Dehydration: How to do it and what to do with it. I'ts not just trail mix!

What’s another word for preservation? Why, dehydration of course! Dehydration is one of the easiest processes you can do to food to preserve it for a later use. It is also a trendy method of making low-fat vegetable chips (like kale and beet chips). So, I figured I’d take a little time to explore how to utilize this process and really optimize your kitchen to the fullest.

Dehydration is basically the removal of moisture from a product when hot air is passed over and around it. I would like to highlight that this is a dry cooking method, but a slow one. Most dry cooking methods (pan sear, sauté, roast, or grill) utilize high heat in order to create a crisp and brown texture on the product. This process is slow and with a low heat. When dehydrating, have your oven set at the lowest possible setting (usually between 150 and 170).

The dehydration process can take a few hours to complete; it really depends on the water content of the product and the size of the cut. The thinner the cut, the less water content, and the less time you have to wait. Keep this in mind as you explore different items and dehydrating.

The process is pretty simple. Lay your product out on a sheet tray (use a roasting rack or chemise rack for maximum results). Pop in the oven at lowest temperature. Wait until product is dry and crunchy throughout. That’s it! I can’t really comment or provide a chart on say how long it takes to dehydrate a banana, kale, or a mushroom; for, it really is variable (water content, slice thickness, elevation, and humidity all play a role here). I would suggest to simply dehydrate often, and then you will find exactly what it is that you are looking for.

Below I have included some ways to utilize dehydration. Hopefully this list will help you think about it differently and how you can utilize a large bulk of items and save them for later use. Enjoy!

Herbs – if you grow your own “herbies” then dehydration is a great option for you! Simply take your excess product each week and dehydrate it in the oven. Store in glass containers or bag them and store in the freezer until further needed. This can really allow you to get the most out of your herb plants by constantly trimming and harvesting them during the summer season. Then you know when winter comes around that you have some local quality dried herbs just begging to be used.

Chips – I use this term loosely because apparently anything tossed in oil and hit with salt and pepper, sliced thin and roasted until crispy is a chip…. Whatever. If you slice something thin, like on a mandolin or slicer, you can coat it in oil, add salt and pepper to taste and roast in the oven on your lowest setting until it becomes crispy.

This is a great alternative to any bagged chips you can get in the store. However, they can be time consuming in the fact that you have to wait for them to be done. But, you get to control any spices and seasoning you put on it. I’d suggest fresh cracked pepper and sea salt personally. Jazz it up with smoked paprika or ginger. Take it to a whole ‘nother level and throw some seafood seasoning on there or your favorite seasonings blend. Whatever floats your boat will work.

Flavor concentration – partial dehydration (or slow roasting ) is a great way of concentrating flavor. With the absence of moisture, the flavor and fibrous structure is the only thing that remains. Think tomatoes, mushrooms, beets, those sorts of things. The more flavor in the beginning, the more at the end. This is also a great way to make less flavorful items (such as crappy tomatoes) taste a lot better.

Take it a step further and utilize these items in sauces, vinaigrettes, soups, salads, and garnishes. Think about a fantastical tomato sauce, or a red pepper vinaigrette. Take any dehydrated item and throw it into a soup, just for funsies! The possibilities are truly endless.

Trail mix – this is probably the most obvious utilization of dehydration. Use seasonal fruits, dark-leafy greens, or anything that tickles your fancy. Combine with nuts and chocolate to make an amazing concoction.

Add to baked products – be it bread, scones, muffins, or even pizza; these flavor packed products are a great addition to any baked dish. I’d even venture to say you could create your own personal baked brie cheese in savory and sweet varieties. Also think along the lines of cherry pound cake, blueberry scones, or raisin bread. Maybe even chutney would work well here.

Jerky – this is the same process applied to slices of meat. I haven’t ventured into this aspect much in my career. But, from what I understand, you’re looking at a ¼” cut that’s marinated overnight, rinsed, then dehydrated. You can add spices or rubs to these products to enhance the flavoring. Thin sausages can be utilized here as well (if you have a sausage maker).

Noms – I don’t know about you, but I love to snack on little things here and there. Usually I want something sweet or salty, but always crunchy – American munchies are killer sometimes. Dehydration creates the crunchiest texture I have ever experienced! So dehydrate some sweet, dehydrate some salty, do whatever – make it sexy. These are great little snacks that you can just grab-and-go with. 

