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DDEEHHYYDDRRA
ATTIINNGG GGUUIIDDEE
Beets
PREPARATION:
Wash and remove tops. Cut in half if large.
PRETREATMENT:
Cooking. Steam beets until tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.
Peel and cut into
½
-inch slices or shred.
DEHYDRATE:
Dry sliced beets at 100
º
for 12 to 15 hours, until brittle; dry
shredded beets for 10 to 12 hours.
REHYDRATE:
Soak in cold water for 1 hour; drain. Or, soak overnight in the
refrigerator; drain.
NOTE
• Dried beets can be finely ground and used to color and flavor sauces or salad
dressings.
• To make recipe preparation a breeze, weigh the beets before dehydrating and
label the package clearly with their original weight.
Berries
Use blackberries, boysenberries, huckleberries, loganberries, marionberries, or
raspberries.
PREPARATION:
Remove stems, wash and shake dry.
PRETREATMENT:
Not necessary.
DEHYDRATE:
Use fruit leather trays if small berries fall through the holes in the
drying trays. Dry at 100
º
for approximately 10 hours, until brittle, depending on
the size of the berry.
REHYDRATE:
Soak in hot water for 15 minutes; drain well.
LEATHER:
Excellent for leather. Strain the seeds from the puree before drying.
NOTE
• Consider straining out the seeds before using rehydrated berries in recipes.
DDEEHHYYDDRRA
ATTIINNGG GGUUIIDDEE
Green Beans
PREPARATION:
Wash, snip ends and cut into 1-inch pieces.
PRETREATMENT:
Steam-blanch for 4 minutes; drain. To tenderize beans before
drying, place in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, about 40
minutes.
DEHYDRATE:
Dry at 100
º
for approximately 30 hours, until crisp.
REHYDRATE:
Soak in cold water for 2 hours; or soak in hot water for 1 hour;
drain. You can add dried green beans directly to soups and stews. However,
you may need to add additional liquid to the recipe.
NOTE
• Dried green beans are best served in hot main dishes like stews, soups, or
casseroles.
Kiwi Fruit
PREPARATION:
Peel and cut into
¼
-inch slices.
PRETREATMENT:
Not necessary.
DEHYDRATE:
Dry at 100
º
for approximately 48 hours, until pliable.
REHYDRATE:
Soak in hot water for 20 minutes; drain. Kiwi fruit will lose quite a
bit of color in the rehydrating process.
LEATHER:
Kiwi fruit can be mixed with other pureed fruits.
NOTE
• Dried kiwi fruit is best when eaten in its dried state.
• If you choose to rehydrate, kiwi fruit can be used in baked products in the
same manner as mashed bananas.