Peaches Peel if desired. Cut in half and remove
pit.May also quarter or slice ¼" thick.
Pears
Peel, core, and slice ¼" thick
Pineappl
Peel, core, and slice ¼" thick
e
Plums/
Halve or quarter and remove pit.
Prunes
Rhubarb Trim and discard leaves. Cut stalk into
¼" slices
Strawbe
Remove the leafy crown. Halve or slice
rries
¼" thick
Drying Vegetables
Dry vegetables at 50-55 ℃. Vegetables dry much faster than fruits. At the end of the drying
period moisture loss is rapid. As a result, vegetables need to be checked often towards the
ends of the end of the drying time to prevent over-drying. Food turns brown when it is
over-dried. When drying smaller vegetables, such as peas or carrots, it is recommended
that you place them on a mesh screen on the tray. A mesh screen will help prevent smaller
foods from falling through the grates in the tray as they dehydrate. See information on
before pages, "How to Use the Nonstick Mesh Screens."
Selection and Preparation
Wash vegetables to remove dirt and debris. Trim vegetables to remove fibrous or woody
portions or bruised and decayed areas, peel, and slice using the preparation information
found on the Vegetable Drying Guide on before pages. Slice or cut vegetable into pieces
that are uniform in size. See befores for pretreatment information about specific
vegetables.
Pretreatment
The process of blanching involves subjecting vegetables to a high enough temperature to
deactivate the enzymes. Blanching is necessary to stop the naturally occurring enzymes
from causing loss of color and flavor during drying and storage. Blanching also relaxes the
tissue walls so moisture can more readily escape during drying and enter during
dehydrating; Blanching can be done in water or steam. Water blanching causes a greater
loss of nutrients but is faster than steam blanching and achieves a more even heat
penetration.
Steam Blanching- Fill a deep pot with water and bring to a boil. Place vegetables loosely in a
basket or colander that will allow steam to freely circulate around the vegetables. Do not
fill basket or colander with more than a 2 ½ inch layer of vegetables. Position the basket or
colander in the pot, making sure it does not contact the boiling water. Cover with a close
fitting lid. Steam for the time indicated in the Vegetable Drying Guide on before pages..
See apples
See apples
None
None
None
None
6-10(Slices) 36-
48(halves or
quarters)
7-13
5-12
8-15
6-9
6-12