Most veggies are listed among the Easiest of the Easy. Be sure to check over our listing to see
which ones to start with.
What kinds of vegetables can be dehydrated?
- Fresh crops of all sorts are preferred.
- Frozen veggies can be dehydrated to make room in your freezer. Buy these in large quantities on sale and toss them in the dehydrator. Simply break up the chunks of veggies and spread them out on the racks.
- Canned vegetables can be dehydrated to save space on your shelves. A one pound can of beans will dehydrate down to a ½ cup container. Use a salad spinner to remove excess moisture before racking them. Save that liquid for soups and stews, or seasonings in gravy.
Why do we blanch vegetables?
- After harvesting, some foods continue to ripen, which eventually leads to decomposition. Blanching stops that ripening process.
- Starchy crops, such as potatoes, need to be blanched to remove excess starch. Without blanching, they will turn an unappetizing grayish-black.
- Some crops, such as tomatoes, are better when they have been peeled. Blanching makes the peelings slid off the fruit, leaving no waste. Take those peelings and dehydrate them, then grind them to powder for seasoning.
Ways of preparing veggies for dehydrating:
- Most veggies do well with a mandolin slicer. Be sure to see the page on equipment to learn how to use a mandolin.
- Veggies can be sliced, diced, or grated before dehydrating.
- Moist veggies should be spun in a salad spinner to remove as much moisture as possible.
What to do with dehydrated veggies:
- Dehydrated veggies can be served in casseroles, stews, and soups.
- Crush an assortment of dehydrated veggies together and use them as salad sprinkles.
- Put together your favorite blend of veggies for instant cup-o-soup. Toss in a bullion cube and a few herbs for seasoning.
- Leaf crops such as kale and collards can be seasoned and dehydrated for great snack chips.
- Thin sliced, blanched sweet potatoes make wonderful snack chips.
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