Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Dehydrating Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables can be dehydrated when in season and enjoyed through the rest of the months
when it isn't being harvested. Here are some basic steps for dehydrating fruit and vegetables in a
dehydrator. You'll want to check your dehydrator's manual for specifics:
1. Prepare the food you are going to dehydrate. For most fruits this simply means peeling and
slicing them
1
⁄
2
inch thick unless the fruits are small. Vegetables need to be sliced and then
blanched. See the suggested blanching times for vegetables in the table in Chapter 17. Your
dehydrator should also be prepared as well, which means cleaning it and making sure it's
been sanitized since the last use.
2. Fill the trays with the produce you want to dehydrate and set your dehydrator at the proper
temperature for the produce you are dehydrating. The temperature will be much lower for
fragile herbs, about 90°F. The setting will be much higher for thicker fruits and vegetables
and likely fall in the 140°F range. Don't mix freshly added plants in the same tray as par-
tially dehydrated plants—try to dehydrate full batches at a time.
3. Check on the progress of your drying plants at the earliest time of its range. For example, if
the manual calls for 6 to 8 hours drying time, you'll want to check the fruit at 6 hours time
and then every 30 to 45 minutes after that. Herbs and leafy plants should be crisp, with
no moisture left in them. They should crumble when you squeeze them. Vegetables should
also be completely dried and brittle to the touch. Fruit slices, on the other hand, are better
off slightly chewy, like a raisin would be, instead of brittle (the natural fruits will act as a
preservative).
4. Package your dried produce in airtight containers such as jars, canisters with rubber seals, or
zipper-lock storage bags. When it comes to stored food, the enemies are light, moisture, and
heat. Room temperature is fine for dehydrated foods, which is one of the benefits of preserv-
ing them with this method.
Make yOur OWn veGetable bOuillOn
Use the less-than-perfect vegetables from your home garden, items you cannot sell or don't want to add
to your own salads, in the dehydrator. When the vegetables are dried, they can be ground into powder and
mixed together to create a homemade vegetable bouillon mix. Just add water to the powder when you're
ready to use it! Try vegetables such as celery, asparagus, onion, tomato, carrots, peppers, or whatever else
you happen to have on hand. Herbs like thyme, oregano, basil, and parsley are great additions as well. Add
salt to the mix at a ratio of
1
⁄
2
veggie mix and
1
⁄
2
salt (we use sea salt), and you've got your own vegetable
stock powder you can use in soups and other dishes.
Some of the most expensive snacks you purchase from the grocery store can be made at a frac-
tion of the cost at home—and more nutritiously! The following fruit leather recipe is perfect for
