Dehydrating in AZ is easy

You can build a dehydrator for about 10$.

This will build a three piece dehydrator - two for food, the third for a lid to keep wildlife off.

1. Window screen roll $5 (no metal, or solar screen (too dense) - I chose basic grid with fiberglass core, black vinyl (that does NOT smell , cheapest roll @ H.D.)
2. Wood pieces ~$5 (long thin, narrow boards cut to size (H.D. associate can cut if measurements ready))
3. Skinny nails to connect the pieces into a frame.
4. Staples or tacks
5. scissors to cut screen (try to follow btwn the rows so there is a clean cut w/ no fibers hanging)
   
6. Keep the extra screen for mason jar screens for soaking beans, grains, sprouts.
7. Use the extra stubs of wood for 'legs' to raise the screens up off the table (or other raised surface to keep the ants off) so that it has more air flow.

I just "made up" measurements for mine. I wanted to be able to be just small enough to get through a doorway without having to tip it if loaded. Also, I wanted to wisely use the screen dimensions. For me it turned out that the strip left over from the side was the perfect width to cut into squares for screen 'lids' on mason jars w/ thick rubber bands (like on broccoli stems.) The remaining remnant at the end, I don't remember!

The fun part: watch for fruit (and veggies) on sale that you would like to try.
The Superstition Ranch Market is a great place for this, request a sales person to get a full box from the back of the store (they are straight from the cooler and less bruised etc than the fruit up front). The over ripe banana pile is a great place too. Home-made dried banana slices are THE BEST candy substitute :)

Anytime we have above 80*F and less than 60% humidity and no monsoon dust/rain storm then you can be drying. In AZ that is much of the year.

Easiest for me? I soak myself with the hose, and stand slicing directly onto the screen, preferably sometime in the morning.
Sometimes the fruit is dry by nightfall sometimes the following day.
I never pre treat or rotate the fruit and it always stays bright and colorful.
If they change color or condensate after being in a closed mason jar, then they were not dried long enough - put them out for a few hours or day+.

If you are drying as described above, dry them until they are either very leathery or crisp, then they are approx 10% moisture and will store about a year (until next summer when you get to do it again!). However, with a tight seal and very dry fruit the shelf life can be much longer. Especially if you put them out of sight. yummy. :)

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Things that dry well:
Peaches (wow!)
Nectarines (!)
Apricots (!)
Apple rings
Strawberry slices
Banana slices (they do brown slightly & stay leathery)
Pineapple slices = VERY thin, long dry time
Soaked grain such as wheat - then grind in flour mill for cookies etc.

Yet to try, but have heard good things:
Tomatoes
crackers
Zucchini slices
other veggies
Jerky
melon slices
sliced pepper
strung Cranberries
lots of experimenting!

Don't need a screen (just use string):
Hang peppers on string in shade
Green beans (string them like a garland)
Apple rings
home-grown grape bunches

Did NOT do well:
Berries such as blackberries and raspberries - yuck
Citrus slices (great decoration!, but the fruit was poor quality to begin with, will try again)
Grapes worked, but were not worthwhile with store bought grapes. (if you have your own grape vines, then hang the bunches in the shade and be patient.)