CuiZen Dehydrator CFD-20 - Manual (Page 19)

19
Vegetable Dehydration Tips
Dried vegetables are every bit as flavourful and versatile as dried fruits. With dried vegetables
you can make delicious soups, stews, casseroles and more. Basically, anywhere you would use
fresh vegetables you can use dehydrated vegetables.
Before preparing and dehydrating your chosen vegetables, always wash them in cold water. A
certain amount of coring, slicing, peeling or shredding is required. A food processor can be a
handy tool when processing vegetables taking seconds to slice up a large batch ready for the
dehydrator.
Be creative when drying vegetables. Placing vegetables in diluted lemon juice or similar
flavourings for approximately 2 minutes will add a hint of flavour to such vegetables as green
beans and asparagus. For drying times of vegetables, refer to the Vegetable Preparation Table
(p.24).
Pre-treatment of Vegetables
For the most part, vegetables need little in the way of special treatment for dehydration
although there are some exceptions. Here are some preparation guidelines that will help you
get the most from your dried vegetables.
A few vegetables, such as onions, garlic, peppers, tomatoes and mushrooms can be dried and
reconstituted successfully without pre-treatment. In general if vegetables must be steamed or
blanched for freezing they must be treated for drying.
With the above-named exceptions in mind most remaining vegetables will need to be
steamed or blanched before drying. Many vegetables have enzymes that help the food ripen
and leaving these enzymes active in the food will cause them to continue to bring about
changes in flavour and aroma which can be undesirable. Although untreated vegetables which
are dehydrated can still be good for as long as three to four months, heat treated vegetables
reconstitute in less time, keep longer, and generally retain more flavour when reconstituted.
Steaming
Steaming is the best method of pre-treatment. Place a single layer of chopped or sliced
vegetables in a colander or steam basket. Shredded vegetables can be 1/2 inch deep in the
colander or basket. Set vegetables in a pot above a small amount of boiling water and
cover. Water should not touch the vegetables. Begin timing immediately. Refer to Vegetable
Preparation Table (p.24) for length of steaming. When ready to remove, vegetables should be
barely tender. Drop in bowl of cold water to stop cooking and for food to retain its color. Pat
dry and spread on trays to dehydrate.
Blanching
Blanching is recommended for green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, potatoes and
peas. Since these vegetables are often used in soups or stews, blanching will ensure that they
retain a desirable color. To blanch, place prepared vegetables in a pot of boiling water for 3 to
5 minutes only. Strain and pat dry and place vegetables in the dehydrator.