In the manual that came with my American Harvest dehydrator, it says to pare, slice in 1/8 inch slices and dry until leathery for 4-14 hours. And as in the Mary Bell book, peelings are bitter so be sure and peel them. I think the reason the big time frame is because the cucmbers of different varities can be very different in the amount of mositure. I think it also makes a difference in the amount of water the plant has had when it comes to the mositure content.