Dehydrators???

Don't know if this really falls on this site but figured I would ask anyways.  I have become obsessed with dried bananas and pineapple.  I was thinking of trying to do my own at home since the store brands have a lot of calories and sugar.  However I know nothing about dehydrators.  Am I wasting my time? Any tips or pointers? Thank You Barbara

You can buy commercially made units or make your own at home. I tried one at home many years ago, and I didn't have much luck. I think I was too impatient. Newer designed ones I think have fans to help with air circulation in the drying department. Dried bananas I don't see a problem with, but dried pinneapple may still have a high sugar content, like normal pineapple.

The sugar content of dried fruit can be pretty high, because the fruit retains it sugar content as it dries, just losing moisture.  But you may be better off making your own, as some of the manufacturers add additional sugar to their products.   If you do invest in a dehydrator, you could also use it to make homemade beef jerky or turkey jerky.  One of my friends does this all the time; it's much cheaper than buying jerky, and her family loves it.  Anyway, just another way to get more bang for your buck if you invest in a dehydrator.   I'd suggest doing a google search for tips or pointers about drying fruit - you may need/want to do some additional processing to the fruits before you dry it to prevent discoloration, etc.   Good luck with your efforts!  I recently made homemade yogurt for simliar reasons - I liked the results, but still need to tinker around with the recipe to get what I'm looking for...   Kellie