Category:

Dehydrating

How to Dehydrate Celery: A Step-by-Step Guide

by Margauex November 6, 2023

written by Margauex

Dehydrating celery is a fantastic way to preserve this nutritious and versatile vegetable, extending its shelf life and creating a handy pantry staple for a variety of culinary uses. Dehydrated celery can be used in soups, stews, and seasoning blends. Stock up on celery when it goes on sale to enjoy all year long.

What Do I need to dehdrate Celery?

Fresh celery stalks
A knife and cutting board
Dehydrator. I use an Excalibur dehydrator. I highly recommend this dehydrator. It is the easiest one I have found to use and drys everything really well.
Airtight containers for storing the dried celery. I use mason jars. but any airtight container will do.
If planning on storing long term (less than 1 year) oxygen absorbers and a way to seal whatever you are storing in. For mason jars I use this attachment for my foodsaver. If you do not have a food saver this tool is a great option.

Do I need to blanch celery before dehydrating?

A lot of places recommend you blanch your celery before dehydrating. CSU says “Pre-treating vegetables by blanching is recommended to enhance quality and safety. Blanching improves color and texture, relaxes tissues so pieces dry faster, reduces the time needed to rehydrate vegetables, and helps to destroy potentially harmful bacteria. “.

I have found that blanching celery before hand makes it mushy when rehydrated. Because of this, I personally do not blanch celery. If you wash the celery really well before dehydrating it, I have found that it rehydrates well and lasts just fine. I am not sure about the bacteria thing, but personally, I feel like you eat fresh celery after washing it just fine so I do not see the problem in it. That is just my opinion and you should do what you feel safest doing for your family.

How do I use Dehydrated Celery?

Celery that has been dehydrated and then rehydrated will never be as crisp as fresh celery. So using it for a veggie tray is probably not going to work out for you.

What I have found it works best in is, soups, stews, and chicken/beef/veggie pot pies. It does well in chicken salad/egg salad also. It will not be as crunchy as fresh but still is decent.

You can also put it in a blender and make celery powder or add salt for celery salt.

How should I prepare my celery to dehydrate?

First, you are going to cut the tops and bottom off the stock. Then wash each stock really well in your sink. Pat as much moisture off of each stalk as you can.

As far as cutting the celery it is all personal preference. You do not want the celery bigger than about 1/4”. I prefer to dice mine using my chopper. I’ve used both sizes of the diced square and they both work fine. I prefer the small diced just because I do not like big chunks of celery in my stuff. The smaller size makes it easier to hide in dishes for my toddler.

This tray held 8 celery stocks

How do I store dehydrated celery?

You will want to store your dehydrated celery in an airtight container. Check out my post on The Basics of Dehydrating here for a more in-depth guide on how to store dehydrated foods.

How long and at what Temperature do I Dehydrate Celery?

I find the best temperature to dehydrate celery is 130°. This process usually takes about 6-12 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen, the efficiency of your dehydrator, and how thick your slices are.

I usually set mine at night before I go to bed and it is dry in the morning when I get up. It is really difficult to overdry food, so setting it overnight pretty much guarantees it will be completely dry in the morning.

How to Dehydrate Celery

Step 1: Select and Prepare Your Celery

Start by choosing fresh and crisp celery stalks. If there are any brown spots or signs of decay, remove them. Wash the celery thoroughly to remove any dirt or residue. Use a vegetable peeler to remove any tough or stringy fibers on the outside of the stalks if desired.

Step 2: Slice the Celery

Using a sharp knife, slice the celery into even pieces. You can cut them into thin strips or small pieces, depending on your preference. The thickness should be uniform to ensure even drying.

Step 3: Pre-treatment (Optional)

Some people prefer to blanch the celery briefly before dehydrating to preserve its color and flavor. To do this, bring a pot of water to a boil, and blanch the celery for 1-2 minutes. Immediately transfer the blanched celery to an ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Drain and pat them dry with a paper towel before proceeding.

Step 4: Arrange on Dehydrator Trays

Place the celery slices or pieces on the dehydrator trays, ensuring they are evenly spaced and not overlapping. This allows for proper air circulation and uniform drying.

