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18
Reconstitution
Dehydration is the process of removing moisture from food. Reconstitution is
the replacement of that moisture to bring the food back to its natural state. Although
some dried foods such as fruit are excellent in their dehydrated state, you will often
want to reconstitute other dried foods before eating them. Here are some tips on
reconstitution:
Just Add Water
For chopped or shredded vegetables, and for fruits to be used in cookies, no
reconstitution is usually needed. If the pieces are quite crisp and dry you can try
sprinkling with 1 Tbs. water per ½ cup of dried food to.
For vegetables and fruits to be used in souffles, pies, quick breads, doughs or
batters, use 2 parts water to 3 parts (by volume) dried food.
For vegetables and fruits which will be cooked in the liquid, such as vegetable side
dishes, fruit toppings, and compotes, use 1 to 1-½ parts water to 1 part dried food. Extra
liquid may be required for proper cooking.
Time for Reconstitution
• Chopped and shredded foods reconstitute quickly. Generally, 15 to 30 minutes is
sufficient.
• Larger vegetable or fruit slices, and meat cubes, can be reconstituted overnight in
water left in the refrigerator. If this is inconvenient, place in boiling water, remove
from stove, and let stand 2 to 3 hours.
• Whole pieces of fruit take longest to reconstitute, and are best left to soak
overnight.
Other Reconstitution Hints
• If you drain reconstituted foods, save the liquid. This liquid has great nutritional
value. Freeze this liquid for later use in soups, leathers, pies or compotes.
• There is no need to reconstitute ahead of time when making soups. Dried vegetables
can be added directly to the soup about one hour before serving.
• Do not add spices, salt, bouillon cubes or tomato products until vegetables are
reconstituted and cooked. These items considerably hinder rehydration.
• Some foods take longer to reconstitute than others. Carrots and beans require more
time than green peas or potatoes. A rule of thumb: those that take the longest to
dehydrate will take the longest to reconstitute.
• Try not to use more liquid than necessary for reconstitution because nutrients will
be drained away with the excess water. Place dehydrated food in a container and
use just enough water to cover the food. Add more water later as needed to replace
what the food absorbs.
Page 15
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