Rockridge Press - The Preppers Cookbook

Yields about 1 cup.

Any vegetable that is going to be dried, with the exception of mushrooms, onions, and peppers, needs be washed, sliced, and blanched first. All the vegetables must be lined in a single layer on a cookie sheet or large tray to ensure even drying. All vegetables must be dried at 130 degrees F. If you dry them at too high or too low a temperature, the texture isn’t going to be right and you may ruin the entire batch of produce.

The process of drying vegetables is almost identical to drying fruits, except that you probably won’t use any sugar.

While you’re learning to dehydrate foods, it’s best to stick with common vegetables that are easily dried. Some of the best vegetables to start with include:

• Beets

• Broccoli

• Carrots

• Cauliflower

• Corn

• Green beans

• Mushrooms

• Onions

• Peas

• Potatoes

• Sweet peppers

• Tomatoes

• Zucchini

Now that you have a general list of veggies to start with, here are some quick and easy directions for drying these vegetables. Try them a few times, and experiment with flavors and spices. As long as you get them sufficiently dried, the worst thing that can happen is that you’ll need to season them when you’re cooking with them later.

• Beets are a bit messy, so wear gloves. Cook and peel beets, and cut into slices or ¼-inch pieces. They take 3 to 10 hours to dry completely, and they should be slightly leathery.

• Before drying green beans, wash them in cold water and break all the stems off. Break beans into approximately 1-inch pieces. Then they need to be blanched. Afterward, dry for about 6 to 12 hours. They should be brittle.

• Carrots are great to dry, but they get pretty tough. You can either shred them or slice them. Before cutting, wash carrots in cold water and then peel. Dry for 6 to 12 hours, until almost brittle.

• After washing cauliflower, cut into uniform florets, and dry for 6 to 14 hours.

• Corn is probably one of the most time-consuming to dry. First the corn must be dehusked and cleaned, blanched, and then cut off the cob. Try not to get any of the cob into the cuttings. Lay the corn out evenly on a tray or sheet and dry for 6 to 12 hours.

• Broccoli is very similar to cauliflower: wash, cut into florets, and then dry for 4 to 10 hours.

• Onions are very widely used in cooking and are extremely good to have on hand. They also take up lots of space, so drying them is a really efficient way to save space. Slice them about ¼ inch thick, and dry for 6 to 12 hours. They will be crisp when done.

• Mushrooms should not be cleaned with water—simply wipe off any dirt and then either slice or leave them whole, depending on the type of mushroom. The drying time is a bit different as well because mushrooms are sensitive to heat. They need to be dried at a temperature of 90 degrees F for 3 hours, and 125 degrees F for the rest of the drying time. Mushrooms have a total drying time of approximately 4 to 10 hours, until they are brittle.

• Peas are super easy. Blanch slightly, pour onto tray, and dry for 5 to 12 hours. Peas are great when added to a rice-cracker mix or trail mix.

• With a bit of salt, potatoes make a great dried snack. Slice the potatoes into extra-thin slices, and dry for 6 to 12 hours until crisp like a potato chip.

• Zucchini makes a tasty chip as well. Wash, slice thin, and dry for 5 to 10 hours. These should be brittle.

• Tomatoes are a bit more work. Dunk each tomato in boiling water; this will make the skin fall off easier. Peel and either quarter or slice. Dry for 6 to 12 hours until they are nice and crisp.

• Sweet peppers are delicious dried and having them pre-prepped for a meal is a huge time-saver. Remove all the seeds, and chop or leave whole (depends on the size of the pepper). They take about 5 to 12 hours to become leathery.

This is a staple in nearly all soups and bases. Having a supply in an emergency situation can bring flavor and nutrition to meats, stews, and even rice and pasta.

• 3 cups chopped celery

• 3 cups chopped carrots

• 3 cups chopped onions

• 2 teaspoons salt (optional)

1. Mix the celery, carrots, onions, and salt together in a big bowl.

2. Spread in the dehydrator in a single layer. Dry at 140 degrees F for 4 to 6 hours or until the veggies are crispy. Test for doneness by placing in a sealed baggie or jar for 24 hours and watching for condensation. If there is none, dry can or vacuum seal to increase shelf life. Dry canning and vacuum packing is explained in the next chapter.

Yields about 1 cup.

• 3 cups rough chopped red bell peppers

• 3 cups rough chopped green bell peppers

• 1 cup rough chopped chile or jalapeño peppers, seeded if you want to remove the heat

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon salt

1. Combine all the peppers in a large mixing bowl, and toss with the lemon juice and salt.

2. Spread mixture on your dehydrator trays in single layers. Dry at 140 degrees F for 3 to 5 hours or until the peppers are crunchy crisp.

Yields about 1 cup.

This may sound a bit odd, but these are actually delicious as well as nutritious. They’re great in zucchini bread or even cupcakes or muffins. Add them to your yogurt, or dry can or vacuum seal it for survival stash.

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1½ cups water

• 1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 8 medium zucchini, peeled and cubed into ½-inch cubes

1. Bring the sugars, water, and lemon juice to a simmer with a large saucepan until the sugars are dissolved. Add the zucchini and simmer for about 5 minutes, until it starts to become soft. Remove from the heat and place in a glass container. Refrigerate overnight.

2. Drain the zucchini cubes and pat dry. Layer them in a single layer with breathing room on the dehydrator trays. Dehydrate at 130 degrees F for 8 to 10 hours or until there’s no moisture left and they’re rubbery. The cubes will firm up as they cool.

3. Do the bag or jar test to make sure that they’re completely dehydrated before dry canning or vacuum sealing.

Yields about 1½ cups.

Dried herbs and spices are a great way to help you avoid food fatigue in an emergency situation. With just a handful of basic herbs, you can make dozens of different flavor profiles. When you combine that with different cooking methods, your diet will remain diverse, nutritious, and creative with just a few different ingredients.

Quality herbs in the store are atrociously expensive and rarely as rewarding as using fresh herbs. Plus, drying your own homegrown herbs is very easy and a great way to preserve your herbs if you’re not planning to grow them year round. They also make a great homestead gift.

Drying herbs is a slightly different process than for fruits and vegetables, but not by much. Mainly the cooking temperature and times change. You can use any of the three drying techniques mentioned earlier to dry herbs, too, but oftentimes, applying any heat to the herbs tends to rob them of their natural oils, which in turn, diminishes the flavor.

Air-drying herbs is not only the easiest and least-expensive way to dry fresh herbs, but this slow-drying process also doesn’t leach the herbs of their oils. This process works best with dryer herbs like bay leaf, dill, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, savory, and thyme. Moisture-rich herbs such as basil, chives, mint, and tarragon fare better in a dehydrator or by freezing.