Step 5: Set the Dehydrator Temperature

Consult your dehydrator’s manual for the recommended temperature settings for vegetables. In general, celery should be dried at a temperature between 125°F and 130°F. The process can take anywhere from 6 to 12 hours.

Step 6: Monitor and Rotate

During the drying process, periodically check on the celery to ensure that it’s drying evenly. Rotate the trays if necessary to ensure all pieces are dehydrated uniformly.

Step 7: Test for Dryness

To check if the celery is fully dehydrated, remove a piece and let it cool to room temperature. It should be crisp and brittle with no moisture content. If there’s any flexibility or moisture, it needs more time in the dehydrator.

Step 8: Cool and Store

Once your celery is properly dehydrated, let it cool to room temperature. Then transfer it to airtight containers. You can store it as whole pieces or grind it into a powder for use as a seasoning or in spice blends. Be sure to label the containers with the date of dehydration for reference.

Tips

Make sure before you store your dehydrated foods you condition them.

To condition, place cooled dried fruit loosely in large plastic or glass containers, about two-thirds full. Cover with a lid and store in a warm, dry well-ventilated place. Shake the jar and feel the food every day for a week. If there is evidence of moisture, return the food to the dryer.

Conclusion

Dehydrating celery is a straightforward process that allows you to preserve this vegetable’s flavor and nutritional value. With a little time and the right equipment, you can create your own dried celery to enhance the flavor of your favorite dishes or enjoy as a healthy and crunchy snack. Plus, having dried celery in your pantry is a convenient way to add depth and nutrition to your culinary creations year-round. Give it a try and enjoy the benefits of this DIY food preservation technique!

November 6, 2023 0 comments

Dehydrating

Dehydrated Apple Slices

by Margauex October 20, 2023

written by Margauex

Do you love dehydrated apples but not the cost? Making your own is an easy and cheap alternative to store-bought dehydrated fruit. Dehydrated apple chips are a tasty treat the whole family will love. You can also rehydrate them and use them in lots of recipes like apple pie filling or roast them with Brussels Sprouts. They also make an awesome salad topping.

How do I store dehydrated apples?

You want to store the apples in an airtight container. If I won’t be using them within 6 months, I just put them in a mason jar and store them in my pantry. For longer-term storage, I store mine in a mason jar that I seal with my food saver and jar sealer attachment, in a cool dark place. Mine go in my root cellar but any cool place that doesn’t get much light will do.

How Long do Dehydrated apples last?

Some sources say 6 months to a year. I have had them last 18 months in sealed mason jars with oxygen absorbers. If you store them in myler bags they can last up to 30 years.

What kind of apples should I use?

I have seen people say that you don’t want to use apples that are better for fresh eating, that they end up kinda bland and tasteless. They say to use apples that taste good when cooked like Granny Smith, Empire, or Golden Delicious. I personally haven’t found that to be an issue. I primarily use Honeycrisp and Fuji Apples for dehydration and find them perfectly sweet.

Prepping The Apples

I use this apple peeler to prep my apples. I don’t use the peeler part, just the corer, and slicer. It takes about 5 seconds per apple to get them perfectly and evenly sliced. You will also want a bowl with cold water and either lemon juice or citric acid. If you use lemon juice, you must rinse them after you soak them. They will end up tasting salty if you don’t. The ratios for each are listed below:

1 tablespoon lemon juice per 1 cup water
2-3 tablespoons citric acid per 4 cups of water

I prefer the citric acid for a couple of reasons. I use my lemon juice primarily for canning. You use so much less citric acid than lemon juice that it just seems like a better deal for me. Lemon juice adds up when you use it as much as I do in canning. Especially if you are using organic, which is what I do.

How Long Do I dry the apples for and at what temperature?

I dehydrate my apple slices at 130°. There are a couple of factors that will affect your time drying.

How powerful your dehydrator is.
How warm and humid is your space where you are dehydrating.

I live in a more humid environment so it took me about 10 hours to get them completely dry. The truth is it is going to take as long as it takes. You don’t want to underdry your food. Leaving moisture will allow bacteria to grow and your food will go bad. Dehydrators do not really take up that much space, so having it out for a day or so running is not a huge deal for me. You can not really overdry dehydrated foods, with the main exception being fruit leathers, so letting it go longer is safer than pulling it off early. By letting it go longer it’s a guarantee that it will be dry.

