8
Vegetable
Preparation
Pretreatment (blanching)
Average Drying Time
Onions
Remove outer skin. Cut off top and root ends. Cut
into ¼˝ slices.
None
2–6 hours
Peas
Shell.
water 2 minutes
steam 3 minutes
4–8 hours
Peppers and pimientos
Remove stem, core, and inner partitions. Cut into
¼˝ strips.
None
5–9 hours
Potatoes
Peel and cut into ¼˝ slices.
water 5–6 minutes
steam 6–8 minutes
3–7 hours
Summer squash and zucchini
Trim ends. Cut into ¼˝ slices.
water 1½ minutes
steam 2½–3 minutes
3–5 hours
Tomatoes
Peel, if desired. Cut into sections ¾˝ wide.
None
5–10 hours
Uses
Dried vegetables have a unique flavor and texture and are best used as ingredients for soups, stews, casseroles, and sauces rather than stand-
alone side dishes. When using in soups, dried vegetables can be added without soaking. Dried vegetables used for other purposes need to be
soaked before cooking. To soak, start with 1½ to 2 cups of boiling water for every 1 cup of dried vegetables. Soak for 1 to 2 hours or until
vegetables have returned to nearly the same size they were before dehydrating. Additional water should be added as needed during the soaking
process. After soaking, simmer the vegetables in the soaking water until tender, allowing excess water to evaporate.
Drying Herbs
Drying fresh herbs allows you to have a ready supply of economical herbs that are available to use all through the year. This dehydrator works
best for herbs such as chives, cilantro, and parsley. Aromatic herbs, such as basil, mint, oregano, rosemary, and sage, are not recommended,
as these herbs will scorch at the temperature to which this dehydrator is preset.
Selection and Preparation
Pick herbs for drying just before the flowers first open. These herbs will be the most flavorful. The best time to pick herbs is early morning
just after the dew has evaporated. Rinse leaves and stems in cool water to remove any dust or insects and then gently shake to remove excess
water. Remove dead and bruised leaves or stems. Placing the herbs on a mesh screen* will help prevent them from falling through the grates
in the tray during dehydration.
Drying Time
Herbs dry very quickly in this dehydrator. Check herbs from each dehydrator tray every ten minutes. Drying time will range from 30 minutes
to 1 hour. Overdrying herbs will result in a scorched flavor.
Determining Dryness
Herbs are acceptably dry when they are crispy and crumble easily.
Packaging and Storage
Dried leaves are best stored whole and then crumbled when needed. Follow “Packaging and Storing Dried Food” information below.
Uses
Most dried herbs are 3 to 4 times stronger than the fresh herbs. Therefore, when using dried herbs in a recipe that calls for fresh herbs, use ¼
to ⅓ of the amount called for in the recipe.
Packaging and Storing Dried Food
• Dried foods need to be properly packaged to prevent reabsorption of moisture and microbial deterioration. Pack food in clean, dry, airtight
containers. Glass jars or freezer containers with tight-fitting lids are good for storage. Resealable plastic freezer bags are also acceptable.
• Store packaged dried food in a dry, cool location away from light. Higher temperatures and exposure to light will shorten the storage time
and result in loss of quality and nutrients. Most dried fruit, when properly packaged and stored, will be good for 1 year at 60°F or 6 months
at 80°F. Fruit rolls should keep for up to 1 month at room temperature. Vegetables have about half the storage life as fruit. If food is to be
kept longer, then store it in a freezer.
• Package vegetables and fruits in separate storage containers to avoid flavor transfer.
* Nonstick mesh screens are sold separately (see page 10).