Whatever your desire is, prepare it this way and it keeps for a very long time. 

Make your fridge work for you

In my vast ponderings of information to provide to my readers, I found myself staring at the fridge trying to figure out what to make or address. It occurred to me that one of the biggest issues with eating healthy is the fact that most people (including myself) are extremely lazy and sometimes just don’t want to cook for whatever reason imaginable. So, I’d like to provide you with some of my restaurant knowledge.

This method of batching and staples will allow you to utilize leftovers and be able to create healthy and fresh dishes in literally a few minutes. The trick is to do a batch big enough to sustain three meals (on average). Doing this size batch allows you to also utilize seasonal produce, and experiment with different variations and truly perfect your dishes to the point you want them to be. I’ve created a list below with a brief explanation as to why I’ve included it and how to utilize it. Please feel free to comment on other staples that you keep!

Pre-cut product – one of the hardest things about cooking is chopping veggies to be cooked. So, I have found it very easy to, when making something, cut up some extra and set it aside in a bag or small container. This way you can have items ready to go, and not mess with a cutting board or the mess that can populate all over the counter. Help you help yourself, and stay prepped! If you juice, or do smoothies; take an hour aside one day a week and get some bags prepped up with your usual suspects. This way all you do is take the bag, dump it in, and you’re in business!

Fruit – Whether it’s fresh fruit, or preserved fruit, having these sweet products in your fridge allows you to have a quick grab-and-go snack, or simply add a sweet component to a spicy dish. Fruits are also great for dessert applications. Keep in mind as well that avocados are fruits.  I’ll be addressing preservation methods of fruit a little bit later on in the blog progression, as items get into season.

Vegetables – These are key; probably the most important. Without fresh vegetables, you will suffer from a serious lack of nutrients. Furthermore, try and buy these as local as possible to reduce greenhouse gasses and cost of labor and transportation on large companies.  I will be going into greater detail on which vegetables can be utilized to do what, but I will provide a quick list for you below:

·         Dark leafy greens – these are essential. The versatility and nutritional value of dark leafy greens (kale, spinach, collards, and mustard greens) is incomparable to the space they can take up in your fridge. You can use these in soups, smoothies, sauté’s, or even braises. 

·         Celery – I love utilizing celery in almost everything. I shave it down to use in salad, it’s a basis for soups, adds a nice pop to roasted or braised veggies. This is a standard item in the professional kitchen. Also, eaten raw, it takes more calories to consume it than it actually provides.

·         Carrot – I use carrots in a lot of applications. Traditionally speaking the carrot is one of the base elements in classical cooking. I use carrots to roast, steam, juice, and add some crunch and color to slaws.

·         Onion – yet another staple in the professional kitchen. I would suggest exploring different kinds of onions if you can. White, Spanish, and yellow onions are the varieties most used in cooking. However, by using a red onion, you can jazz up a dish and add some color to it. I also find red onion to be a little more potent in the raw form.

·         Peppers – Ranging from sweet bells, to spicy habaneros, peppers are a great addition to have on hand. You can roast them, or just eat them raw with a dip. The possibilities are endless and they really add to the subtle crunch of a salad if shaved down. These can also be used in other applications like salsa and bruschetta.

·         Root vegetables – these include radishes, potatoes, and beets. These are great to roast or to fry. You can also use them to beef up the yield of a soup or simply braise them with some meat. But, since they are underground, they tend to have a higher caloric count.

·         Seasonal – Also stock 2-4 seasonal vegetables. These range from asparagus in the spring, to tomatoes in the summer, and squashes in the fall.  There’s simply nothing better than produce that is fresh and ripe and local! Get creative!

Herbs – bring in another level of complexity into your dishes. You can utilize these in many ways ranging from soups, sauces, sautés, dips, salad additives, and garnishes. I would suggest stocking the following: parsley, cilantro, thyme, oregano, rosemary, and basil. The possibilities are endless; and it makes your dish so much better to have a nice pop of green on it. Herbs also aide in the aroma of the food, which then stimulates and prepares your palate. I would also highly suggest stocking herb oil as well. It’s a quick and easy way to utilize herbs that may be going bad and preserve them longer while maintaining a good flavor.

