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Cooling and
Drying Prepared Vegetables
Susan Reynolds, M.S.
After blanching, dip the vegetables
briefly in cold water, only long enough to stop the cooking action. Do not cool
them to room temperature. When they feel only slightly hot to the touch, they
will be cooled to about 120°F Drain the vegetables by pouring them directly
onto the drying tray held over the sink. Wipe the excess water from underneath
the tray and arrange the vegetables in a single layer. Then place the tray
immediately in the dehydrator or oven. The heat left in the vegetables from
blanching will cause the drying process to begin more quickly. Watch the
vegetables closely at the end of the drying period. They dry much more quickly
at the end and could scorch.
It is best not to dry strong smelling foods
like onions or garlic in the home. The odors may linger in the drapes, clothes
and furniture. Place the dehydrator on a carport, covered porch or covered
patio. Keep the dehydrator away from rain. Also, avoid drying strong smelling
food with other food because their flavors will blend. There is an additional
step to the process of drying green beans which produces a product more similar
to canned green beans. After the green beans have been blanched, place them in a
single layer in a freezer for 30 to 40 minutes. Then start the drying process.
DETERMINING DRYNESS OF
VEGETABLES
Vegetables should be dried until they are
brittle or "crisp." Some vegetables would actually shatter if hit
with a hammer. At this stage, they should contain about 10 percent moisture.
Because they are so dry, they do not need conditioning like fruits.
Footnotes
1. This
document is Fact Sheet FCS 8501, a series of the Department of Family, Youth and
Community Sciences, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and
Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Publication date: June 1998. First
published: February 1994. Reviewed: June 1998. 2. Written
by Susan Reynolds, M.S., former Extension Foods Specialist, University of
Georgia, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Athens. Reviewed
for use in Florida by Mark L. Tamplin, associate professor, Food Safety
Specialist, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Cooperative
Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of
Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.
Florida Cooperative Extension Service /
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences / University of Florida / Christine
Taylor Waddill, Dean
Disclaimer
The use of trade names in this publication is
solely for the purpose of providing specific information. UF/IFAS does not
guarantee or warranty the products named, and references to them in this
publication does not signify our approval to the exclusion of other products of
suitable composition.
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