• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
1. Core the apples and slice them into ¼-inch-thick rings. Only peel the apples if you want to—they’re perfectly delicious (and nutritious) with the peels.
2. Place the apples in a bowl of water with the lemon juice so they don’t turn brown.
3. In a smaller bowl, combine the sugar and spices. Remove the apples from the water a few rings at a time and lay them on a paper towel. Blot dry and line in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with the sugar and spice mixture and flip over. Sprinkle the other side of the rings.
4. Place in a single layer on your dehydrator racks, and dehydrate for 4 to 6 hours at 135 degrees F or medium. They’re done when they’re leathery with no signs of moisture when you tear them.
Yields about ¾ pound.
Dried Sugared Pineapples
• 1 pineapple
•½ cup granulated sugar
1. Core and peel the pineapple. Then slice it into ½-inch-thick rings. Finally, cut the rings into chunks.
2. Put the sugar in a small bowl, and toss the pineapple in it a few slices at a time.
3. Layer the pineapple in a single layer on your dehydrator racks, and dry for 24 to 36 hours at 135 degrees F or medium. These will still be sticky because of the high sugar content. For a healthier snack, skip the sugar.
Yields about 8 ounces.
Antioxidant Mix
• 2 cups pitted cherries
• 2 cups blueberries
• 2 cups sliced strawberries
• 2 cups blanched cranberries
• 2 cups apple pieces
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1. Combine all of the fruits in a large bowl and drizzle the lemon juice over them. Toss to combine.
2. Layer in a single layer on the dehydrator racks, and dry at 140 degrees F for 24 to 36 hours or until chewy and leathery.
Yields about 2 cups.
Island Banana Chips
• 6 medium-ripe bananas
• 1 cup pineapple juice
1. Slice the bananas into ¼-inch slices, and place them immediately in the pineapple juice. Peel the bananas as you cut them. The citric acid in the juice will keep them from turning brown, and the juice will add a nice sweet flavor, too.
2. Layer the banana slices onto the dehydrator racks in a single layer, and dry at 140 degrees F (or medium) for 12 to 24 hours or until they’re pliable with no visible sign of moisture. The longer you dry them, the crispier they will get.
Yields about 1 cup.
Drying Vegetables
Any vegetable that is going to be dried, with the exception of mushrooms, onions, and peppers, needs be washed, sliced, and blanched first. All the vegetables must be lined in a single layer on a cookie sheet or large tray to ensure even drying. All vegetables must be dried at 130 degrees F. If you dry them at too high or too low a temperature, the texture isn’t going to be right and you may ruin the entire batch of produce.
The process of drying vegetables is almost identical to drying fruits, except that you probably won’t use any sugar.
While you’re learning to dehydrate foods, it’s best to stick with common vegetables that are easily dried. Some of the best vegetables to start with include:
• Beets
• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Corn
• Green beans
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Peas
• Potatoes
• Sweet peppers
• Tomatoes
• Zucchini
Now that you have a general list of veggies to start with, here are some quick and easy directions for drying these vegetables. Try them a few times, and experiment with flavors and spices. As long as you get them sufficiently dried, the worst thing that can happen is that you’ll need to season them when you’re cooking with them later.
• Beets are a bit messy, so wear gloves. Cook and peel beets, and cut into slices or ¼-inch pieces. They take 3 to 10 hours to dry completely, and they should be slightly leathery.
• Before drying green beans, wash them in cold water and break all the stems off. Break beans into approximately 1-inch pieces. Then they need to be blanched. Afterward, dry for about 6 to 12 hours. They should be brittle.
• Carrots are great to dry, but they get pretty tough. You can either shred them or slice them. Before cutting, wash carrots in cold water and then peel. Dry for 6 to 12 hours, until almost brittle.
• After washing cauliflower, cut into uniform florets, and dry for 6 to 14 hours.
• Corn is probably one of the most time-consuming to dry. First the corn must be dehusked and cleaned, blanched, and then cut off the cob. Try not to get any of the cob into the cuttings. Lay the corn out evenly on a tray or sheet and dry for 6 to 12 hours.
• Broccoli is very similar to cauliflower: wash, cut into florets, and then dry for 4 to 10 hours.
• Onions are very widely used in cooking and are extremely good to have on hand. They also take up lots of space, so drying them is a really efficient way to save space. Slice them about ¼ inch thick, and dry for 6 to 12 hours. They will be crisp when done.
• Mushrooms should not be cleaned with water—simply wipe off any dirt and then either slice or leave them whole, depending on the type of mushroom. The drying time is a bit different as well because mushrooms are sensitive to heat. They need to be dried at a temperature of 90 degrees F for 3 hours, and 125 degrees F for the rest of the drying time. Mushrooms have a total drying time of approximately 4 to 10 hours, until they are brittle.
• Peas are super easy. Blanch slightly, pour onto tray, and dry for 5 to 12 hours. Peas are great when added to a rice-cracker mix or trail mix.
• With a bit of salt, potatoes make a great dried snack. Slice the potatoes into extra-thin slices, and dry for 6 to 12 hours until crisp like a potato chip.
• Zucchini makes a tasty chip as well. Wash, slice thin, and dry for 5 to 10 hours. These should be brittle.
• Tomatoes are a bit more work. Dunk each tomato in boiling water; this will make the skin fall off easier. Peel and either quarter or slice. Dry for 6 to 12 hours until they are nice and crisp.
• Sweet peppers are delicious dried and having them pre-prepped for a meal is a huge time-saver. Remove all the seeds, and chop or leave whole (depends on the size of the pepper). They take about 5 to 12 hours to become leathery.
Dried Veggie Recipes
Dried Trinity
This is a staple in nearly all soups and bases. Having a supply in an emergency situation can bring flavor and nutrition to meats, stews, and even rice and pasta.
• 3 cups chopped celery
• 3 cups chopped carrots
• 3 cups chopped onions
• 2 teaspoons salt (optional)
1. Mix the celery, carrots, onions, and salt together in a big bowl.
2. Spread in the dehydrator in a single layer. Dry at 140 degrees F for 4 to 6 hours or until the veggies are crispy. Test for doneness by placing in a sealed baggie or jar for 24 hours and watching for condensation. If there is none, dry can or vacuum seal to increase shelf life. Dry canning and vacuum packing is explained in the next chapter.