Drying Herbs - Presto Dehydro Electric Food Dehydrator Instructions Manual

prevent smaller foods from falling through the grates in the tray as they dehydrate.
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 page 8. Slice or cut vegetables into pieces that are
uniform in size. See guide on page 8 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 neces-
sary 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 rehydrating. 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 2½-inch layer of vegetables. Posi-
tion 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 page 8.
Water blanching – Fill a large pot ⅔ full with water. Cover and bring to a boil. Place vegetables loosely in a basket or colander
and submerge in the boiling water. Cover and blanch for the time indicated in the Vegetable Drying Guide. Water should return to
a boil in less than 1 minute. If not, too many vegetables were added to the basket; reduce the amount of vegetables added for the
next batch. Water blanch for the time indicated in the Vegetable Drying Guide on page 8.
Immediately after steam or water blanching, dip the vegetables in cold water to quickly cool them. Drain the vegetables and arrange
them in a single layer on the dehydrator trays. Refer to the Vegetable Drying Guide on page 8 for drying times.
Determining Dryness
Refer to the Vegetable Drying Guide on page 8 and begin checking the vegetables at the beginning of the average drying time range.
Remove a few pieces of vegetables from each dehydrator tray and allow to cool to room temperature. Test for dryness by breaking the
pieces in half. Most vegetables will be crisp when appropriately dried and will break easily. If vegetables do not break easily, addition-
al drying time is needed. If vegetables seem to have a lot of moisture remaining, recheck every 1 to 2 hours. If vegetables appear to be
almost done, check again in 30 minutes. Always check vegetables from each tray.
Follow "Packaging and Storage" information on page 3.
Uses
Dried vegetables have a unique flavor 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 pur-
poses 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. This dehydra-
tor works best for herbs such as chives, cilantro, and parsley. Aromatic herbs, such as basil, mint, oregano, rosemary, and sage are not
recommended.
Selection and Preparation
Pick herbs for drying just before the flowers first open. These herbs will be the most flavorful. The best time to pick herbs is 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. Placing the herbs on a mesh screen* will help prevent them from
falling through the grates in the tray as they dehydrate.
Drying Time
Herbs dry very quickly in this dehydrator. Check herbs from each of the dehydrator trays every ten minutes. Drying time will range
from 30 minutes to 1 hour. Overdrying herbs will result in a scorched flavor.
Determining Dryness
Herbs are acceptably dry when they are crispy and crumble easily.
Packaging and Storage
Dried leaves are best stored whole and then crumbled when needed. Follow "Packaging and Storage" information on page 3.
*Nonstick mesh screens are sold separately.
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