The Joy of Dehydrating

As my garden has been showering me with produce, I've turned my eyes toward winter preservation. Rather than freezing or canning as I've done in the past, this season has been about dehydrating. Dehydrating is easy, quick, and simple. It doesn't require a lot of equipment, prep time, or mess, which is what I need considering the limited time I have available with 2 small children wanting my attention. And the same will be true when it comes time to prepare them in winter-- cooking will be as simple as tossing a handful of dried veggies into the pot.

Some of my latest dehydrating projects have included:

• Zucchini and squash. I'll have loads of zucchini chips to toss into soups, casseroles, sauces, etc.
  
• Peppers. For easy and fast flavor.
• Celery, onions, and carrots. This trio being the famous base for every meal, I'd like to package these together.
• Beans. Well, I would dry them if I had any to spare (not a big harvest this year).
• Tomatoes. Soon they will be ready to dry.
• Corn. I haven't done this yet, but I've read you can blanch ears of corn and slice the kernels onto the dehydrator tray. Then it will be simple to toss them into soups.
• Fruit. I made some apricot leather (made of apricots pureed with stevia and spread in a thin layer on the dehydrator tray) that is a huge hit around here. There are a million combinations of fruit that can be made into leather. Last year I mixed ricotta cheese with the fruit along with vanilla and sweetener, and it turned out tasting just like cheesecake.

For more information check out How To Dry Fruits and Vegetables. I know there is so much more that can be done with the dehydrator, like jerky, herbs, and cookies. Have you been dehydrating? Will you share your ideas and successes?


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