Dehydrating Fruits And Vegetables; Food Preparation; Pretreatment; Determining Dryness - Hamilton Beach 32100 Use And Care Manual

Dehydrating Fruits and Vegetables

A. Food Preparation
• Always wash hands before starting food preparation.
• Wash all fruits and vegetables before preparation.
• Choose fruits and vegetables that are in season for the best flavor.
• Discard any fruits and vegetables that have bruises or mold.
• Cut foods the same thickness, size, or shape before drying to
ensure even drying.
• Some foods, like garlic, onions, cauliflower, and broccoli, have a
strong smell when drying.
B. Pretreatment
• Some fruits and vegetables require pretreatment before drying.
Blanch or add color protectors to preserve natural color.
How to Blanch (see *B on pages 10 and 11)
Blanching is recommended for some vegetables to help prevent
color and flavor loss during drying and storage. Blanching is
used to break the skins on some fruits to help shorten the drying
process.
• Bring a large stockpot filled with cold water to a rolling boil.
• Place cleaned fruits or vegetables in a strainer with a handle.
• Dip strainer into the boiling water for the recommended time.
• Make sure that all the fruits or vegetables are covered with water
for even blanching.
• After blanching is complete, plunge into a large bowl filled with
ice water to stop the blanching process.
• Drain and completely pat dry the fruits or vegetables before
dehydrating.
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How to Protect Color (see #C on page 10)
Some fruits and potatoes may discolor during the drying process.
To protect the color, follow these steps.
• Prepare a solution of equal parts lemon juice and water.
• Dip pieces into the solution; drain.
• If using a commercial fruit preservative, follow package
directions.
C. Determining Dryness
• Many things influence drying time, including moisture content,
type and amount of food, shape and evenness of food slices, air
temperature, humidity, and your personal preference in texture of
your food.
• Drying charts are a guideline. Drying times and temperatures vary
for different types of foods; start checking food at the minimum
recommended time referenced on the chart. If the food is not listed
on the chart, pick a similar food.
• Combine any remaining food to upper trays for ease of checking
doneness.
• Check all trays for doneness at the minimum recommended time
on the chart.
• All fruits should be able to bend and be slightly soft but not be
tacky, except for apples and bananas which should be crisp.
• All vegetables should be crisp and easily broken.