Dehydrating fruits and vegetables
Dehydrating fruits and vegetables
Ingredients
Cooking or snacks
Tomatoes
Zucchini
Kale
Sweet treats
Apples
Pears
Strawberries
Blueberries
Steps
Dehydrator method
Set the temperature at 115° F. Dehydrating above 118° F reduces the nutritional value of the food.
Slice tomatoes and zucchini. I like to use a mandolin for zucchini for consistency and to make sure they are the correct thickness. When you hold a slice of zucchini between your fingers it should bend, but not be too limp. Do not peel your fruits and vegetables, the skin is nutritious helps the slices hold their shape. The zucchini shrinks a lot - so select a larger vegetable.
For kale, remove the stem and rip leaves into large pieces. You can lightly coat the kale with olive oil and sprinkle the kale with a bit of sea salt if you want to enjoy as a chip (note: I massage the oil into the leaves – a small amount of oil goes a long way).
Place your sliced fruit and vegetables on the dehydrator tray. If the fruit is particularly wet (tomatoes) place on parchment paper or a non-stick dehydrator sheet for the first half of the cooking time.
Dehydrate for 6 to 16 hours – the dehydrating time depends on how juicy the fruit and vegetables are and what texture you are after. For tomatoes, remove the non-stick sheet midway through the drying time or when they are dry enough to turn over.
I like my berries, apples and pears a little chewy. The end piece of the tomato also stays chewy because of the skin. I think they are a great addition to a salad. The dry, flat slices of tomato, I store in an airtight container and grind into a powder when I want to infuse a rich tomato flavour in a dish. They can also be thrown into soups and sauces whole.
Dried zucchini rounds make a great platform for an appetizer. See my taco bites recipe on SAGE Plant Cuisine. They are also good to just snack on.
I usually buy the less than perfect apples, pears and tomatoes. They are more affordable and there is nothing wrong with the fruit.
I tried my first dried strawberry when I was in Thailand this winter. It was one of my favorite new discoveries. I highly recommend it.
For best results use fruit and vegetables at their peak of ripeness.
Oven method
Preheat the oven to 200° F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the sliced fruits and vegetables on a baking sheet. Leave in for 4 to 8 hours. The drying time is reduced because of the higher temperature.
If the fruit or vegetable is quite wet, flip midway through the drying time or when they are dry enough to turn over.
