Nesco Pet Treat Maker 8-Bones Non-Stick Homemade Dog Snacks User Guide

Nesco Pet Treat Maker 8-Bones Non-Stick Homemade Dog Snacks User Guide

Important Safeguards

1. Do not touch hot surfaces.
2.  To protect against electrical hazards, do not immerse blower or any part of the Pet Treat Maker cord or plug in water or other liquid.
3.  Close supervision is necessary when any appliance is used by or near children.
4. Unplug from outlet when not in use and before cleaning. Allow the unit to cool before putting on and taking off parts.
5.  Do not operate any appliance with a damaged cord or plug, or after the appliance malfunctions, or has been damaged in any manner.
6.  The use of accessory attachments, not recommended by the appliance manufacturer, may cause hazards.
7.  Sharp utensils should not be used inside the Pet Treat Maker.
8.  Do not let cord hang over edge of table or counter or touch hot surfaces.
9.  Do not place on or near a hot gas or electrical burner or in heated oven.
10.  Do not use this appliance for other than its intended use.

Pet Treat Maker Use & Care

Before using your Pet Treat Maker for the first time, wash the trays and top cover in warm, soapy water or in the dishwasher on the top rack.

• Set base tray on a sturdy counter top or table, away from sinks or any source of water.
• Stack additional trays on base tray. Your Pet Treat Maker requires a minimum of 5 trays to operate properly; the base tray is included as one of your 5 trays.
• Place top cover on top tray, insert blower into trays and rotate to lock in place.
• Plug cord into an electrical outlet, switch power to ON and you’re ready to dehydrate!

Trays and Top Cover
Pet Treat Maker trays and top cover are easy to clean. Simply soak in warm water with a mild detergent for several minutes. A soft bristle brush will loosen food particles that resist softening by soaking. Do not clean with any metal objects or scouring pads, as they tend to damage the surface. Trays and top cover can be washed on top rack of dishwasher, but remove before drying cycle.

Blower
It is important that the air vents on blower remain clean and unobstructed. UNPLUG BLOWER BEFORE CLEANING. Use a damp cloth or towel to remove dried food particles from blower. Do not use scouring pads, abrasive cleaners or sharp utensils. Avoid dripping any liquid into electrical parts. Do not operate blower alone, or use in any capacity other than the intended use. NO NOT OPERATE NEAR OR IMMERSE BLOWER IN WATER OR OTHER LIQUID.

Precautions

When drying meat and dairy products, blot frequently with a paper towel to absorb excess oils. Follow these safety rules when dehydrating foods:

•  Wash hands thoroughly prior to handling food.
• Clean all utensils and containers with a mild solution of detergent, bleach, and water before using.
•  Make sure all counter surfaces and cutting boards are thoroughly cleaned.
•  Keep foods in refrigerator before preparing for drying. Store dried foods in refrigerator or freezer.
• After opening sealed containers of dried food, use food as soon as possible.
•  Store unused portions of dried food, tightly sealed, in refrigerator to maintain freshness and quality.
•  Do not dehydrate foods that have been prepared with or marinated in alcohol.
• Trays are only intended to be used with your Open Country® Pet Treat Maker.
•  Do not use in a conventional oven or with any other appliance.
• Do not spray vegetable oil directly onto surface of trays.

General Drying Guidelines

There are no absolutes and quite a few variables in food dehydration. The only way to become proficient is to dry, dry, and dry some more! Certain varieties of produce, the humidity in the air, and even methods of food handling make a difference in the drying time and quality of dried product.

• To save nutrients and produce a quality product, it is necessary to work fast in preparing foods to dry. Once placed in the Pet Treat Maker, foods need to dry continuously for the recommended time. Do not turn off the Pet Treat Maker and leave partially dried foods sitting on the trays, as they may spoil or develop “off” flavors.
• Spread all foods evenly to dry in single layers. lf slices overlap, the areas that are overlapping will take twice as long to dry.
•  Do not add fresh product to a partially dried batch. It will slow the rate of drying for both products. lt is possible however to combine partially dried foods onto fewer trays.

Labeling
All dehydrated foods should be labeled with the name of the product, date dried and quantity or weight. Clear labeling allows you to rotate foods to minimize waste and nutrient loss.

Storage
The storage area should be cool, dry, and as dark as possible. The darker and cooler the storage area, the longer the dehydrated foods will last with good quality and nutritional value. For every 18ºF (10ºC) drop in storage temperature, the shelf life of dehydrated foods increases three to four times. The ideal storage temperature for dehydrated food is 60ºF (15ºC) to below freezing. The ideal storage place is your freezer or refrigerator; particularly
for storing low-acid foods such as meats, fish, and vegetables.

Record Keeping
Recording the following information can be helpful in improving your dehydrating techniques and determining quantities of food to dry each season.

•  Date dried.
•  Quantity dried, including weight of product before and after drying.
• Drying time.
• Packaging: size of containers and packaging materials used.
•  Storage temperature.
•  Length of storage time before use.

