Nesco Food Dehydrator manual Selection, Preparation, Steam Blanching, Microwave Blanching, Drying

Drying

Vegetables

ome vegetables are quite good dried. SOthers lose their appeal and are better frozen or fresh. Some vegetables are far better frozen than dried, if you must

preserve them. Vegetables have a low acid and sugar content that makes them more subject to spoilage, and tend to have a far shorter shelf life than dried fruits. Packaging and ideal storage conditions are key elements to producing dried vegetables which will taste as good in December as they did in the summer from your garden!

Selection

Choose fresh, crisp vegetables for a high quality dehydrated product. Just like fruits, vegetables should be picked ripe and dried as soon as possible to mini- mize nutritional loss.

Preparation

Wash vegetables thoroughly and remove any blemishes. Peel, trim, core, and/or slice vegetables.

action which will continue during drying and storage. Water blanching is not recommended because of the loss of water soluble vitamins and minerals.

Note: Blanching softens the cell struc- ture, allowing the moisture to escape more easily and also allows vegetables to rehydrate faster. There is no need to blanch onions, garlic, peppers, and mushrooms. Herbs also are not blanched.

Steam Blanching

Use a commercial steamer or a pan with a tight fitting lid and a steaming rack. Bring about 1 inch of water to a brisk boil and drop in sliced vegetables. Cover. Steam until vegetables are heated completely through, but not cooked. This is usually about 1⁄3 of the time required to cook the vegetable. Vegetables should still be crunchy. Drain in steamer rack and place imme- diately on dryer trays.

Blanching

Most vegetables must be blanched, either by steaming over boiling water or in the microwave to slow the enzyme

Microwave Blanching

A microwave is ideal for blanching vegetables. Prepare them in the same manner as for steam blanching. Place them in a microwave-safe dish, cover,

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