it almost entirely in one night, I find it a great reference to go back to, whenever I'm considering dehydrating something new. I couldn't compare this with other titles on dehydrating food since I haven't read them, but I'm quite satisfied with this one. Addition of dehydrated pictures would be a great addition however.

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82 of 83 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Well-written, valuable food drying resource! April 2, 1999
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Mary Bell's years of experience dehydrating food really shows up in this comprehensive book. The book is interesting reading as well as practical. Mary tells you how to dry the different kinds of foods then continues the discussion with recipes and other ways to use your dried produce.

I had been hoping to find out how to dry dairy products such as cheddar cheese and eggs. I will say I was disappointed to find out that there is not much you can do at home to dry dairy products. I tried drying Cheddar cheese shreds, anyway. Seemed like a good idea at the time. What a mistake! I was peeling that greesy, clumpy stuff from my trays for 45 minutes. Thank goodness I only 'tested' 2 trays worth!! I guess if Mary says "Don't do it", from now on I won't.

There are many, many items which will dry successfully and just as many variations which you can try out. This book leads you through the process and offers helpful tips and hints along the way. I feel I received very good value for the modest price.

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58 of 58 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Great for learning how to dehydrate food July 18, 1998
Format:Hardcover
THIS BOOK IS WONDERFUL!! I had been trying to find a book like this for a couple of years. Mary Bell gives you step by step directions on how to prepare foods for drying.....Not only whole foods, cooked as well. I love the pudding cookies!!! I believe in preparing as much of our food as we can because it is better for our health and well being. Thank you for the step by step book, I have fallen in love with this type of food preserving!!
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54 of 54 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Great beginning text for a new dehydrator user. January 11, 1998
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Mary Bell's book is an excellent reference for the dehydrator user. She includes information for dehydrating fruits, vegetables, meats, and even herbs and flowers. The recipe section tells you how to put it all together and includes recipes for main dish treats, sweet treats, backpacking treats, and even pet treats.
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37 of 38 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars my book report January 3, 2007
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
The only reason that this doesn't get 5 stars is, its not all that it seems. I've got several books on dehyrating. Some of them 15 years old or so. Dehydrators and the art of dehydration has come a long way since then, but found with some products, like winter squash, it hasn't changed - regardless of what modern books says.

Still, Mary Bell's enthusiasm make this a great book to read. She covers many more food types than the old books, along with offering more diverse recipes.

Personally, as I live in the desert South West, I'd like more information on solar dehydration rather than relying on machines and electricity.

But from her advice, successfully made some raisins from a lot of so so grapes that I'd bought - something I'd never have tried otherwise.

So if you're a beginner or advance dehydrator, she's got LOTS of information in here that might give you 1 or 100 new ideas on what, how, and why you should consider dehydration as a primary way of preserving your foods.
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29 of 29 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Dont bother with other books! February 18, 2009
Format:Hardcover
I bought another book at the same time for less money and honestly I can't find where I put it as I haven't even touched it. I had lots of questions about what would I do if I bought my dehydrator. I mean jerky is awesome but I was looking at a pretty expensive dehydrator and I wanted to know that it would be worth my hard earned moolah. This book convinced me that the dehydrator would pay for itself and gave me exact information I was looking for. It also had great bonuses I hadn't thought about, but find invaluable-like the percentage of water in almost every conceivable fruit and vegetable commonly available. Also I too liked the backpacker chapter. Of course the chapter on fruit leathers is constantly refrenced for the the sake of my four kids. She has some novel ideas that I would have never thought of on my own. My edition was hard back and will stand much wear and tear. Do yourself a favor and get this one!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Our CHEF'S gift
A great gift to complement an earlier dehydrator present. It adds to the experience of using this type of food prep.
Published 6 days ago by Vincent Johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it
I got a dehydrator I knew what it was intended for i was really excited to learn more I read this in a couple days. And I'm ready to start making food. Read more
Published 8 days ago by mommacupcake
5.0 out of 5 stars Great info
This book is excellent for a beginning dehydrator. It supplements the booklet that came with my dehydrator well, and even helped me to choose a good mid-priced model for my second... Read more
Published 8 days ago by Beverly B. Haynes
4.0 out of 5 stars Good beginner book
Very good book if you are looking to start the preservation process! Must have for your library! Lots of good recipies and how to's.
Published 10 days ago by Seabird
4.0 out of 5 stars Lots of good ideas and tips for newbies
This is not really a cookbook, it does contain some recipes but it is more of a how-to book. As a new dehydrator owner, I found it very useful for that. Read more
Published 12 days ago by R. Ratliff
5.0 out of 5 stars Should be your first choice
Mary Bell is an experienced teacher and it shows in her writing. This book should be your first choice when starting dehydrating foods. Excellent.
Published 17 days ago by Fran Kramer
5.0 out of 5 stars dehydrator cookbook
Great book for dehydrated products you've done and don't know what to do with them afterwards. I wished it had a little bit more on the dehydration process..i. Read more
Published 19 days ago by mlowe
3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed
So, I read all of the reviews and thought, "this must be an awesome book!" Well, that was not the case when it arrived. Read more
Published 25 days ago by Nancy
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Cookbook
This is an older book- written in the mid 90's, but tells you how to dehydrate absolutely anything. She had many ways to dehydrate tomatoes, pineapple, etc. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Becky
1.0 out of 5 stars Boring
I couldn't really get into this book much. It's all text with no illustrations. Not good for someone new to dehydrating food.
Published 1 month ago by Janice R Holmes
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