Got a dehydrator! What fun soap-related things can I make?

[tersh79]

Got a new dehydrator for Christmas - thanks Santa! I'm looking through WSP for the sale tomorrow, and I'm wondering how much of this stuff (lemon powder, spinach powder, tomato powder...) I can make by dehydrating things and grinding them in a coffee grinder? Any flowers/herbs suggestions? Does dried/powdered mint hold its scent? Any other crazy ideas or experience in such things are welcome! Thanks

 

[cmzaha]

You can dehydrate anything but do remember it may not be very cost effective, depending on your dehydrator. I use an excalibur 5 tray, sorry I did not buy the 9 tray, with temperature control so I can kick up the heat. Anyway, I dehydrate beets, kale, avocado skin, citrus peel, persimmon, pumpkin, carrots etc. It is all good. If it is a very wet product such as persimmons I have to leave them in the dehydrator overnight so I try to get as much on the trays as is possible. Dehydrators are a lot of fun! My 5yr old granddaughter loves dehydrated and seasoned kale. Excalibur's website has an extensive list of recipes. (as far as I know they still have the recipes)

 

[jcatblum]

I love my dehydrator, but have never used it towards soap making.
Your location might help others offer suggestions.
Calendula is often used as a color, but you would need to grow a bunch of it I am sure. IMO dried mint does not smell anything like fresh mint.
I think most herbs are going to work well for you. I recently made a batch of blackberry sage FO scented soap & sprinkled dried sage on top. Let us know how the experiments go, and post pics!

 

[CaraBou]

Hmmm... good question! The only soap related thing I've done with mine was to dry out snow-covered alder catkins that I ended up spray painting to mimic hops on my stout beer and cigar bar. I think the key is to use it often enough for whatever purpose it fits so that you don't forget you have it when you stumble on a soap-making need! They really are a cool tool.

 

[Ruthie]

When I lived in South Texas I had a "farm" of sorts and dried all sorts of things- various mints, rosemary, parsley, calendula and rose petals to name a few. Kept 2 Excaliburs and the mega-cabinet one hubby made me busy at times.

Jcatblum is correct about the scent of mint changing. But it is still a good smell, just different. It will retain its scent for about a year if stored properly.

As for whether it is cost effective, it depends on whether you have the time and enjoy doing such things. If you feel the need to figure the time you spend in the cost, it is probably not worth it. If you figure the out of pocket costs, you can end up way ahead. I would start with the leafy plants to get used to the process. Dried tomatoes are great but can tie up your dehydrator for a while. When you do dry tomatoes, a fleshy variety works best.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

If there are things in the garden that normally get composted, maybe they can be 'saved' - things like nettles, dandelion flowers or wild mint that can be a problem, but might well powder nicely after a good drying

 

[Ancel]

Where are you? Dried herbs are easier to infuse than fresh, so you could do chamomile, calendula, comfrey, sage, rosemary, thyme. You could also do rose petals, hops, rose hips, juniper berries, catnip, mints, lemon verbena. Lemongrass / citronella if you're somewhere warmer. I run 2 excalibers most days, but I sell dried fruits at the farmers market, and I make tinctures and infusions. I love my dehydrators. Have fun!

 

[cmzaha]

Where are you? Dried herbs are easier to infuse than fresh, so you could do chamomile, calendula, comfrey, sage, rosemary, thyme. You could also do rose petals, hops, rose hips, juniper berries, catnip, mints, lemon verbena. Lemongrass / citronella if you're somewhere warmer. I run 2 excalibers most days, but I sell dried fruits at the farmers market, and I make tinctures and infusions. I love my dehydrators. Have fun!

Don't you love the excalibers! I have had several different dehydrators over the years and my excaliber is the best I have ever owned

 

[tersh79]

Thanks everyone! I live in Las Vegas, NV. I have a few rubbermaid tub containers for gardening, but the only decent place I have for them gets full desert sun, so I don't usually have great production, but if I start early enough this year I can probably get some pretty good greens going. My friends have an AMAZING garden (it gets just enough light, but not too much- they even had hops make it this year!) so maybe I can work with them to get their extras. I think I'll try spinach, tomato, basil to start...

 

[Ruthie]

Can you rig up some sort of "shade" using some kind of fabric that keeps off that harshest sun in the afternoon? Here in Oklahoma lots of the home gardeners shade their tomatoes with that shade fabric or even an old sheet.

 

[Tienne]

No desert sun here in Sweden unfortunately, LOL, but the dark dirt in my veggie garden still sucks up a fair bit of heat. If you plant some taller crops in front of some of the smaller, more heat sensitive ones, they can help provide a bit of shade. I plant leeks and corn and such in front of spinach, for example. Spinach will bolt if it gets too hot and that helps protect them. Calendula doesn't mind full sun. It'll grow anywhere.