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Vegetable Dehydration Tips
Dried vegetables are every bit as flavorful and versatile as dried fruits. With dried
vegetables you can make delicious soups, stews, casseroles, and more. Basically,
anywhere you would use fresh vegetables you can use dehydrated vegetables.
Before preparing and dehydrating your chosen vegetables, always wash them in
cold water. A certain amount of coring, slicing, peeling or shredding is required. A food
processor can be a handy tool when processing vegetables, taking seconds to slice up
a large batch, ready for the dehydrator.
Be creative when drying vegetables. Placing vegetables in diluted lemon juice or
similar flavorings for approximately 2 minutes will add a hint of flavor to such vegetables
as green beans and asparagus. For drying times of vegetables, refer to the Vegetable
“Timetable.”
Pretreatment of Vegetables
For the most part, vegetables need little in the way of special treatment for
dehydration, although there are some exceptions. Here are some preparation guidelines
that will help you get the most from your dried vegetables:
A few vegetables, such as onions, garlic, peppers, tomatoes and mushrooms can
be dried and reconstituted successfully without pre-treatment. In general, if vegetables
must be steamed or blanched for freezing, they must be treated for drying.
With the above-named exceptions in mind, most remaining vegetables will need to
be steamed or blanched before, drying. Many vegetables have enzymes that help the
food ripen, and leaving these enzymes active in the food will cause them to continue to
bring about changes in flavor and aroma which can be undesirable. Although untreated
vegetables which are dehydrated can still be good for as long as three to four months,
heat treated vegetables reconstitute in less time, keep longer, and generally retain
more flavor when reconstituted.
Steaming
Steaming is the best method of pretreatment. Place a single layer of chopped or
sliced vegetables in a colander or steam basket. Shredded vegetables can be 1/2 inch
deep in the colander or basket. Set vegetables in a pot above a small amount of boiling
water and cover. Water should not touch the vegetables. Begin timing immediately.
Refer to table far length of steaming. When ready to remove, vegetables should be
barely tender. Spread steamed vegetables on frays and dehydrate.
Blanching
Blanching is recommended for green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus,
potatoes and peas. Since these vegetables are often used in soups or stews, blanching
will ensure that they retain a desirable color. To blanch, place prepared vegetables in
a pot of boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes only. Strain and pat dry and place vegetables
in the dehydrator.
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