Dehydrating Vegetables
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Dehydration is a way that you can preserve meat, fruits and vegetables while also saving precious freezer space. The basics of dehydrating are pretty simple. You wash your food, cut it into pieces of the same size, put it in your dehydrator with spaces in between each piece, set the heat level, dry and store. Yes, it really is that simple and you can even do it while doing other things.
In the summer time we have a garden that is usually plentiful, so we can what we do every year but their are other items we love to dehydrate. The fresher the vegetables are when you start the dehydrating process the better. So make sure you check out your local farmers markets where often times you can buy in bulk and organic. Our goal is to have enough fresh vegetables and fruits to make it through until the next season.
One of the biggest investments I made about 10 years ago was my Dehydrator and it was the best one I have made for the kitchen. It saves electricity because I can dry several layers of food at the same time. I would suggest picking up a Dehydrator that is 700 watts round in shape for around $60 or a 400 watt dehydrator for $40. You will save money in the end so it is worth the investment.
Some of the advantages to having a dehydrator include:
- Waste free kitchen- all those ends and pieces that normally get thrown out now get put to work. Carrot tops, celery ends, fruit rinds – all of it can be used in dry form (or in re-hydrated form after storage).
- Second, you can pre-season your foods so that when you use the dehydrated form, there’s no seasoning necessary.
- Third, dehydrated goods make a great foundation for gift items when creating kitchen baskets during the holidays.
Uses:
So how can you use the food you dehydrate? You can use it as it is for soups, stews, baking etc. Just remember that the dry item absorbs moisture, so adjust your recipe accordingly.
Make fruit into leathers for a refreshing and healthy treat. Commonly known as Fruit Roll Ups.
1 cup sugar 1/4 cup lemon juice 4 cups fruit Put it all into the blender and let it combine until smooth. Then pour into your dehydrating tray or baking dish if you don’t have a dehydrator.
Once dehydrated, if properly stored dehydrated food stays fresh for at least a year. So get creative and start dehydrating your extras today!!
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