Dehydrating Fruit and Vegetables
Food Dehydrators for High Quality Low Energy Food Preservation
Jun 3, 2008
If you grow your own fruit and vegetables then a good quality food dehydrator is a wonderful way to preserve your plentiful harvests for the deep winter and early spring when your fresh home grown crops are scarce. Drying reduces the water content of foods to a level where molds and bacteria can no longer grow, and this low moisture level also slows the action of enzymes.
Choosing your Dehydrator
There are two main types of food dehydrator. The first type has many stackable shelves, which are dismantled for loading and unloading the food, as well as for cleaning. You can add shelves to suit the volume of food that you wish to dry; the dehydrator should adapt the flow of warm air to suit the number of shelves in place.
The second type of dehydrator comprises draws within the dehydrator unit. These dehydrators are easier to use, but harder to clean. Some people consider a dehydrator with draws to be superior to a stacking dehydrator, however excellent results may be had with both type of dehydrator if the user instructions are followed carefully.
What to Dehydrate
Many different fruits and vegetables may be preserved using a food dehydrator. Choose only fruit and vegetables in excellent condition for dehydration.
Slice vegetables, such as carrots, pumpkins, potatoes and tomatos, half to one centimeter thick (0.2 – 0.4 inches), blanch, and then spread evenly across the tray or drawer in a single layer, with at least a small space between each slice. Consult your dehydrator’s instructions for dehydrating times and heat settings for each type of vegetable. Edible Wild Mushrooms are excellent dried, as when rehydrated they retain all the flavor and texture of the fresh mushroom, and any small pieces or powder or dried mushroom are delicious in a soup or stew.
Fruit, including strawberries, plums, pears and cherries may be dehydrated either as a puree on special waterproof trays in your dehydrator to produce fruit leathers, or in slices in the same way as for vegetables. Fruit that browns easily should be dipped in a strong solution of lemon juice before drying.
Storing Dehydrated Food
Dehydrated food should be stored in airtight containers such as jars or plastic boxes. If rodents could be a problem in your storage area then ensure that the containers are sturdy enough to withstand sharp teeth.
Using Dehydrated Fruit and Vegetables
To rehydrate dried fruit and vegetables, mix with cold water a few hours before use, or with hot water shortly before use. Rehydrated fruit may be served as a puree, as a fruit salad or in dishes such as pies and crumbles. Vegetables may lose some of their texture so are best served in cooked dishes rather than simply as an accompanying vegetable. For example, serve your rehydrated vegetables on a pizza, or with pasta. Add dried vegetables to soups and casseroles, allowing extra fluid, such as real bone stock, to the recipe.
