Dehydrationis a not bad method of food preservation , with many advantages . The finished product requires less warehousing space , and it does n’t require the attendant electricity of using a freezer or the measure of limited equipment needed for canning .
Though it may not be the best way to save everything , there are times when you ca n’t beat its usefulness . The method comes in particularly for :
After covering some of the orchis and bolt , read on to see my craw recommendations to use evaporation as a real homesteader helpmeet , along with some favorite varieties .
The Basics
Pretreatments
Often used on garden truck specify for dehydration , pretreatments are desirable because green goods is being “ degraded ” by enzymes during dehydration and in storage . Pretreatments act to slow enzymatic action , thus preserving color , flavor , texture and nutrients .
Fruits can be dip into a multifariousness of preparations . ( See “ In for a Dip , ” at bottom . ) Almost all veggie — onions , scented peppers and mushroom being a few exceptions — should be blanch after they are slice .
As well as preserve caliber , blanching shortens dry time by buffer tough tissues that would otherwise draw out it . blench times are alike to those used when freeze veggie . It ’s important to think of , whether dealing with dipped yield or blanched veg , to blot dry before you begin desiccation so that there is no spare open moisture .
Veronika S/Shutterstock
Drying & Storage
unlike foods desiccate to dissimilar levels . vegetable are not to the full teetotal until they are either unannealed ( such as green bush beans ) or leathery ( beet , for example ) . fruit , on the other deal , may end as pliable , leathery , leathery and pasty , or leathery and crisp when to the full dehydrate .
You will want to find a listing for each yield and veg so that you know what to look for .
To further protect their quality , store your dehydrated foods in airy , cool locations . Anywhere from 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit is optimum . Also , recollective - term computer memory should be in a darkened room or cupboard , though tinted jars provide for unretentive - term storage in perch areas .
Veronika S/Shutterstock
Dehydration or Rehydration
Some enthusiasts will rehydrate vegetables and attend to them as a dewy-eyed side dish , returning them to a pretty undecomposed equivalent of their previous appearance and feeling . mayhap you would like to strain roasted edible asparagus tips in November ?
It requires 1 1/2 loving cup of boiling piss to rehydrate a cup of desiccated produce . veggie absorb all of the H2O they can in two hour or often less , while fruits require at least two time of day or may be leave behind overnight for full absorption .
You should mention that add salt , sugar or spices to your rehydration water can interfere with engrossment and should not be done — at least not until the later serving of your soaking process . Rehydration can also be done with an electric steamer , or it can take place while cook in a dish , such as a soup , stew or casserole .
Fascinadora/Shutterstock
Many believe the winter soup pot the ideal way to use desiccate vegetables and , with it , will make enjoyment on everything from Brassica oleracea italica to summer squash . dried fruit are universally pop whether they remain dehydrated or are feed re - hydrated or cooked .
Dehydrated foods can be further work to make them ready for use . Garlic , onion plant , hot pepper and tomato are undecomposed nominee for grinding into powder with a food processor or blender , then using as a spice or hugger-mugger fixings . Fruits can also be treated in this style .
This year , I used some dried strawberry to make “ yield flour . ” With the addition of milk and orchis ( and oestrus ) , we should be making some tasty hemangioma simplex custard this winter .
StockImageFactory.com/Shutterstock
study more : study some tips for exsiccate and rehydrating produce using a wood kitchen stove
Herbs
Many herbs are unsubdivided to raise and simple to desiccate , whether you are after the leave of absence ( most popular ) , blossom or seed of the plant . Plus , they make a great difference when cooking .
The plant oils that make herb so wonderful are at their vizor just prior to a plant florescence , gain this the best time to harvest leaves . This is often a brief full stop of time , which is why they are such great candidate for drying up .
dried herbs should n’t be crushed during depot , as this will loose cute oils and lead to timbre decline in quality . Also , they may be store separately or as a mixture ( such as a posy garni ) , which will create an even more distinct , delightful flavor for your intellectual nourishment .
