Thursday, January 6, 2011

Dehydrating index



There are 3 kinds of foods to consider when dehydrating. My goal is to make an index of these 3 groups for reference not only for you, but also for myself. Please leave foods I have missed as comments so I can add them to the list. Thanks!

The 3 groups are:

  1. Food that needs some processing (steaming, blanching, lemon juice or ascorbic acid, etc.)
  2. Food that just needs to be sliced and dried.
  3. Foods that have no business being dehydrated.


I'll update the list as I come across new additions. It will be a work in progress for nearly forever I am sure.

Processed Food:
Steamed Foods, Mostly veggies.
Beets- Cook, peel, slice, dry.
Broccoli- Steam lightly to enhance color and reconstituting abilities.
Carrots- Steam lightly AND spray with lemon juice.
Cauliflower- Steam lightly, 3 minutes. Note, this will always turn brown.
Egg plant- Steam lightly, 2-3 minutes
Potatoes- Steam, 5+ minutes.
Summer Squash- Steam lightly, 3 minutes
Sweet Potatoes- Steam lightly, 3 minutes


Foods needing lemon juice or ascorbic acid to maintain color.
Apples
Apricots
Bananas
Carrots- These need steaming and Lemon juice.
Kiwi
Nectarines
Papaya
Peaches
Pear



Non processed foods. These can be sliced and dried.

Bell Peppers
Blueberry- Note: Stab with toothpick to allow moisture an escape route.
Cherries- Note: Stab with toothpick to allow moisture an escape route.
Dates
Figs
Grapefruit
Grapes- Note: Stab with toothpick to allow moisture an escape route.
Lemon
Lime
Mango
Mushrooms
Okra
Onion
Orange
Pineapple
Plums
Raspberries
Strawberries
Tomatoes
Zucchini


Foods that I feel, turn out very bad being dehydrated
Cantaloupe- People say it can be sliced and dried. I have never liked the result.
Watermelon- People say it can be sliced and dried. I have never liked the result.


2 comments:

  1. Just found you blog and outstanding is all I can say.

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  2. before you read any further please be sure to finish any liquid you have consumed so you dot loose it on the keyboard.
    I have dried watermelon before and I agree it's best not to do it especially if you have also dried tomato's and some one marked the container wrong!
    Did you know that chili with dried watermelon in it tastes very very bad!

    Jim@homestead-hearth.com

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