27
20
DDEEHHYYDDRRA
ATTIINNGG GGUUIIDDEE
Blueberries
PREPARATION:
Remove stems, wash and drain.
PRETREATMENT:
Checking. Drop blueberries into boiling water for 1 to 2
minutes, until skins are cracked; drain.
DEHYDRATE:
Dry at 100
º
for approximately 10 hours, until leathery.
REHYDRATE:
Soak in hot water for 15 minutes; drain.
LEATHER:
Blueberries are best if combined with other fruits.
NOTE
• Blueberries lose some of their aesthetic value with dehydrating, but work well
for baked recipes, such as muffins or breads..
PREPARATION:
Wash; peel the tough skin from the broccoli stalks. Separate the
florets from the stalks and cut stalks diagonally into
½
-inch slices. Cut florets
into uniform pieces.
PRETREATMENT:
Optional. If desired, steam-blanch for 4 minutes; drain.
DEHYDRATE:
Dry at 100
º
for approximately 18 hours, until brittle.
REHYDRATE:
Soak in hot water for 30 minutes. If short on time, steam for 10
to 15 minutes, until tender. For a fresher look, if planning to serve as a
vegetable dish, soak in cold water for 5 minutes. Drain rehydrated broccoli
before using.
NOTE
• Rehydrated broccoli is best cut up and served in a casserole dish, or pureed
and mixed into custards or creamed soups.
Broccoli
DDEEHHYYDDRRA
ATTIINNGG GGUUIIDDEE
Ginger
PREPARATION:
Peel fresh ginger and cut into
¼
-inch slices.
PRETREATMENT:
Not necessary.
DEHYDRATE:
Dry at 100
º
for approximately 18 hours, until brittle.
REHYDRATE:
Soak in boiling water for 1 to 2 hours; drain.
NOTE
• To avoid waste, dehydrate the fresh ginger that is leftover after using it in a
recipe.
• One tsp. rehydrated minced ginger is equal to
½
tsp. ground ginger.
• If you don’t like to cook fish because of the way the smell it gives your
home, place a few pieces of rehydrated ginger around the edges of the fish-
baking dish; the room will smell of ginger instead.
Grapes, Red or Green
PREPARATION:
Use only the seedless variety. Remove grapes from stems and
wash.
PRETREATMENT:
Checking. Drop grapes into boiling water for several minutes,
until skins are cracked; drain.
DEHYDRATE:
Dry at 100
º
for approximately 80 hours, until leathery with no
pockets of moisture.
REHYDRATE:
Not necessary, but dried grapes (raisins) can be “plumped” if called
for in the recipe by soaking in hot water for 30 minutes.
LEATHER:
Excellent for leather, especially when mixing varieties.
NOTE
• Add dried grapes (raisins) to almost any baked product, as well as many
savory dishes.
• You’ll really notice a difference between the home-dried variety and the
commercial brands. Save the home-dried grapes for snacks and special
dishes where they will be appreciated.