Salton VitaPro DH1246A Instruction Booklet page 8

VEGETABLES
Preparation and Pretreatment
1. Choose vegetables that are fresh and crisp.
2. Wash thoroughly and dry. Remove any blemishes or spoiled spots.
3. Whenever possible slice vegetables into 6 mm (1/4") slices. For other
vegetables follow instructions in the drying chart.
4. As with fruits, pretreating of vegetables is optional. If you wish you can
pretreat vegetables to help retain colour, extend shelf life and enhance
nutritional value. Pretreat vegetables by blanching or steam blanching
as described below.
a) Blanching
Soak vegetables in boiling water for 1 – 2 minutes. Plunge into ice
cold water. Drain. Place on paper towels and pat dry. Place on
Dehydrator Trays.
b) Steam Blanching
Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Place vegetables in a colander
above the saucepan and cover. See Vegetable Drying Chart for cooking
time. Plunge vegetables into ice cold water. Drain. Place vegetables on
paper towels and pat dry. Place on Dehydrator Trays.
c) Microwave Blanching
NOTE: Microwave blanching leaves the vegetables with a brighter
colour than steam blanched vegetables.
Place a small amount of water in a shallow, microwave-safe cooking
dish. Refer to your microwave instructions for cooking times. Use only
1/4 of the time suggested. Plunge vegetables into ice cold water.
Drain. Place vegetables on paper towels and pat dry.
Vegetable Drying Chart
Vegetables should be dried at 50 - 55°C (120 - 130°F). Greens such as spinach
and kale should be dried at 40°C (105°F). Exact dehydrating time varies greatly
depending on several factors: Type, size, quality of food, quantity placed on
trays and personal preference. Use the Vegetable Drying Time Chart as a
guideline. It will help to keep notes on the type of food, weight before and
after drying, total drying time and final results.
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