Nesco Food Dehydrator - Manual (Page 20)

19
Drying
Vegetables
S ome 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 a far
shorter shelf life than dried fruits.
Packaging and ideal storage conditions
are key elements to producing dried
vegetables which will taste as good in
December as they did in the summer from
your garden!
Selection
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 mini-
mize nutritional loss.
Preparation
Wash vegetables thoroughly and remove
any blemishes. Peel, trim, core, and/or
slice vegetables.
Blanching
Most vegetables must be blanched,
either by steaming over boiling water
or in the microwave to slow the enzyme
action which will continue during
drying and storage. Water blanching is
not recommended because of the loss of
water soluble vitamins and minerals.
Note: Blanching softens the cell struc-
ture, allowing the moisture to escape
more easily and also allows vegetables
to rehydrate faster. There is no need to
blanch onions, garlic, peppers, and
mushrooms. Herbs also are not
blanched.
Steam Blanching
Use a commercial steamer or a pan with
a tight fitting lid and a steaming rack.
Bring about 1 inch of water to a brisk
boil and drop in sliced 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 in steamer rack and place imme-
diately on dryer trays.
Microwave Blanching
A microwave is ideal for blanching
vegetables. Prepare them in the same
manner as for steam blanching. Place
them in a microwave-safe dish, cover,