Tips

Sprinkle cinnamon on your apples before you start dehydrating them for a cinnamon apple treat. I like to do an apple pie spice blend and make apple pie chips.
This recipe also works for apple rings.
Grind slices in your blender to a powder to use for baking.

[penci_recipe]

October 20, 2023 0 comments

Dehydrating

Dehydrating 101

by Margauex September 9, 2023

written by Margauex

Food dehydration is a preservation technique that involves removing the moisture from fruits and vegetables to extend their shelf life. By eliminating moisture, the growth of microorganisms that cause spoilage is inhibited, allowing dehydrated fruits and vegetables to be stored for much longer periods compared to their fresh counterparts. Depending on storage conditions, dehydrated fruits and vegetables can have a shelf life ranging from several months to even years, making them a convenient and long-lasting option for enjoying the flavors of seasonal produce year-round.

More information on shelf life can be found here.

How Do I Get Started Dehydrating?

Choose a Dehydrator

The first step in dehydrating is deciding how you are going to dehydrate your food. There are many different options ranging from setting it in the sun, electric dehydrators, and even solar dehydration.

Option 1: Solar Dehydration

All American Sun Oven is a great option. It can be used for both cooking and dehydrating. This oven is on the top of my wish list for the future.

You can also DIY a solar oven. There are a few different versions I have linked below.

- My favorite that I would love to try. HERE!

- Here a more simple one that is a good option.

- You can even use your car as a dehydrator too!

Option 2: Electric Dehydrator

Excalibur 9 Tray:

I won't recommend any other electric dehydrator. I have tried a couple of different brands and the Excalibur is the best. Initially, I got a more budget-friendly dehydrator and it just didn't work. It would blow hot air from the top pushing it down, resulting in unevenly dried foods that took so long. I eventually just stopped trying and put it in storage. It's saved for when we start drying mealworms for our chickens. I should have just gotten the Excalibur to start, saving me time, money and frustration.

Option 3: Using your kitchen oven as a dehydrator

Using your oven as a dehydrator is a convenient option when you don’t have a dedicated food dehydrator. While it may not be as energy-efficient as a specialized dehydrator, it can still effectively dry fruits, vegetables, herbs, and even meats.

Your oven will need to be at low heat. For most ovens, this is around 170 degrees, which is still too hot for dehydrating. The ideal temperature is roughly 125 degrees. You can open your oven door slightly and turn on your fan if it has one. This is pretty impractical in the summertime when it’s so hot outside but may be okay in late fall/winter. I have used the oven to dehydrate rice for sizzling rice soup. It takes a long time but does work.

How do I dehydrate my food?

Dehydrating fruit and vegetables is a pretty simple process. In most cases all you need to do is peel if desired, cut to the size you’d like (the thinner it is the faster it will dehydrate), remove pits/seeds, and then begin drying.

Some fruits and vegetables do require blanching before the drying process. You can also treat some fruits with Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), Citric Acid, or Lemon Juice, to preserve color. For most foods, all it takes is 1 minute in boiling water then immediately into an ice bath to stop the cooking. Drain well then place on your trays to dry.

Fruits that should be blanched:

Dehydrating fruit and vegetables is a pretty simple process. In most cases, all you need to do is peel if desired, cut to the size you’d like (the thinner it is the faster it will dehydrate), remove pits/seeds, and then begin drying.

Stone Fruits (Peaches, Plums, Nectarines, Cherries): Stone fruits often benefit from blanching to help remove the skin easily and to preserve their color and flavor. To blanch, cut a small “X” on the bottom of the fruit, blanch for 30 seconds to 1 minute, and then transfer to ice water to cool. The skin should easily peel off after blanching.
Apples: While blanching apples is not always necessary, it can help prevent browning and preserve their color. To blanch, slice the apples thinly and blanch for 1-2 minutes before cooling in ice water.
Apricots: Like other stone fruits, apricots can be blanched to remove the skin and maintain their color and flavor.
Grapes: Blanching grapes briefly can help preserve their texture and flavor during dehydration.
Tomatoes: While tomatoes are technically fruits, they are often treated like vegetables in cooking. Blanching is commonly used to remove the skins before drying or making tomato-based products like sun-dried tomatoes.
Berries (Strawberries, Blueberries, etc.): Berries are usually not blanched before dehydrating. Instead, they can be washed, hulled (for strawberries), and then dried directly. However, you may consider a quick rinse in a vinegar-water solution to help clean them.

