Drying Vegetables

Drying  vegetables is a long-standing, fairly easy method of food preservation. Whenever you preserve foods, choose the best-quality fruits and vegetables. As with other food preservation methods, drying does not improve food quality. Dried foods are tasty, nutritious, lightweight, and easy to store and use. The energy input is less than what is needed to freeze or can, and the storage space is less than that needed for canning jars and freezer containers. Dried fruits make high-energy snacks. The fact that dried foods are lightweight and compact makes them desirable for hiking and camping trips. Some fruits and vegetables suitable for drying include apples, pears, peaches, plums, apricots, bananas, cantaloupe, strawberries, blueberries, carrots, celery, corn, green beans, potatoes, and tomatoes.

Preparing Vegetables

To prepare vegetables for drying, wash in cool water to remove soil and chemical residues. Trim, peel, cut, slice or shred vegetables according to the directions for each vegetable in the chart below. Remove any fibrous or woody portions and core when necessary, removing all decayed and bruised areas. Keep pieces uniform in size so they will dry at the same rate. A food slicer or food processor can be used. Prepare only as many as can be dried at one time.

Pretreating Vegetables

Blanching is a necessary step in preparing vegetables for drying. By definition, blanching is the process of heating vegetables to a temperature high enough to destroy enzymes present in tissue. Blanching stops the enzyme action which could cause loss of color and flavor during drying and storage. It also shortens the drying and rehydration time by relaxing the tissue walls so moisture can escape and later re-enter more rapidly.
Vegetables can be water blanched or steam blanched. Water blanching usually results in a greater loss of nutrients, but it takes less time than steam blanching.
Water Blanching – Fill a large pot 2/3 full of water, cover and bring to a rolling boil. Place the vegetables in a wire basket or a colander and submerge them in the water. Cover and blanch according to directions. Begin timing when water returns to boiling. If it takes longer than one minute for the water to come back to boiling, too many vegetables were added. Reduce the amount in the next batch.
Steam Blanching – Use a deep pot with a tight fitting lid and a wire basket, colander or sieve placed so the steam will circulate freely around the vegetables. Add water to the pot and bring to a rolling boil. Place the vegetables loosely in the basket no more than 2 inches deep. Place the basket of vegetables in the pot, making sure the water does not come in contact with the vegetables. Cover and steam according to the directions.

Cooling and Drying the Prepared Vegetables

After blanching, dip the vegetables briefly in cold water. When they feel only slightly hot to the touch, drain the vegetables by pouring them directly onto the drying tray held over the sink. Wipe the excess water from under- neath the tray and arrange the vegetables in a single layer. Then place the tray immediately in the dehydrator or oven. The heat left in the vegetables from blanching will cause the drying process to begin more quickly. Watch the vegetables closely at the end of the drying period. They dry much more quickly at the end and could scorch.

Determining Dryness of Vegetables

Vegetables should be dried until they are brittle or “crisp.” Some vegetables would actually shatter if hit with a hammer. At this stage, they should contain about 10 percent moisture. Because they are so dry, they do not need conditioning like fruits.

Using Dried Vegetables

Dried vegetables can be used in soups, dips, stews and sauces. When reconstituted, 1 cup of dried vegetables becomes 2 cups. When reconstituting leafy greens (kale, spinach), cover the dried vegetables with hot water and simmer too desired tenderness. When reconstituting root or seed vegetables (beans, corn, carrots), cover with cold water and soak for about an hour, then simmer until tender and use as desired.

We dehydrate our microgreens so that we can stop farm waste and so we can turn them into a shelf stable value added product. Check out our PDF to learn more.