Dehydrating Cauliflower

Cauliflower is a wonderful veggie to dehydrate.  Some people prefer steaming first, but it can be dehydrated raw with no problem.  If you steam or cook your cauliflower, do so lightly. The less cooking, the more nutritious.  Actually, this applies to all the foods you cook.

This happens to be a green cauliflower… called “multi-colored”. It was something that came in our Bountiful Basket order last week.

Because of the tiny flowerets, when you cut cauliflower, it tends to crumble.  Put a fruit leather tray or parchment or waxed paper on the bottom tray to catch all those crumbs.

I prefer slicing mine with a chef’s knife rather than a meat slicer.  It just seems easier to me. If you like, you can buzz it in your food processor.  Remember, the smaller the pieces, the more quickly it rehydrates.

 

Cauliflower pieces dry up really small.

Here are the crumbles that fell through onto the bottom rack.  I usually bag these separately for instant soup, but you can use them right along with the rest of the plant if you like.

After drying, store it in a freezer zip bag or jar for ready use. For long-term use, store in vacuum or freezer bags in a dark place.

What to do with it:

• Rehydrate and make a casserole of scalloped cauliflower
• Toss it in soups
• Crumble and toss as a salad sprinkle
• Crumble and mix into zucchini or other quick breads (for extra nutrition, sneak it into kid’s meals in other ways)
• Powder it and mix it into instant soups