February Is National Cherry Month

February is national cherry month. Why celebrate cherries? Cherries contain very healthy antioxidants. Antioxidants can counter damaged, unhealthy cells, called free radicals, that are associated with cancer, heart disease and the effects of aging. Scientific studies have consistently and repeatedly shown that consuming a high level of antioxidants lowers a person's risk for disease, helps the immune system, and can slow the aging process.

Cherries' vibrant red skin pigment and meat contains these antioxidants. In particular, cherries contain anthocyanins which has been linked to reducing cholesterol, inflammation and countering the aging process, among other benefits. Cherries have about the same level of antioxidants as blueberries, another fruit with a great disease fighting pedigree.

Cherries are an excellent fruit to dry with a food dehydrator. Dehydrate some cherries and use them year round in salads, cereal, yogurt, main dishes or enjoyed alone. Dry and eat cherries and improve your health.

Make Banana Chips - Banana Chip Recipe

How To Make Banana Chips

Banana chips are a simple, delicious treat to make. All you need are some ripe bananas and a small amount of lemon or lime juice. You'll want to use ripe bananas with some brown spots. Less ripe or greener bananas do not have the right amount of sweetness or moisture for making chips.

Simply cut the bananas into 1/4 inch thick pieces. Soak the banana pieces in a 1/4 cup of lemon or lime juice for 15 or 20 seconds. The lemon or lime juice will help prevent the banana chips from browning, after they are dried, and will add some vitamin C back to the bananas. Food drying tends to reduce a fruit's level of vitamin C.

Lay the chips on your food dehydrator's drying trays. You can layer the trays with parchment paper or non stick drying sheets. Dry for up to 8 to 10 hours. The banana chips should feel dry and leathery when done.

Nesco Food Dehydrators - Available At A Great Price

The prices of the Nesco FD-75 food dehydrator and Nesco FD-80 food dehydrator have been lowered again to $49 each.

Nesco has been making food dehydrators for over 30 years and their tagline is "The Best Food Dehydrators in the World". Most of Nesco's food dehydrators contain their patented Converga–Flow system which is designed to simultaneously force pressurized, heated air along the dehydrator’s interior walls and across the food trays of the food dehydrator.

Nesco's dehydrators are very popular and consistently receive good consumer reviews. A $49 price is a good deal on these well known dehydrators.

Whole Foods Market Now Offers Raw Foods Prepared With A Food Dehydrator

Whole Foods Market is the world's largest retailer of natural and organic foods, with stores all over North America and the United Kingdom. Whole Foods' sums up their approach to food as follows, "We search for the highest quality, least processed, most flavorful and natural foods possible because we believe that food in its purest state — unadulterated by artificial additives, sweeteners, colorings and preservatives — is the best tasting and most nutritious food there is."

Recently, Whole Foods started opening up raw food bars in some of their Californian stores. Whole Foods' raw foods are created by their chefs and then warmed in a food dehydrator prior to being sold and or consumed. Whole Foods' raw bars use 24, 9 tray dehydrators to warm their food.

Whole Foods is the preeminent natural and organic food retailer. Their stores are typically described as a foodies' paradise. Whole Foods knows and understand the value and efficiency of using a food dehydrator, to create great tasting raw food, do you?