Owner Manual

9
Uses
Dried vegetables have a unique avor and texture and are best used as ingredients for soups, stews, casseroles, and sauces rather than
stand-alone side dishes. When using in soups, dried vegetables can be added without soaking. Dried vegetables used for other purpos-
es need to be soaked before cooking. To soak, start with 1½ to 2 cups of boiling water for every 1 cup of dried vegetables. Soak for 1
to 2 hours or until vegetables have returned to nearly the same size they were before dehydrating. Additional water should be added
as needed during the soaking process. After soaking, simmer the vegetables in the soaking water until tender, allowing excess water to
evaporate.
Drying Herbs
Drying fresh herbs allows you to have a ready supply of economical herbs that are available to use all through the year. To retain the
best avor of your herbs, it is recommended that you dry them at the lowest temperature setting, 95°F or 35°C.
Selection and Preparation
Pick herbs for drying just before the owers rst open. These herbs will be the most avorful. The best time to pick herbs is in the
early morning just after the dew has evaporated. Rinse leaves and stems in cool water to remove any dust or insects and then gently
shake to remove excess water. Remove dead and bruised leaves or stems. Large leafed herbs, such as basil, sage, and mint, should be
removed from their stems for faster drying. Smaller leafed herbs can be left on their stem and removed after drying. Placing the herbs
on a mesh screen will help prevent them from falling through the grates in the tray during dehydration.
Determining Dryness
Herbs are acceptably dry when they are crispy and crumble easily. Refer to the Herb Drying Guide below and begin checking the
herbs at the beginning of the average drying time range. Remove a few herbs from each dehydrator tray and allow to cool to room
temperature. If the herbs do not crumble easily, recheck every hour.
Packaging and Storage
Dried leaves are best stored whole and then crumbled when needed. Follow “Packaging and Storing Dried Foods” information on
page 11.
Uses
Most dried herbs are 3 to 4 times stronger than the fresh herbs; therefore, when using dried herbs in a recipe that calls for fresh herbs,
use ¼ to ⅓ of the amount called for in the recipe.
Herb Drying Guide
Dry herbs at 95°F or 35°C.
Herb
Average
Drying Time Herb
Average
Drying Time
Basil leaves* 12–20 hours Mint leaves 9–14 hours
Bay leaves 5–7 hours Oregano leaves 9–12 hours
Chives 9–15 hours Parsley leaves 6–8 hours
Cilantro leaves 6–8 hours Rosemary leaves 8–12 hours
Dill leaves 3–5 hours Sage leaves 12–16 hours
Fennel 3–5 hours Tarragon leaves 5–7 hours
Marjoram leaves 9–12 hours Thyme leaves 4–6 hours
*Break veins to speed drying.
Drying Meat/Poultry
Homemade jerky is a avorful dried meat product that is especially popular with outdoor sports enthusiasts because it is light and easy
to transport. Jerky can be made from most lean meat, including beef, pork, or venison,** or poultry.
Whenever handling meat, basic food safety precautions need to be observed:
• Wash hands thoroughly before and after handling raw food.
• Keep product refrigerated or frozen until ready to use.
• Raw meat/poultry and its juice should be kept away from other foods. Wash cutting boards, utensils, counters, etc. with hot, soapy
water after contact with raw meat. After washing, sanitize with a solution of 1 tablespoon chlorine bleach per gallon of water. Allow
surface to air dry.
• Marinate meat/poultry under refrigeration. Discard marinade after meat is removed.
• Keep raw meat/poultry and dried jerky separate.
**Venison or wild game meat that has been contaminated with entrails should not be used for making jerky.