Build a Homemade Food Dehydrating Unit from Household Items

To build an electric food dehydrator, you will need a cylinder with a lid. A large bucket or small trash can should work nicely as long as you clean them thoroughly. Line the entire inside--lid, sides and floor--with high-grade aluminum foil. Poke or cut several 1/4-inch holes near the bottom and top of the cylinder. For the top holes, drill below the rim of the cylinder so you do not disrupt the seal. Make one hole along the bottom large enough to allow the cord from your heat source to pass through.

You can use an electric room heater set on low to heat the dehydrator, but an older hair dryer that does not have a timed shutoff should work as well.

Securing the Trays

It's easiest to use aluminum baking trays as the drying trays for your dehydrator. If you want your trays to be made of screen, which improves air flow, try modifying a metal splatter guard into a drying tray.

Choose trays that are slightly smaller than the diameter of your dehydrator cylinder. When you place the trays inside the cylinder, you can drive nails or screws into the dehydrator to support the different trays. Use at least four screws to support each tray. Leave enough space between each tray to allow 2 inches of air flow above your food.

Direct the heat source away from the food or the walls of the cylinder. You may need to prop the heat source to ensure proper air flow. The rising of the heat will cause the air to move within the cylinder, drying the food. Place the food dehydrator outside and away from anything that can catch fire, just to be safe. The temperature inside the dehydrator is best at 95 to 120 degrees. At this temperature, most food should take 3-5 days to dry.

Tips and Safety

Make sure that nothing you use is flammable or likely to emit poisonous fumes when heated. Place your heat source carefully to avoid melting your cylinder with too much heat. The setting should be on low. Place your drying cylinder in a clear outdoor area, much like you would a barbecue, and supervise the drying cylinder carefully until you know that the level of heat is safe for the container.

Choose foods that lend themselves well to drying. Some foods improve in flavor when you dry them. Bananas, tomatoes and peas are excellent candidates.