Sarge’s Cheese Rolls

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup cheese
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup fine grated Parmesan cheese (set aside)
• Mix all ingredients except Parmesan cheese.
•  Knead dough until thoroughly mixed.
•  Roll dough and cut with your Pet Treat Cutters.
•  Roll shapes in Parmesan cheese.
• Dehydrate approximately 4 – 5 hours or until dry. This recipe is a must try. Cats like them also, just make smaller shapes.

Turkey and Sweet Potato Dog Treats

This recipe can be served at any time of the year but will make wonderful treats at Thanksgiving so you can include your dog in the festivities. They are also attractive treats and when packaged with clear cellophane and a
ribbon make great gifts for friends with dogs. Makes about 3 dozen treats, depending upon the size of the treats.

• 2 cups turkey, cooked
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sweet potato, cooked until soft
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1 1/2 cups oatmeal, dry, uncooked
• 3 dozen cranberries, fresh or frozen
•  Shred or chop cooked turkey into small pieces.
•  Put turkey and water in food processor or blender until a thick paste. There should be no meat chunks.
•  Add sweet potato and molasses to meat and puree until a thick paste.
• Pour or spoon mixture into a large bowl. Add oatmeal and mix well. The dough should not be too wet or runny; if it is, add a little more oatmeal.
• Spoon dough onto dehydrator tray by teaspoonful.
•  Place a cranberry on top of each treat, pressing it in slightly so berry stays on treat.
• Dehydrate four to five hours or until thoroughly dry but not crispy. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator
  about three weeks. To give as a gift, place treats (cranberry side up) on a decorative holiday paper plate. Wrap in clear or holiday-colored cellophane and gather cellophane at top of plate. Tie with a holidaycolored ribbon.

Variations:

• Use fresh or frozen blueberries instead of cranberries.
•  Use cooked potatoes instead of sweet potatoes.

“Make Your Own” Scoobie Snacks

• 2 2/3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup powdered milk
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon lecithin granules
• 3 teaspoons honey
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2/3 cup water
• Combine first 6 ingredients and mix well.
• Blend in egg and ice water. Mix until it forms a ball.
• Roll out to 1/4” thickness. Cut with bone shaped pet treat cutter and place on a greased fruit roll sheet.
• Position on dehydrator trays and dry 8 to 10 hours or until hard. Lecithin (found in the health food section of
  most grocery stores, drug stores or health food stores) helps dogs keep a shiny coat. Huck’s Favorite Sweet
  Potato Chews This is a very simple dog chew/treat. My dog, Buttons, absolutely loves this one and it is very
  easy to make. Thoroughly wash sweet potatoes. Slice the sweet potato into 1/4” slices. You can also cut lengthwise and slice into 1/4” strips. Dehydrate approximately 6-8 hours until they reach a chewy texture. For crunchier treats, dehydrate longer until desired consistency is reached.

Training Treat Extraordinaire

During my taste testing of recipes, I took this nutritious and good tasting treat to a training session with therapy dogs from the Foundation for Pet Provided Therapy in Oceanside, Calif. The dogs and their owners were rehearsing for
an upcoming demonstration at a local assisted living facility. All 12 of the dogs enjoyed this treat, from the tiny Toy Poodle, Cody, to the Australian Shepherd, Taco.

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 cup red kidney beans, canned
• 1 cup zucchini, fresh, grated
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sage, finely ground
•  Sautee ground beef, breaking up chunks as meat is cooking until all meat is crumbled.
•  Drain liquid from kidney beans and save liquid.
• Put beans and zucchini in food processor or blender and puree until a thick paste.
•  Add meat, applesauce and sage to mixture in processor and puree. If mixture is too thick, add some of the liquid from beans but just enough to process. There should be no chunks of meat or beans when done.
•  Put round tip on jerky maker and then fill jerky maker with mixture.
•  Squeeze out four-inch long treats on dehydrator trays.
•  Dehydrate 3 to 5 hours depending upon how wet the mixture is. Treats are done when completely dry. When treats are cool, they may be broken up into training treat-sized pieces. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator. Excess may be frozen.

Leftover Magic

This recipe uses leftover meats to create tasty, crunchy dog biscuits your dog will love. You can use just about any meat leftover from your meals as long as the meat is not overly spicy or greasy. (Meatloaf or baked chicken is good;
seasoned meat for tacos is not!) Makes 12 three-inch long dog biscuits.

• 1 cup of meat, cooked (chicken, turkey, beef, or bacon; or a mixture of two meats)
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup uncooked oatmeal, plain
• 1/2 cup oat bran flour
•  Cut or shred meat into small pieces. Put in food processor or blender.
•  Add about 1/3 cup of water to blender. Puree until the meat is a thick paste. If blender is laboring, add a little more water.
• Spoon mixture into a bowl. Add oatmeal and flour, stir well.
• When mixture gets too stiff to stir, knead dough until it is well mixed. Form dough into a ball.
•  Place ball on a floured bread board and with a rolling pin, roll out to about 1/4 inch thick.
•  Using a dog bone-shaped cookie cutter cut out the dog bone shapes and transfer to a dehydrator tray.
• Dehydrate for 3 to 4 hours, depending upon how much water you had to add to meat mixture, how thick the dough was when you rolled it out, and what size cookie cutter you used. Remove biscuits from dehydrator
  when they are very dry and crunchy. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator. They will remain good for three weeks.

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