How To Dehydrate Vegetables Part 3 Recipe
Yield: 1 TextfileRecipe by luhu.jp
Ingredients:
1: Textfile only,
Directions:
HOW TO DRY VEGETABLES
Preheat the dryer. Arrange the prepared vegetable pieces on the drying
trays, leaving a little space between for air circulation. Dry pieces of
similar size on the same tray. Thinly layer grated or diced vegetables, or
small vegetables, such as corn or peas, to allow good air circulation. Stir
them occasionally.
All vegetables except garlic, onions and peppers may be dried together.
Garlic, onions and peppers may be dried with each other, but tend to flavor
milder vegetables. Do not dry extremely thin vegetables or herbs, such as
parsley or greens, in a dryer heavily loaded with larger, more moist fruits
or vegetables.
A controlled temperature must be maintained so that the internal
temperature of the vegetable does not excced 140
F (60
C) anytime during
the drying process. When the dryer is fully loaded and the vegetables are
very moist, the actual temperature of the vegetables may be as much as 20
to 30
F (10
to 15
C) cooler than the air temperature because of the
cooling effect of moisture evaporation. This is why vegetables and most
dried foods are usually dried at higher temperatures at the beginning.
After much of the water has been removed, lower the temperature. If
vegetables reach temperatures above 140
F (60
C), this will cause loss of
nutrients and reduced tenderness. Too low temperature will encourage the
growth of bacterial mold. The drying temperatures and drying times are
given for each vegetable in the charts, "Vegetables A-Z."
LEGUMES, such as shell beans, lentils and soybeans may be partially dried
on the plant. When the pod turns light brown and the seeds are mature, they
should be harvested. If not harvested soon enough, the pods may break,
spilling their seeds on the ground.
Place the pods in a cloth sack and hang it in a warm place to finish
drying, up to 2 weeks. When completely dry, shake or hit the sack to break
the pods and release the seeds. Remove the pods and pour off the seeds.
Pasteurize the seeds (see below). Store them in an airtight moisture-proof
container in a cool dark place.
TESTING FOR DRYNESS
Near the end of drying, check the vegetables frequently and remove those
that appear dried. Remove a piece, let it cool, feel and taste it. Most
vegetables when dry are described as TOUGH, BRITTLE, CRISP OR CRACKING
HARD. Some should shatter if hit with a hammer.
Because vegetables are dried to such a waterless state, the conditioning
process which is used in fruits is not necessary.
SPOILAGE
Unlike home-canned vegetables, there is no danger from botulism in dried
vegetables. Once a vegetable is dried, spoilage will occur only if moisture
is reabsorbed. Spoilage can be caused by the amount of moisture in the
vegetables. The less moisture dried vegetables contain, the longer they
will keep. Generally, they should have no more than 4 or 5 percent moisture
when fully dried, compared to 15 to 20 percent in fruits. If the vegetables
were not completely dry when removed from the dryer or were not packaged
properly, mold and a spoiled smell will tell you they are unsafe to eat.
Long storage time, heat or exposure to air may cause some vegetables to
develop a strong unpleasant taste. They are safe to eat but their
nutritional value may be poor.
PASTEURIZING
Pasteurize dried vegetables only if they have been exposed to insects
while drying. FREEZER METHOD -- Freezing packaged dried vegetables for 48
hours will kill any insect larvae. OVEN METHOD -- Dried vegetables may be
heated in the oven at 160
F (70
C) for 30 minutes before packaging, but
more vitamin loss can occur than with the freezer method.
PACKAGING
Cool vegetables before packaging to prevent any remaining moisture from
condensing in the package. Place only enough dried vegetables in one bag to
be used within one week. Every time a container is opened and the food is
exposed to air, humidity re-enters, causing deterioration.
Vacuum package in glass jars if possible. Vacuum packaging retards
oxidation, one of the primary reasons for quality and nutritive loss. Store
in the coolest place possible, preferably the freezer or refrigerator. If
space isnt available, store in the coolest darkest place in your home (a
root cellar or storage area in the cellar of your house).