Beans – Being one of the highest sources of plant based protein in the world, beans allow you to simply add them to anything and increase your protein intake. You can add them to salads, patties, soups, sauces, stews, or even pureed into a “hummus”. So, hopefully you can see the full utilization of this versatile product and its importance in diet.

Rice/grains – Having some pre-cooked items like this are super useful when it comes down to utilization. You can add ingredients and create cold grain salads (bulgur wheat, faro, barley, quinoa, etc.) or simply do a quick pan fried rice, or whip together a quick veggie patty (not burger, burgers have meat). It’s also very easy to reconstitute/reheat with a small amount of liquid and garnish and completely change the flavor profile.

Pickled vegetables – This is a great way to preserve vegetables that may be going bad soon. You can also use these veggies (and liquid) as salad toppers and the liquid as a flavoring agent in your salad as well. You can also use this as a great crunchy addition to any sandwich, or simply as a side dish. Drain the vegetables from the liquid; add some acid (vinegar, or citrus) and some seasoning/herbs and you’ve got marinated vegetables ready to go. By modifying the pH level of the holding liquid, you are able to maintain freshness for weeks at a time. Pickling also offers you a fat-free option in your consumption without losing any flavor, if you’re not into the raw movement as much as I am.

Juice – If you are buying it in the store, or juicing yourself, this is a must have for me. You can drink them straight, mix them with some booze, or reduce to a sauce. I’ve also found it very helpful to have juice around when making vinaigrettes, simple desert sauces, and glazes. I do a lot of Caribbean/Mexican influenced cooking and creating a sweet and hot profile is possibly one of my favorite combinations.

Yogurt – I use yogurt both for its nutritional purposes, and as a sour cream or heavy cream substitute in sauces and soups. It is a bit tangier, but I find it to be a pleasant change from the heaviness of cream. I’ve also utilized this as a base for spreads (substitute for mayo), and a great alternative to plain vanilla iced cream. Simply by adding some vanilla extract, and a touch of cinnamon, you have a healthy and sweet snack.

Reductions - a highly useful sauce-on-hand, reductions are simple, sweet, and ready to use. I would suggest reducing some juices (orange or apple), a wine (usually red), or soy. These can easily be thrown on some fruit or yogurt as an additional sweeter; but on a more natural level. You can easily use those as a basis for numerous sauces and simple garnishes.

Citrus – I have found this to be one of the most underutilized products in the home kitchen. Citrus fruits (lemon, lime, orange, and grapefruit) not only provide brightness to a dish, but you can also zest the outer flesh to increase the citrus flavor. A lot of times, I have citrus lying around that’s completely zested, exposing the pith and creating a dry flesh texture. This is completely fine, and you can still utilize the juice, or merely eat it raw or segment it into a salad.

Milk/butter – As fattening as butter is, and with all the negative annotations associated with milk, I still utilize them, but in small amounts. Milk is great for making dairy based sauces and thinning out creamy dressings (instead of using water). I would urge greatly that if you buy milk, you get whole milk. By the time all the fat has been taken out for 2%, 1%, and skim, there is hardly any nutritional value whatsoever. Butter is also good for classic sauces, and adding a little in a sauté dish does add another level of dimension to the dish that is quite pleasing. Although, I will say, when I use butter, it’s usually about a teaspoon per portion at most.

Cheese – I’m a cheese fanatic! I love cheese in dishes, especially with something fried or on sandwiches. Cheese is a great way to increase protein on a dish, or simply add extra flavor or saltiness. I would encourage you to explore any local cheeses that you may encounter. The cheese scene has become very artisanal lately and there are a ton of great new styles, and twists on old ones as well. I would say steer clear of things like cheese whiz or American cheese – it’s not really cheese, but some over processed combination of chemicals designed to taste and feel like cheese. I would also suggest having a small container or bag with pre-sliced, shredded, or grated cheese. It’s so much easier to just reach in and grab what you need and move on.

Eggs (hard boiled) – Eggs are a great and simple source of protein. But I find when cooking them, I just get annoyed with making a dirty pan or pot. So I offer you this suggestion: take half of your eggs and hard boil them. You can use a marker to indicate which ones are already cooked (don’t tell the health department I told you to do this!), or simply keep them in a separate location. This way you can easily take some precooked meat or vegetables from the night before, throw in a sliced cooked egg, or mash it all up into a salad. The quick and easy possibilities with this are pretty much endless.