Pretreating - Koolatron Deluxe Total Chef TCFD-05 Directions For Use & Recipes

PREPARATION
VEGETABLE
Select young tender roots.
Carrots
Steam until tender. Cut into
pieces, shreds, cubes, or strips.
Cauliflower Dip cauliflower into 3 table-
spoons salt per 2 quarts of
water for 2 minutes. Steam until
tender.
Celery Separate stalks from leaves.
Wash both thoroughly. Cut
stalks into 1/4" slices. Leaves
dry first, so remove when dry.
Flake leaves after drying, for
use in soups, stews, etc.
Corn Remove husks, silk and
blemishes just before
steaming. Blanch on cob until
milk is set. Cut from cob and
spread over tray. Stir several
times for even drying.
Pare, slice in 1/8" slices and
Cucumber
dry.
Eggplant Trim, wash and slice 1/4" to
1/2" thick, and spread on tray.
(Summer
and Italian
Squash,
Zucchini)
Remove peels and cut into
Onions and
1/2" slices, nuggets, or chop.
Leeks
Stir several times during drying.
Okra
Use young, tender pods. Wash,
trim and slice into 1/4" discs.
Tear into small pieces, dry, then
Parsley
chop if desired.
Same as carrots.
Parsnips
Use only tender, sweet varieties.
Peas
Shell and blanch gently,
3-5 minutes.
Cut in 1/4" strips or rings.
Peppers
Remove seeds, wash and dry.
(Green and
May also be chopped.
Pimentos)
Chopped, dried pimentos are
Paprika.
TIME
DRYNESS TEST
Leathery 4-12 hrs.
5-15 hrs.
Leathery
Brittle 4-12 hrs.
Brittle 4-15 hrs.
Leathery 4-14 hrs.
Brittle 4-14 hrs.
Leathery 4-10 hrs.
Leathery 3-10 hrs.
Brittle 2-10 hrs.
Leathery 4-12 hrs.
Brittle 4-10 hrs.
Brittle 4-10 hrs.
10

PRETREATING

Enzymes in fruit and vegetables are responsible for color and flavor changes
during ripening. These changes will continue during drying and storage unless
the produce is pretreated to slow down enzyme activity.
Blanching can be used in the pretreatment of vegetables, as it helps set color
and hastens drying by relaxing tissues. Blanching may also prevent undesirable
changes in flavor during storage, and improve reconstitution during cooking.
Many light-colored fruits (especially apples, apricots, peaches, nectarines, and
pears) tend to darken during drying and storage. To prevent this darkening, the
fruit may be pretreated by blanching or by a suitable dip, but effectiveness of
pretreatment methods varies.
Fruit may be dipped in the following:
Pineapple or lemon juice as a natural alternative to other pretreatments to
reduce browning. Slice fruit directly into juice. Remove promptly (about 2
minutes) and place in trays. Fruits may also be dipped into honey, spices,
lime or orange juice, jello powders, or sprinkled with coconut to give them a
snappy dried flavor. Use your imagination and make your own flavorful dip.
Sodium Bisulfite: Ask for food safe, (USP) grade only. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of
sodium bisulfite in one quart of water. Prepare small amounts of fruit and dip for
2 minutes in the solution. This helps prevent loss of Vitamin C and maintains a
bright color. Sodium bisulfite may be obtained from a local pharmacy.
A solution of salt.
A solution of ascorbic acid or citric acid. Commercial antioxidant mixtures
containing ascorbic acid may also be used, but often are not as effective as
pure ascorbic acid.
Fruits may be steam-blanched. However, blanched fruits may turn soft and
become difficult to handle.
Syrup blanching may help retain the color of apples, apricots, figs,
nectarines, peaches, pears and plums. A sweetened candied product will result.
Fruits with tough skins (grapes, prunes and small dark plums, cherries, figs, and
some berries) may be water-blanched to crack the skins. This will allow moisture
inside to surface more readily during drying.
3