|
|
Table 1
How to Prepare
Vegetables for Drying
|
| Vegetables |
Preparation |
Recommended
Storage Time |
|
| Beans, Snap |
Wash, snap off ends and cut diagonally to expose most
surface area
into 1 or 1/2 inch lengths. Water blanch 3-4 minutes. Steam blanch 4-6
minutes. Dry. |
70 ° F
3-4 months |
60 ° F
4-6 months |
|
| Beets |
Remove tops leaving 2 inches of top and wash. Steam until
almost tender.
Peel. Cut into strips 1/8-inch thick and dry. |
3-4 months |
4-6 months |
|
| Carrots |
Top, wash, and scrape. Dice or slice 1/4-inch thick. Water
blanch 3
minutes, steam blanch 4 minutes. Dry. |
4-6 months |
6-8 months |
|
| Celery |
Wash, cut stalks crosswise into 1/4-inch slices. Water
blanch 1 minute.
Dry. |
1-2 months |
2-4 months |
|
| Corn |
Husk, remove silks and trim ends. Steam blanch whole ears of
corn 3
minutes. Cut kernels from cob after blanching. Dry. |
3-4 months |
4-6 months |
|
| Tomatoes |
Dip in boiling water to loosen skins. Slice crosswise into
1/4-inch
thick slices and dry. |
3-4 months |
3-4 months |
|
| Onions |
Wash, remove outer paper skins. Remove top and root ends.
Slice into
quarter sections 1/4-inch to 1/8-inch thick. No blanching required. |
2-4 months |
4-6 months |
|
| Peas |
Wash, shell. Water blanch 2 minutes. Steam blanch 3 minutes.
Dry |
3-4 months |
4-6 months |
|
Peppers and
Pimentoes |
Wash, cut out stem, remove seeds and partitions. Dice or
slice. No
Blanching required. Dry. |
6-8 months |
8-12
months |
|
| Potatoes |
Wash, peel, remove deep eyes, bruises, and green surface
coloring.
Cut in ¼- to ½- inch cubes. Blanch 5 minutes over water
containing
1 teaspoon sodium bisulfite per cup of water until translucent but
firm.
Rinse to remove gelled starch. Dry. |
2-4 months |
4-6 months |
|
| Summer Squash |
Wash, peel, slice 1/4-inch to 1/8-inch thick. You can grate
zucchini
for use in soups. Dry. |
< 1
months |
1-2 months |
|
| Mushrooms* |
Clean and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices and dry. No
blanching required. |
1-2 months |
2-4 months |
|
| * |
Warning. The toxins of
poisonous
mushrooms are not destroyed by drying or cooking. Only an expert can
differentiate
betweeen poisonous and edible varieties. |
|
|
|
| Did You Know? |
A
food dehydrator is an appliance that removes moisture from food to aid
in its preservation. A food dehydrator uses heat and air flow to reduce
the water content of foods. The water content of food is usually very
high, typically 80% to 95% for various fruits and vegetables and 50% to
75% for various meats. Removing moisture from food restrains various
bacteria from growing and spoiling food. Further, removing moisture
from food dramatically reduces the weight of the food. Thus, food
dehydrators are used to preserve and extend the shelf life of various
foods.
A food dehydrator's basic parts usually consist of a heating element, a
fan, air vents allowing for air circulation and food trays to lay food
upon. A dehydrator's heating element, fans and vents simultaneously
work to remove moisture from food. A dehydrator's heating element warms
the food causing its moisture to be released from its interior. The
appliance's fan then blows the warm, moist air out of the appliance via
the air vents. This process continues for hours until the food is dried
to a substantially lower water content, usually fifteen to twenty
percent or less.
Most foods are dehydrated at temperatures of 130 degrees Fahrenheit, or
54 degrees Celsius, although meats being made into jerky should be
dehydrated at a higher temperature of 155 degrees Fahrenheit, or 68
degrees Celsius, or preheated to those temperature levels, to guard
against pathogens that may be in the meat. The key to successful food
dehydration is the application of a constant temperature and adequate
air flow. Too high of a temperature can cause case hardened foods; food
that is hard and dry on the outside but moist on the inside.
|
|
|
|