Varieties : function peppermint and tulsi for afternoon tea ; oregano , marjoram and thyme for cookingVeronika S / Shutterstock
Apples & Other Fruits
At harvest time , you may pick apples from your own orchard or look for them on sale at amount deduction . But not all apples store well into the winter , or you may run out of space . This is the perfect time to dehydrate !
They can be cut into rings , slice or cubes , reckon on what you intend to do with them . We cube ours so they are ready to be rehydrated and added to cake , cookies , wampum or live cereal .
Though apple are a great option , you need not limit your dehydration to them . strawberry or blueberry ? ravisher or cherries ? Sea buckthorn ?
Varieties : The heirloom Wolf River is a favorite of ours as it is a very bombastic , soft - fleshed fruit that does n’t store well . However , hear others , especially with a soft flesh ( for example McIntosh ) or poor farseeing - term storage ( e.g. Golden Delicious ) .
Mushrooms
Whether in a check environment , force field product or being grown from kits , mushrooms tend to amount in flushes . And it ’s amazing how little blank they want once dehydrate .
In cooking , they function well as sponge and can be used to your advantage if you have a soggy spaghetti sauce or gravy that you wish to thicken up . Let your mushrooms pick up the slack .
potpourri : Try button and shiitake . Fascinadora / Shutterstock
Kale
There always seems to arrive a time when you are busy eating all of the “ novel ” crops in the garden , but the reliable kale is still growing . It ’s marvelous to have this leafy green on hand in winter . We witness it ’s a cheering as well as a nourishing addition to soup and stews .
to boot , it take in redundant wet from your formula and makes for a thicker bowling ball of goodness . Casseroles are another first-class dish for your kale to finally adorn . you’re able to also steam it on its own .
kind : jump with Winterbor and Redbor .
Carrots
desiccated carrots occupy a particular situation of importance to us as one of the ingredients in our homemade chicken broth . Chicken stock is n’t commonly a final intellectual nourishment intersection but a step on the path .
It ’s a real benefit to take advantage of any time - save options you could for such preliminary employment , and desiccate carrot can simply be pour right to the stockpot . Even though they are a crop that stores fairly well , dehydrated carrot store longer !
diverseness : Try Bolero , Mokum and Purple Haze .
Read more : Grow your own carrot for a flavorful kickshaw .
Celery
Dehydrated cultivated celery also lay in longer . We use so much celery in soups , swither and salads . Being able to keep what we grow in summertime for wintertime and spring use is a expectant way to save money .
And if you use your dehydrated Daucus carota sativa , celery , onion plant , garlic and herbs to make your chicken broth or else of beginning with everything from scratch , it will be a cinch to bring it all together .
variety : seek any you like , but it ’s a capital use for Redventure or any celery that is struggling to be succulent .
Onions
Your cause to exsiccate onion depends on the type of onion . fresh onion plant have a relatively curt shelf spirit . Cooking onions have first-class storage , but space limitations may come into play .
Even dehydrating part of your harvest will help . Really , you ’ll be able to lay in onions of any kind longer through desiccation and can avoid sustain to buy them . Plus , dehydrated onions are commodious on a busy day and so very alimental . Tthey should be used often and generously in preparation .
diverseness : practice any globe - type that you bid to have hive away in a small space ! But do n’t stop over there ; I dehydrate leeks , scallions and shallots as well.StockImageFactory.com/Shutterstock
Garlic
Again , garlic stores very well , so why would you dehydrate it ? There are some variety of Allium sativum that do n’t store well for extended periods . You may desire to hold open them for later use by dehydrating them .
to boot , if you aim to furnish your own garlic for the entire year , it will aid to switch to the dehydrated garlic supply when the following June arrive and almost all garlic is getting a act soft .
However , I dehydrate Allium sativum for a very particular understanding : to make my own garlic powder .
You might consider that garlic powder is wanton enough to buy and there is no need to make your own . You ’ll deepen your judgment the first time you try your own !
diverseness : Hard - neck opening smorgasbord do n’t store as well as cushy - neck opening and could be used preferentially , but any garlic you have in teemingness is the one to desiccate .
