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Many vegetables are quite good dried.
Others may lose their appeal and are
better frozen or fresh. Vegetables
have a low acid and sugar content
that makes them more subject to
spoilage, and tend to have far shorter
shelf life than dried fruits. Packaging
and ideal storage conditions are key
elements to producing dried
vegetables which will taste as good in
December as they did from your
summer garden!
Choose fresh, crisp vegetables for a high quality dehydrated product.
Just like fruits, vegetables should be picked ripe and dried as soon as
possible to minimize loss.
Selection
Preparation
Wash vegetables throughly and remove
any blemishes.
Peel, trim, core, and/or slice vegetables.
1
2
Most vegetables must be blanched, either by steaming over boiling water or in
the microwave oven to slow the enzyme action which will continue during
drying and storage.
Note: Blanching softens the cell structure, allowing the moisture to escape
more easily and also allows vegetables to rehydrate faster. Do not blanch
onions, garlic, peppers or mushrooms. Water blanching is not recommended
because of the loss of water-soluble vitamins and minerals.
Use a commercial steamer or a pan with a tight fitting lid and a steaming rack.
Bring about 1 inch of water to a brisk boil and drop in sliced vegetables. Cover.
Steam until vegetables are heated completely through, but not cooked. This is
usually about ⁄ of the time required to cook the vegetable. Vegetables should
still be crunchy. Drain in steamer rack and place immediately on dryer trays.
A microwave oven is ideal for blanching vegetables. Prepare them in the same
manner as for steam blanching. Place them in a microwave-safe dish, cover
with plastic wrap and cook on high for about ½ of the time required to
completely cook the fresh vegetable. Depending on the wattage of your
microwave, you may want to stop the cooking half-way through and stir the
vegetable to achieve a more even blanching.
Blanching
Steam Blanching
Microwave Blanching
Drying
Load blanched vegetables onto drying trays, ensuring that air can move freely
between the pieces. For vegetables that tend to clump together, such as corn
or peas, stir occasionally to allow air to reach all of the pieces.
Vegetables are dried when they are crisp, tough, or brittle. Package
immediately after drying to prevent absorption of moisture from the air.
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