From my Instagram: I've been dehydrating again... Dehydrating Lime Peels, Whole Limes and Cabbage (UPDATED)

THERE IS A SMALL UPDATE ON MY DEHYDRATOR AT THE END OF THE POST (1/22) 

I (like most all of you) are so so so busy lately that I never find the time to pop in to post - even though I obviously cook and bake daily.  Three or more times a day.  But I often don't bother to take photos - or I start to take them but forget to take a 'finished' product picture - or I do take photos and then they live in my computer files and never see the light of day because.... too busy.

A couple weeks ago I was doing some dehydrating.  I had limes leftover from a weekend of guests, and I didn't want them to go bad before I could get around to using them.  So, I juiced the limes to get the juice for my favorite chicken marinade and then used the peel to get a nice little bottle of dried lime peel.  I like to keep dried lemon peel, lime peel and orange peel on hand for baking and cooking.

I also had extra cabbage on hand - which lasts forever - so I didn't need to hurry really, but there have been times when I wanted cabbage and we didn't have any so I decided to dehydrate a head of it so I'd have it ready in the pantry for beef stew and boiled cabbage, etc.

 

 

There really is no recipe for drying cabbage.

You don't have to blanche it or do anything to prep it. 
Just slice into thin strips or small pieces, place them on your dehydrator trays, and let them dry until the pieces are dry, small and ready to put into a mason jar or container of your choice.

For the limes I used half of them to make dried lime peels for the pantry and then used the rest to dry 'whole' and grind up into dried lime powder.  You can buy dried lime powder and dried lime slices online but they are sooo simple to make yourself!  

For the dried peel, just peel the zest off your lime (the green part) and lay them out to dry on your tray.  When they are brittle, you can pop them into your container, or chop them a bit first, or spin them in a small food processor first to chop them quick and easy.

To do the lime slices, just wash your limes well and slice thin.
Lay the slices out and dry until brittle.
They will turn quite dark.
You can use them as is to cook with (laid under chicken and fish is nice!) but I grind mine up and use the dried lime powder in marinades.

  

I just reuse old spice bottles and repurpose them to whatever I need at the time.
This one now holds dried lime zest.

This is a close up of whole dried limes ground into powder.

In 2022 I upgraded my dehydrator to a larger, rectangle version with shelves and adjustable temperature.  Any dehydrator will do, but I do find the upgrade is easier and better to adjust the temperature so I get the colors of my goods to stay nice and bright.

Drying Basil and Mint - FAST AND EASY - Oh so simple

I always do my basil this way but this week I also did mint

I've posted on An American Housewife (housewifebarbie.com) previously about how quick and easy it is to dry herbs but since I just did a couple more this week it's a good reminder so I thought I'd snap a couple photos and post it.


It's just soooo easy and quick; and homegrown basil just has so much more flavor than the store bought stuff!!!  Seriously, if you have 1 minute, you have enough time to dry some basil.

Save old spice jars so you can refill them with either your own homegrown or if you buy in bulk to save money you can put them in smaller jars for using/serving etc.  I'll also link to some options available on Amazon at the bottom of this post!

OK now back to basil (and mint this time as well).

• Pick it.
• Rinse it.
• Place it on a paper towel.
• Put another paper towel over.
• Put in the microwave and turn it on for about 1 minute.
• Check it by lifting the paper towel (which is there to absorb moisture).
• You can now leave the paper towel off - and move the basil around a little bit, checking which might already be dry and which might need a few more seconds.
• Turn it back on for another 15 seconds or so... check again.
• Let the basil sit out on the counter for a minute for it to cool so you can really see how dry it is.  If it's dry, and cool then it's time to either just put it all into a bottle or jar as it is or you can crumble it or chop it if you wish.  It crumbles easily, it stores perfectly and it's ready for use in food dishes immediately.

I actually own a micro-herb mill that was a gift from my oldest daughter about 8 years ago.  I love it.

The basil was picked the morning before so it was a bit wilty by the time I got to it.  No worries.

This time I did some mint as well since I didn't need to use it right away.

 After the drying process (described above) I like to put mine through the microplane herb mill.  This is a great option but you do NOT have to use one.  You can use it as it is from drying OR just break it apart gently in your fingers or your palms.  It smells heavenly and it's amazing how crisp and dry it is in just a minute.

My fresh, dried mint.  Ready for use!

Homemade Canvas Food Dehydrator Tray Liners

I didn't purchase a food dehydrator of my own until my husband saw them on sale at Lowe's for just under fifty bucks, so it's probably not a surprise I certainly am not going to pay the high price companies want for food dehydrator trays!  However, they are needed!  The holes of a food dehydrator let tiny pieces of dried food fall through them and believe me, diced carrots get tiny! (And peas and blueberries and many other dried goodies!).

