I use a mandolin to cut anything that heads to the food dehydrator.
WARNING: Mandolins kill. Be careful. Once, I looked at it funny, and my finger started bleeding. You’ve been warned.
This one is incredibly easy, the way it should be. I love dehydrated bananas. And because it is so easy to prepare, they are always along on my backpacking trips. Here’s the simple recipe for these:
- ripe bananas (as many as you want)
- lemon juice (to prevent browning, optional)
- Peel banana
- Slice banana to ~3/16″ thick with a mandolin (I use the OXO V-Blade Mandolin but have read good things about the simpler Benriner Mandolin as well)
- Place slices into bowl and splash with lemon juice
- Place slices on dehydrator trays
- Dehydrate at 135F for 6-8 hours (6 hours results in pliable banana discs, 8 hours should get you chips more like you can buy at the store)
For something a bit different, try sprinkling some flavor when you put the slices on the dehydrator trays:
- sea salt
- cinnamon
- honey
- chocolate powder
Don’t have a dehydrator? I use the LEM Square Dehydrator, which I find was a great value. But you can always use your oven instead. For the oven method, just put the slices on a silicone mat or parchment paper and bake at the lowest temp possible with your oven until ready (sorry, but ovens will vary…you’ll have to watch these).
Want more food ideas? Head over to the Food Page.
