Hints On Reconstitution - Klarstein 10028437 Manual Del Usuario

Location
Cool dark and dry are the keys to maintaining the quality of dried food. Shelves near a window may
need to be covered to keep out light. Glass jars or plastic containers shoud be placed in a paper bag
or in a closed cabinet. Cement walls and floors are often damp and cold. Therefore, dried food con-
tainers should not be placed directly on the floor, or touching a basement or cellar wall as this can
cause condensation in the container. Do not store dried food near items with a strong odour, such as
varnish, paint remover or kerosene.
Length of Storage
Dried fruits and vegetables should not be stored longer than one year. Plan to use all dried meats,
fish, poultry or jerky within a month or two. Label dried foods, and rotate on a first-dried first-to-be-
used basis. Check dried foods periodically. If the food seems more moist than when packed, moisture
is getting into the container. Mould indicates the food was not properly dried before being stored.
Destroy mouldy food.
Dehydration is the process of removing moisture from food. Reconstitution is the replacement of that
moisture to bring the food back to its natural state. Although some dried foods such as fruit are ex-
cellent in their dehydrated state, you will often want to reconstitute other dried foods before eating
them. Here are some tips on reconstitution:
Just Add Water
• For chopped or shredded vegetables, and for fruits to be used in cookies, no reconstitution is usu-
ally needed. lf the pieces are quite crisp and dry you can try sprinkling with 1 Tbs. water per cup
(200 ml) of dried food.
• For vegetables and fruits to be used in souffles, pies, quick breads, doughs or batter, use 2 parts
water to 3 parts (by volume) dried food.
• For vegetables and fruits which will be cooked in the liquid such as vegetable side dishes, fruit top-
pings, and compotes, use 1 to 1 1/2 parts water to 1 part dried food. Extra liquid may be required
for proper cooking.
Other Reconstitution Hints
• If you drain reconstituted foods, save the liquid. This liquid has great nutritional value. Freeze this
liquid for later use in soups, leathers, pies or compotes.
• There is no need to reconstitute ahead of time when making soups. Dried vegetables can be added
directly to the soup about one hour before serving.
• Do not add spices, salt, bouillon cubes or tomato products until vegetables are reconstituted and
cooked. These items considerably hinder rehydration.
• Some foods take longer to reconstitute than others. carrots and beans require more time than
green peas or potatoes. A rule of thumb: those that take the longest to dehydrate will take the
longest to reconstitute.
• Try not to use more liquid than necessary for reconstitution because nutrients will be drained away
with the excess water. Place dehydrated food in a container and use just enough water to cover the
food. Add more water later as needed to replace what the food absorbs.
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Hints on Reconstitution