Instant mashed potatoes

[johnhens]

Good Housekeeping did a comparison. Here is the winner:
http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/ysho ... aste-test/

We normally dehydrate our own at home.

[Ingo]

Got the dehydrated going yet for next year's trips? Or does that wait til the new year?

[johnhens]

Got the dehydrated going yet for next year's trips? Or does that wait til the new year?

We usually wait till late March early April.

[LeftOvers]

I really like most of the Idahoan brand mashed potato versions. Do you think your dehydrated mashed potatoes are better tasting or lighter?

I've got a dehydrator but never tried mashed potatoes.

[fonixmunkee]

What brand or model does everyone use for a food dehydrator? I have an older one and I don't think it works very well because it takes about a full day to dehydrate a few sheets of cut-up apples...

[IncaRoads]

I have the Excalibur 3000 series 5-tray model with timer.
http://www.excaliburdehydrator.com/about.htm

[Ingo]

I really like most of the Idahoan brand mashed potato versions. Do you think your dehydrated mashed potatoes are better tasting or lighter?

Well you're already eating dehydrated potatoes . Just a question of method and whether it's done in a factory or your kitchen! The things you learn on "How it's Made".
p.s. I don't dehydrate myself, so can't answer your real question .

[johnhens]

We use an Nesco.
fonix, Tricia said it normally takes around 6-8 hours for 5 trays of apples. She uses a slide hand slicer to get uniform thickness and puts them in a bowl with cold water and lemon juice so that the sliced apples do not brown while waiting to finish slicing enough apples to fill the trays.

[johnhens]

I really like most of the Idahoan brand mashed potato versions. Do you think your dehydrated mashed potatoes are better tasting or lighter?

I've got a dehydrator but never tried mashed potatoes.

No comparison between our dehydrated spuds and instant.

[LeftOvers]

What brand or model does everyone use for a food dehydrator?

I had to go look, Fonix. I have a Concorde Electric "Au Naturel" model which is older than the hills. I got it at Goodwill, believe it or not. Very basic, no fan, fragile plastic trays, adjustable vents top and bottom. It's like one I used to see advertised on TV under a different brand, Ronco?
It's not fast but then I don't do much drying, a few vegetables from the garden, some mushrooms from the store ...

[voyageur kin]

I've got a Nesco also - not real fast but it works well for being a thrift store bargain 15+ years ago. All the potato talk has me wanting to try my own. Fruit, fruit leathers,veggies, jerky and shrimp are some of my mainstays.