Tomatoes
We dehydrate tomato solely in Holy Order to pack them in oil , and they are one of the more labor - intensive desiccation products we make . But they are wonderfully sweet and super nutritious , superscript on both enumeration to any tomato you will find out of time of year . ( And they cost less ) .
practice them in vegetable or pasta salad , on garlic bread , in sandwiches , ready into a sauce , or wherever your imagination takes you . Our stored Lycopersicon esculentum are kept until there is a need to revitalise winter transportation with a touch of the belated summer crop .
Varieties : Principe Borghese , an Italian heirloom cherry tomato that resembles a midget spread tomato , has few seeds , little succus and a thick form . It ’s the only tomato we dehydrate .
Read more : you’re able to make your own Dominicus - dried cherry tomatoes at plate !
Hot Peppers
Cayenne powder , chili powder or even chipotle powder ( if you feel like smoking some jalapeños ) can all be produced in your domicile . If you frequently habituate these nightshade - derived spiciness , I highly recommend you give this a try .
Those who develop hot peppers know that output is what they thrive at , giving you lots to ferment with . dilutant - skinned white pepper such as the cayenne will even air - dry promptly .
Varieties : We develop a special heirloom common pepper called Siberian Home , which constitute a with child bandstand - in for entrepot - bought hot sauce once powdered .
Your dehydrating hobby can be involved or uncomplicated . you may purée fruits to dehydrate as fruit leather , make bitch or fish jerked meat , or plainly stick to the spiciness rack with herbs , genus Allium and spicy peppers .
Do n’t be afraid to try thing . I have read that dehydrated basil and parsley are of “ disappointing ” quality , but my spaghetti sauce and poulet noodle soup ( with poulet broth ) would lose tremendous flavor without them . So see what influence for you .
Sidebar: In for a Dip
There are a few options with dip that pretreat fruit for dehydration . In all cases , place the yield into the plunge as promptly after slicing or chopping as potential . The dip options are :
Salt Water Dip
Combine 6 tablespoons of flaked pickling salt with 1 gal of lukewarm water . Soak the yield for no more than 5 minute , or it will develop a salty taste .
Ascorbic Acid Dip
Combine 2 tablespoons of ascorbic acid crystals or powder with 1 quart of lukewarm water . slay the fruit 1 or 2 cup at a clock time .
Fruit Juice Dip
Use 1 quart undiluted pineapple juice or 1 quart lukewarm water into which1/4cup lemon or lime juice has been stirred for this dip . Soak yield for 5 to 10 proceedings . This is a popular pick for peaches and apple .
Honey Dip
Into 3 cups of hot water system , fuse 1 loving cup of sugar , and additionally 1 cup of dearest when the potpourri is tepid . Remove the fruit 1 or 2 cups at a time .
Sidebar: Technique Tips
Air drying , sun drying , convection oven and dehydrators can all be used to desiccate . Each method acting has pros and bunko game .
Air Drying
Used mainly for herbs ( leave , flowers , seed ) , air travel drying is simple and loud . attend your textile indoors in an airy , warm , ironical fix out of verbatim sunshine . Paper purse can be used to cover up your product and keep dust off it , if needed . There are some challenge , however .
Sun Drying
Inexpensive and simple , sunlight drying is simply leaving your intersection ( vegetable , fruit or herbs ) in the sun to dry out on rack work up to allow for good top and bottom air flow .
The downside to Dominicus dry is rather substantial . It ’s irregular and uncontrollable .
Humid air conditions greatly hinder this method , fluctuating daytime temperatures prolong it , and nighttime critters and morning dew make it necessary to move your setup ( which should be insect and raspberry - proof ) at bottom and out again until dehydration is complete .
Convection Oven
Though this selection offers an even temperature and has none of the “ dangers ” of being outdoors , ovens have poor air circulation and require you to pass on their door ajar to apply a buff to blow the moist air out .
Dehydrator
This is the most costly option . Though many dehydrators are energy - effective , it ’s the greatest investment in specialized equipment . However , it offers even temperature and great air flow ( thus , reproducible effect ) , and extreme public convenience , as it can run all daytime whether you are in or out of the house and overnight as well .
This clause originally seem in the September / October 2020 issue ofHobby Farmsmagazine .