The first thing I did was march down to a local store and buy a few sheets of clear plastic canvas.  Walmart has them, but Michaels was closer to me that day so I got mine there for about $.59 each.  If you don't have a store near you, I'll link to a couple random options from Amazon at the bottom of this post.

I simply laid two canvas pieces out on the counter, drew around them with a marker (I used a highlighter first, as it was right next to me in a kitchen drawer and I was too lazy to walk through the house to the office to get a Sharpie.  However, I realized if I wanted to let others know how to do this, I better use a marker that showed up on the photos!  So I did grab a Sharpie for a couple of the pictures.)

Lay the canvas side by side on the counter.
You can tape them in place in the corners if you find they are moving too much on you to trace.
Trace around both the outside of the tray and then the inside circle as well.

Use scissors to cut the canvas into half circles.
Cut on the *INSIDE* of the line around the larger outside circle.
Cut on the *OUTSIDE* of the line on the inner circle.

Fit to your tray.
You may have to trim some of the edges to make it fit.
When it lays flat inside your tray, both flat around the outside and inside edge, your are done!

Washable, sturdy, and will allow your fruit and vegetables to dry without falling through the holes of the dehydrator trays.



Use sheets of plastic canvas.  I chose clear so there is no color added.

Laying the two canvas pieces side by side and placing the dehydrator tray over them - equal on both sides, directly down the center - to trace both the outer edge and the inner circle.

Trace around the outside edge - being careful the canvas doesn't move around - so you get a perfect half circle.
You will cut around the INSIDE of this trace line.

Carefully trace the inner circle as well.
You will cut around the OUTSIDE of this smaller trace line.

 

After you make your first trays you can actually use them as a pattern to trace additional liners and not have to use the tray to trace around each time.  This makes it a little easier.

Remember to cut inside the line as it needs to fit INSIDE your tray -  You will probably have to try to fit, trim, fit, trim, to get it to fit perfectly.

Two liners placed on the dehydrator tray!

Packing and Storing Dried Foods - Diving into Dehydrating!

Dried foods are susceptible to insect contamination and moisture reabsorption and must be properly packaged and stored immediately. First, cool completely. Warm food causes sweating which could provide enough moisture for mold to grow. Pack foods into clean, dry insect-proof containers as tightly as possible without crushing.

Store dried foods in clean, dry home canning jars, plastic freezer containers with tight-fitting lids or in plastic freezer bags. Vacuum packaging is also a good option. Pack foods in amounts that can be used all at once. Each time a package is re-opened, the food is exposed to air and moisture that can lower the quality of the food and result in spoilage.

Pack food in amounts that will be used in a recipe. Every time a package is re-opened, the food is exposed to air and moisture that lower the quality of the food.

Fruit that has been sulfured should not touch metal. Place the fruit in a plastic bag before storing it in a metal can. Sulfur fumes will react with the metal and cause color changes in the fruit.

Dried foods should be stored in cool, dry, dark areas. Recommended storage times for dried foods range from 4 months to 1 year. Because food quality is affected by heat, the storage temperature helps determine the length of storage; the higher the temperature, the shorter the storage time. Most dried fruits can be stored for 1 year at 60ºF, 6 months at 80ºF. Vegetables have about half the shelf-life of fruits.

Foods that are packaged seemingly "bone dry" can spoil if moisture is reabsorbed during storage. Check dried foods frequently during storage to see if they are still dry. Glass containers are excellent for storage because any moisture that collects on the inside can be seen easily. Foods affected by moisture, but not spoiled, should be used immediately or redried and repackaged. Moldy foods should be discarded.

Conditioning Fruits

The moisture content of home dried fruit should be about 20 percent. When the fruit is taken from the dehydrator, the remaining moisture may not be distributed equally among the pieces because of their size or their location in the dehydrator. Conditioning is the process used to equalize the moisture. It reduces the risk of mold growth.

To condition the fruit, take the dried fruit that has cooled and pack it loosely in plastic or glass jars. Seal the containers and let them stand for 7 to 10 days. The excess moisture in some pieces will be absorbed by the drier pieces. Shake the jars daily to separate the pieces and check the moisture condensation. If condensation develops in the jar, return the fruit to the dehydrator for more drying. After conditioning, package and store the fruit as described above.

Determining Dryness of Vegetables

Vegetables should be dried until they are brittle or "crisp." Some vegetables 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.

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This document was extracted from "So Easy to Preserve", 5th ed. 2006. Bulletin 989, Cooperative Extension Service, The University of Georgia, Athens. Revised by Elizabeth L. Andress. Ph.D. and Judy A. Harrison, Ph.D., Extension Foods Specialists.






Weston Food Dehydrator, 4-Tray
Waring Pro Professional Dehydrator
FoodSaver  Vacuum Sealing System