drying herbs, spices, chilis, fruits, n veggies
In my journey of learning the ins and outs of food preservation, I have grown to thoroughly enjoy dehydrating various herbs, spices, vegetables, and even fruits to achieve shelf-stability. It honestly kinda becomes an addiction.
If you do not own a dehydrator, almost any kind of produce can be dehydrated using a conventional oven, and you can easily supplement some your own pantry staples like spices, herbs, teas, and flavorings without visiting the expensive spice section of the grocery store. These dried items can be stored for many months or even years, and are still packed with nutrients.
Note: a dehydrator is always recommended over the oven as it requires less energy and less hands-on work. But if you are not a full time dehydrator and simply looking to experiment, a conventional oven will do just fine.
Here are some items that can be dehydrated and stored:
Keep in mind this is not an exhaustive list, and it’s up to you to experiment!
Spices
Garlic (for powder)
Ginger (for powder)
Turmeric root (for powder)
Onion
Crushed red pepper flakes or whole chilis
Herbs
Thyme
Basil
Oregano
Mint
Sage
Rosemary
Vegetables
Carrots
Corn kernels
Peas
Onion
Celery
Bell pepper
Mushroom
Kale/spinach
Potatoes (for oven-baked chips)
Green beans
Garlic
Apple
Mango
Plum
Banana (for banana chips)
Apricot
Pineapple
Tomatoes (for ‘sun’-dried tomatoes)
Tea ingredients
Citrus peels (go light on these if you’re making tea mixtures, they can make tea bitter if you use too much)
Berries (such as Hawthorn, Juniper, even blackberries or raspberries)
Edible flowers
Pine needles
Lavender
Chicory
Fresh lemongrass
Fresh turmeric
Fresh ginger root
If you are a home gardener - black, white, green can be grown at home then dried
A very simple process
Rinse off your choice ingredients and preheat your oven to 170 degrees (the lowest temperature for modern ovens). Place your ingredients in one layer on a baking sheet, and let it sit with the oven door slightly open in order to let the moisture out and prevent burning. Check every 10-30 minutes (depending on what you’re dehydrating) until dry and crispy, and can be easily crumbled by finger.
Some things take quite a bit longer than others, while others (such as spinach and kale) will be done in about 30 minutes to 1 hour. Thin leaves and herbs will be the quickest to dry, while vegetables and berries will take the longest. That is why it is important to make sure that you slice your ingredients very thin. If you are making a powder, like garlic, ginger, or onion, you want your slices to be very thin so that they can be easily ground into powder.
For vegetables like corn, peas, onions, carrots, berries, apricots, plums, etc, it will take a long time to dry - anywhere from 3-6 hours. Pick them up by hand and make sure that they harden and have as little give as possible when you squeeze them, otherwise they are not fully dehydrated.
If you want to make a spice or crushed red pepper, use a mortar and pestle. Dried herbs can be crushed by hand.
Some ideas for dehydrated ingredients:
Spinach or kale - crushed up and sprinkle on other dishes for extra nutrients
Ingredients like dandelion, Hawthorn berries and leaves, rose hips, chicory, pine needles blackberries, and much more can be foraged either in the wild or sometimes on city streets, then dehydrated to make your own teas
It is possible to make your own beef jerky using a dehydrator, but I would not recommend trying it in the oven. Here’s a good recipe I found for making beef jerky in a dehydrator
Slice a non-pithy apple (such as honeycrisp) very thin, sprinkle it with cinnamon and bake at 225 degrees for 1-1/2 to 2 hours to make apple chips (keep refrigerated for about 7 days but no more)
I actually keep a jar in my cupboard with a varied mix of dehydrated vegetables in it (corn, celery, carrot, spinach, kale, garlic, onion, bell pepper, + some dried herbs and spices). They can be added to soups for the extra nutrients and then refilled regularly. It is shelf-stable since they’re dehydrated!
See my recipe for Thai Chili Oil - dehydrated and crushed Thai chili peppers soaked in avocado oil
Another Idea:
Consider making pre-made soup mixes using dehydrated ingredients. Fill ziploc sandwich bags with appropriate portions of dried pasta, dried herbs and spices, powdered chicken or vegetable bouillon, and some dehydrated vegetables, then simply boil an appropriate amount of water and add the contents of the bag. It make take some experimentation to figure out the right combinations and amounts of each ingredient, but it could be a fun idea for making cheap, easy-to-make, and non-perishable meals. The vegetables rehydrate surprisingly well. If you have a propane-powered camp stove, I recommend this as a backup meal for situations where you might not have access to refrigeration or electricity, such as camping, road trips, or even power outages.
Remember that almost any plant can be dehydrated and stored in your cupboard, so be creative and take stock of what is available to you! I hope that sharing my love for this practice can inspire others to do the same, and feel free to share your ideas and experiences with food dehydration in the comments below.
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