Vegetables that should be blanched:

Leafy Greens (Spinach, Kale, Collard Greens): Blanching leafy greens briefly (usually for 1-2 minutes) can help preserve their vibrant green color and remove excess moisture.
Broccoli: Blanching broccoli florets for about 3-4 minutes helps retain their color and flavor while also ensuring they are fully cooked before dehydrating.
Cauliflower: Similar to broccoli, cauliflower can be blanched for about 3-4 minutes before dehydrating to maintain its quality.
Carrots: Blanching carrot slices or sticks for 3-4 minutes helps preserve their color and texture during drying.
Green Beans: Green beans should be blanched for about 3-4 minutes before dehydrating to prevent them from becoming tough and to retain their color.
Asparagus: Blanch asparagus spears for about 2-3 minutes before dehydrating to maintain their vibrant green color and flavor.
Peas: Peas can be blanched for 1-2 minutes to preserve their color and texture.
Corn: Corn kernels can be blanched for about 4-6 minutes to partially cook them before dehydrating. This helps maintain their sweetness and texture.
Bell Peppers: Blanching bell pepper strips for 2-3 minutes can help preserve their color and flavor.
Zucchini and Summer Squash: While not always necessary, blanching zucchini and summer squash for 2-3 minutes can help maintain their texture and color during drying.
Tomatoes: For dehydrating tomatoes, blanching is often used to remove the skin. Make a small “X” on the bottom of each tomato, blanch for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, and then transfer to ice water to easily peel the skin before dehydrating.

A good rule of thumb is to treat your veggies how you would before eating for dehydration. For example, before dehydrating potatoes you will need to fully cook them while for broccoli you’ll need to just steam them until they turn bright green. Once cooked how you would eat it, you can dehydrate it.

How do I know when the food is dry?

Most foods will be brittle and break under pressure. Sometimes with foods like apples, peaches, strawberries, tomatoes, etc., there will be some flex to the dried food. It should feel like paper with no moisture remaining. If unsure, just keep drying, it is pretty difficult to over-dry food.

How do I store my dehydrated food?

Storage can be put into two categories, short-term and long-term. I use almost all my dehydrated food over winter so I don’t need a lot of long-term storage.

Short-Term Storage (Less than 1 Year)

For short-term storage, you’ll need to store your food in an airtight container. I use mason jars and seal the top with my food saver with this attachment. Keep containers out of sunlight and store them in a cool dark place.

Long-Term Storage ( 1-10 years)

There are several ways to store dehydrated foods long term. Here are a couple of options that I have used in the past to store food.

Option 1: Use an airtight container with an oxygen absorber.

This is my most commonly used method. I store all my dehydrated foods in mason jars so adding an oxygen absorber is an easy step.

Option 2: Vacuum Packing

This doesn’t work for more fragile foods like herbs but will work for everything else. You’ll also need to use an oxygen absorber to absorb any excess air that may be in the package.

Option 3: Mylar Bags

Mylar is a great long-term storage solution. Make sure you label your bag because you won’t be able to see what is inside. You’ll also need to pop in an oxygen absorber before you seal it with a hot iron. The absorber should remove all air from the bag making it look vacuum sealed.

How do I use dehydrated food for cooking?

Using dehydrated food can seem difficult if you have never really used it before. Fruits are pretty delicious raw and dehydrated. They are an awesome addition to homemade trail mixes and granola. To rehydrate them, place them in a bowl of lukewarm water for about 15 minutes. You can eat them fresh or use them in recipes that call for fruit. It’s a good way to add fruit to your baked food.

Vegetables can be a bit tricky. To rehydrate vegetables, place them in a bowl and cover them with boiling water. It usually only takes about 15 minutes to rehydrate but some veggies can take up to 30 minutes. My favorite way to use dehydrated vegetables is in soups. I don’t rehydrate them when placing them in soups. Just make sure to compensate for the amount of liquid they absorb by adding a bit extra water or broth.

There are a couple of good books that I recommend checking out.

September 9, 2023 0 comments