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12
Drying Vegetables
Some vegetables are quite good dried. Others lose their appeal and are better frozen or fresh.
Some vegetables are far better frozen than dried, if you must preserve them. 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.
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. Wash vegetables thoroughly
and remove any blemishes. Peel, trim, core, slice or grate.
Most vegetables must be blanched, either steaming over boiling water or in the microwave oven to
slow the enzyme action which will continue during drying and conditions are key elements to
producing dried vegetables which will taste as good in winter as the summer product.
There is no need to blanch onions, garlic, peppers, and mushrooms. Herbs also are not to be
blanched.
Blanching
Bring about 1 inch of water to a brisk boil and drop in sliced or grated vegetables. Cover. Steam
until vegetables are heated completely through, but not cooked. This is usually about 1/3 of the
time required to cook the vegetable. Vegetables should still be crunchy. Drain and then dip them in
cold or iced water for 3-5 minutes. Start dehydrating immediately after blanching.
Microwave Blanching
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 with 3 table spoons of water at the bottom,
cover and cook on high for about 1/2 of the time required to completely cook the fresh vegetable.
Depending on the age and design of your microwave, you may want to stop the cooking half-way
through and stir the vegetable to achieve a more even blanching. Dip the vegetables in cold or iced
water for 3-5 minutes. Start dehydrating immediately after blanching.
Drying
Load blanched vegetables onto drying trays, making sure that air can move freely between the
pieces. For vegetables, such as corn or peas, that tend to clump together, stir occasionally to allow
air to reach all of the pieces.
Vegetables are dried until they are crisp, tough or brittle. Package immediately after drying to
prevent absorption of moisture from the air. Usual drying temperature for vegetables is 55℃ -
70℃.
Hints and Suggestions
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