Video Rating: 3 / 5
Question by Noella: How can I dry vegetables…?
…such as celery and tomatoes without a dehydrator?
Is there an air dry method?
Can I use a conventional oven in any way?
Thanks!
Best answer:
Answer by CHARLOTTE G
why would you want to dry celery??
Add your own answer in the comments!
Find More Dried Tomato Articles
Those look soo good! I save my jars too! You are such a diva!! Love it!
I think this was a good video from the iPad. Sorry to hear of the mishap
with your camera. Love the way you did the tomatoes in the oven.
I’m so upset about it, but it’s a THING and I can replace it. Usually the
iPad is just as good, I don’t know why this one is so blurred.
Oh my goodness that’s hilarious but not for you. I’ve almost dropped my
phone several times when filming. The ipad didn’t do such a bad job.
HI Mechele!!! Guuurrrrl! I dropped my camera in the pancake mix I was
making for a video! It didn’t work at first, but the next day is worked,
but when I was ready to do this video, yesterday, it died, I think, this
time for good. That was my son holding my iPad! LOL! and just like you
said, he had his finger in the mic. The picture was poor quality, too! I
guess it’s time to go and get a new one!
I think hubby had his finger on the mic for minute. Lol Great tip and
recipe Thanks for sharing.
Hang ’em on a clothes line
Yes, you can do it in the oven:
Oven dried vegetables
So we’re left with the oven. It’s almost certain that you have one, so nothing new to buy. It is time consuming and a little fiddly, but gives a great result.
A home oven will only dry small quantities at a time — up to 6lbs (2.72kg) pounds of produce, depending on the number of racks you have; so don’t be preparing bushels of veggies at a time!
Set the oven at the lowest temperature and preheat to 140°F (60°C). Drying vegetables at oven temperatures higher than 200°F (93.3°C) will cook them or possibly scorch them. If you are uncertain of the temperature, put a separate oven thermometer on a rack you can see, and check the temperature approximately every half hour.
Lay out your vegetables on stainless steel screen mesh or wooden frames covered in cheesecloth. Cookie sheets are the least preferred option, because the air should circulate around the food, but if do use cookie baking trays, then put down baking paper first, and turn your vegetables once or twice during the drying process.
Also, having the food sit next to metal sheets may transfer a metallic taste. Using other types of metal materials may react with the food, so please don’t.
Load up the veggies. Doing trays of items similar in size will keep the drying even.
For instance, pumpkin and potato might be a good mix. Try not to mix strong flavoured items as the flavour may transfer from one vegetable to another.
Keep the oven door open about 3 inches or so during drying. It is vital that the temperature is maintained no lower than 140°F (60°C) and that the moist air can escape.
Most ovens don’t have even heat throughout, so move the trays around frequently to ensure even drying and stop any scorching.
When dehydrating vegetables, plan to allow drying time of between 4 and 12 hours. Some vegetables get brittle when dry, and some, like tomatoes, just go pliably hard. If you press a finger into the middle of a dried piece of vegetable it should not leave any residue on you.
When cool, store in a moisture-proof container. Dehydrated vegetables will keep indefinitely in the fridge.
To use, just add them to soups and sauces as they are, or reconstitute (cover them in a container with water 2:1 ratio) for approximately 2 hours before using.
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Sun Dried Vegetables
Sun drying can be a bit of a gamble. Unless you live in a climate that is a consistent 90°F (32°C) with low humidity for a guaranteed 3 days in a row, you risk your produce growing moldy.
Once the drying starts, it cannot stop until finished. So don’t let your vegetables cool again until they’re done.
But if you do live in an area where you get several scorcher days in a row, use it to your advantage, save electricity and use the sun for dehydrating vegetables.
Place them in a 200 degree oven, or lower if you can, and slowly cook them for 4-5 hours