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Reconstitution
Dehydration is the process of removing moisture from food. Reconstitution is the
replacement of that moisture to bring the food back to its natural state. Although some
dried foods such as fruit are excellent in their dehydrated state, you will often want to
reconstitute other dried foods before eating them. Here are some tips on
reconstitution:
Just Add Water
For chopped or shredded vegetables, and for fruits to be used in cookies, no
reconstitution is usually needed. If the pieces are quite crisp and dry you can try
sprinkling with 1tablespoon of water per cup of dried food.
For vegetables and fruits to be used in soufflés, pies, quick breads, dough or batter,
use 2 parts water to 3 parts (by volume) dried food.
For vegetables and fruits which will be cooked in liquids such as vegetable side dishes,
fruit toppings, and compotes, use 1 to 1 ½ parts water to 1 part dried food. Extra
liquid may be required for proper cooking.
Time for Reconstitution
Chopped and shredded foods reconstitute quickly. Generally, 15 to 30 minutes is
sufficient. Larger vegetable or fruit slices, and meat cubes can be reconstituted
overnight in water, while being left in the refrigerator. Alternately, you can also chose
to place them in boiling water, remove it from the stove, and let stand 2 to 3 hours.
Whole pieces of fruit take longest to reconstitute, and are best left to soak overnight.
Other Reconstitution Hints
If you drain reconstituted foods, save the liquid. This liquid has great nutritional value.
Freeze this liquid for later use in soups, leathers, pies or compotes. There is no need to
reconstitute ahead of time when making soups. Dried vegetables can be added directly
to the soup about one hour before serving. Do not add spices, salt, bouillon cubes or
tomato products until the vegetables are reconstituted and cooked. These items