If vacuum packaging is not available, dried vegetables should be stored in
freezer bags with as much air removed as possible. Then place bags inside
of airtight glass, plastic or metal containers for long term storage. Since
light fades vegetable colors and decreases their vitamins A and C content,
they should also be protected from the light. ** How To Dry Foods by Deanna
DeLong HPBooks, California
1992 ISBN = 1-55788-050-6
Scanned and formatted for you by The WEE Scot -- paul macGregor
Source from luhu.jp
Preheat the dryer. Arrange the prepared vegetable pieces on the drying
trays, leaving a little space between for air circulation. Dry pieces of
similar size on the same tray. Thinly layer grated or diced vegetables, or
small vegetables, such as corn or peas, to allow good air circulation. Stir
them occasionally.
All vegetables except garlic, onions and peppers may be dried together.
Garlic, onions and peppers may be dried with each other, but tend to flavor
milder vegetables. Do not dry extremely thin vegetables or herbs, such as
parsley or greens, in a dryer heavily loaded with larger, more moist fruits
or vegetables.
A controlled temperature must be maintained so that the internal
temperature of the vegetable does not excced 140
F (60
C) anytime during
the drying process. When the dryer is fully loaded and the vegetables are
very moist, the actual temperature of the vegetables may be as much as 20
to 30
F (10
to 15
C) cooler than the air temperature because of the
cooling effect of moisture evaporation. This is why vegetables and most
dried foods are usually dried at higher temperatures at the beginning.
After much of the water has been removed, lower the temperature. If
vegetables reach temperatures above 140
F (60
C), this will cause loss of
nutrients and reduced tenderness. Too low temperature will encourage the
growth of bacterial mold. The drying temperatures and drying times are
given for each vegetable in the charts, "Vegetables A-Z."
LEGUMES, such as shell beans, lentils and soybeans may be partially dried
on the plant. When the pod turns light brown and the seeds are mature, they
should be harvested. If not harvested soon enough, the pods may break,
spilling their seeds on the ground.
Place the pods in a cloth sack and hang it in a warm place to finish
drying, up to 2 weeks. When completely dry, shake or hit the sack to break
the pods and release the seeds. Remove the pods and pour off the seeds.
Pasteurize the seeds (see below). Store them in an airtight moisture-proof
container in a cool dark place.
TESTING FOR DRYNESS
Near the end of drying, check the vegetables frequently and remove those
that appear dried. Remove a piece, let it cool, feel and taste it. Most
vegetables when dry are described as TOUGH, BRITTLE, CRISP OR CRACKING
HARD. Some should shatter if hit with a hammer.
Because vegetables are dried to such a waterless state, the conditioning
process which is used in fruits is not necessary.
SPOILAGE
Unlike home-canned vegetables, there is no danger from botulism in dried
vegetables. Once a vegetable is dried, spoilage will occur only if moisture
is reabsorbed. Spoilage can be caused by the amount of moisture in the
vegetables. The less moisture dried vegetables contain, the longer they
will keep. Generally, they should have no more than 4 or 5 percent moisture
when fully dried, compared to 15 to 20 percent in fruits. If the vegetables
were not completely dry when removed from the dryer or were not packaged
properly, mold and a spoiled smell will tell you they are unsafe to eat.
Long storage time, heat or exposure to air may cause some vegetables to
develop a strong unpleasant taste. They are safe to eat but their
nutritional value may be poor.
PASTEURIZING
Pasteurize dried vegetables only if they have been exposed to insects
while drying. FREEZER METHOD -- Freezing packaged dried vegetables for 48
hours will kill any insect larvae. OVEN METHOD -- Dried vegetables may be
heated in the oven at 160
F (70
C) for 30 minutes before packaging, but
more vitamin loss can occur than with the freezer method.
PACKAGING
Cool vegetables before packaging to prevent any remaining moisture from
condensing in the package. Place only enough dried vegetables in one bag to
be used within one week. Every time a container is opened and the food is
exposed to air, humidity re-enters, causing deterioration.
Vacuum package in glass jars if possible. Vacuum packaging retards
oxidation, one of the primary reasons for quality and nutritive loss. Store
in the coolest place possible, preferably the freezer or refrigerator. If
space isnt available, store in the coolest darkest place in your home (a
root cellar or storage area in the cellar of your house).
If vacuum packaging is not available, dried vegetables should be stored in
freezer bags with as much air removed as possible. Then place bags inside
of airtight glass, plastic or metal containers for long term storage. Since
light fades vegetable colors and decreases their vitamins A and C content,
they should also be protected from the light. ** How To Dry Foods by Deanna
DeLong HPBooks, California
1992 ISBN = 1-55788-050-6
Scanned and formatted for you by The WEE Scot -- paul macGregor
Source from luhu.jp