One Bite Vegan May 2019

Kitchen Essentials
Kitchen Essentials
In this series, we give you the low-down on
popular kitchen gizmos and gadgets and
share with you some delicious recipes that
you can make using that particular piece
of kitchen equipment. In this issue, we
take a look at dehydrators.
What is a dehydrator?
Kitchen Essentials –
Dehydrators 101
A dehydrator is a piece of kitchen equipment that
uses a heat source and air flow to remove the
moisture from foods such as fruit, vegetables,
herbs and spices, to help preserve them.
Dehydrating is a healthy way of preserving food
as it keeps the majority of minerals and fiber
locked in, meaning you lose very little of the
nutritional content.
How do you use it?
You can dehydrate a whole range of fruit and
vegetables such as tomatoes, carrots, kale,
beets, celery, corn and more. You can even
dehydrate avocado! Some people like to make
their own dried soup mixes for winter and blend
their dehydrated vegetables into a powder mix
that can be stored and used later.
You can also make your own sprouted flour,
vegan yoghurt, fruit and vegetable leather roll
ups, jerky, and proof sourdough.
Dried fruit can last up to five years if
properly prepared and stored. Dried
veggies will last even longer; up to ten
years or more!
Depending on the brand that you
choose and what you’re trying to make,
drying produce is as easy as cleaning
and cutting it, placing it on the drying
tray or rack and leaving it in the machine
for a set period of time. Usually the
dehydrator will come with instructions
and have a timer that you can set for
varying lengths of time depending on
the item you’re drying.
A good dehydrator produces a gentle
heat that dries the food slowly and
evenly, preserving the organic matter
and preventing “case hardening” on the outside.
This occurs when the fruit or vegetables are
heated too quickly and a seal forms on the
outside, trapping in moisture.
This will mean that the produce will rot or
harbor bacteria or mold, which is not the result
we’re going for! That’s why it’s so important to
remove as much water as possible.
Which dehydrator is right for me?
If you’re just starting out you can get a very
simple dehydrator at a reasonable price. Simple
models come in many different sizes with
varying numbers of shelves or trays.
You want to make sure that you choose a
brand that dries the food gradually and evenly
to prevent case-hardening as we mentioned
above.
In deciding which one is the best for you, it’s
a great idea to look at all the key features of a
dehydrator to see if they suit your needs. This
includes things like:
• How many drying levels or trays does the
machine have?
• Are trays or mats included for making
fruit and vegetable leathers?
• Is the machine large enough to handle the
amount of food you want to dry?
• How much space do you have to
accommodate the machine – countertop or
storage?
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