Canning and Preserving For Dummies (52 page)

Beans, shelled

Shell beans are those that grow all season and are picked at the same time. The beans in this category can include soybeans, navy beans, kidney beans, lentils, and more. All require the same drying process.

Dried beans are a wonderful addition to the pantry. They add protein and bulk to many types of foods and make recipes go farther with little change in the overall taste. Once cooked, dried beans can be made into thick, creamy dips and sandwich spreads.

Leave these beans on the vine until the pods are dry and shriveled. When you can hear the beans rattling inside the dry pods, it’s time to pick them. Many times, dried beans in the pod are available at your local farmer’s market, where you can buy them inexpensively by the pound.

Dried Shell Beans

Dried shell beans take up little room on the pantry shelf. Store yours in quart-sized jars because they look so pretty and are easy to pour from.

Preparation time:
10 minutes

Drying time:
6 to 8 hours

Yield:
11/2 cups

1 pound of shell beans of your choice

1
Remove the pods and collect the beans. Place the beans on the dehydrator tray(s) in a single layer, adding enough to fill, but be sure that the beans are in a single layer on the trays.

2
Set your dehydrator temperature to 120 degrees and dry the beans for 6 to 8 hours, or until you can break a bean in half by hitting it with a hammer or other heavy object. Rotate the trays occasionally to facilitate even drying.

3
Remove your dried beans from the trays, place them in a tightly sealed container, and freeze them overnight to kill any tiny bug eggs that may be hiding in them.

4
Store your dried beans for up to one year.

Per 1/2-cup serving:
Calories 129 (From fat 10); Fat 1g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 37mg; Carbohydrates 26g (Dietary fiber 6g); Protein 12g.

Beets

Beets are naturally sweet and even more so when dried. They are great to eat out of hand, or dipped in a vegetable dip. Beets are also wonderful when reconstituted in boiling water.

Dried Beets

For drying beets, choose young, firm beets. Avoid large ones that can be fibrous. To use dried slices, eat them as-is or boil for 30 minutes in plain water, until soft once again.

Preparation time:
10 minutes

Drying time:
8 to 10 hours

Yield:
2 cups

2 pounds of beets

1
Cut off the leaf and root ends of your beets and cook the beets in boiling water just long enough to slip the skins off easily (this may take from 5 to 15 minutes). Thinly slice the beats and arrange them in a single layer on your dehydrator trays.

2
Set your dehydrator temperature to 120 degrees and dry the beets for 8 to 10 hours, or until the slices are hard. Rotate the trays occasionally to facilitate even drying.

3
Place the dried beets in an airtight container and store for six months in a cool dry place, out of direct sunlight.

Tip:
An easy way to get the skin off a beet is to drop each boiled beet into ice water for a few seconds before pulling off the skins.

Per 1/2-cup serving:
Calories 65 (From fat 2); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 119mg; Carbohydrates 15g (Dietary fiber 4g); Protein 2g.

Cabbage

Dried cabbage is a great way to add bulk and flavor to soups and stews. You can use cabbage in everything from tomato-based to clear broth soups. Your family probably won’t know what that filler in the soup is, but they’ll know that it tastes great.

Dried Cabbage

Select the brightest and heaviest cabbage heads to dry. To use the dried cabbage, measure out the amount desired and sprinkle it directly into boiling soups or stews.

Preparation time:
10 minutes

Drying time:
6 to 10 hours

Yield:
2 cups

11/2 pounds fresh cabbage

1
Remove any tough outer leaves; then core and shred the cabbage. Blanch the shredded cabbage for 2 minutes in boiling water and cool immediately in ice water. Drain well. Place the cabbage shreds in a thin layer on the dehydrator trays.

2
Set your dehydrator temperature to 120 degrees and dry the cabbage shreds for 6 to 10 hours, stirring every few hours to keep them from sticking together and rotating the trays occasionally to facilitate even drying. Start checking for doneness after 4 hours. Completely dried cabbage will shrink quite a bit and feel brittle.

3
Store the dried cabbage in glass jars or plastic bags, in a cool, dry place.

Per 1/2-cup serving:
Calories 43 (From fat 4); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 31mg; Carbohydrates 9g (Dietary fiber 4g); Protein 2g.

Carrots

Carrots are a well-known vegetable, loved by everyone. They are also prolific in the garden and easy to find at farmer’s markets. If you’re lucky enough to buy or grow bunches of them, drying carrots is easy and works very well.

Dried Carrots

The best carrots for drying are young and tender. You can add dried, shredded carrots as-is to sweetbreads and cakes for added fiber and natural sweetness; they’ll absorb moisture and become delicious during the cooking process. You can also add dried slices to any soup or stew and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. Or try sprinkling shredded carrot directly into eggs when making omelets. They’ll cook as the eggs do and add a colorful look to the dish.

Preparation time:
10 minutes

Drying time:
8 to 10 hours

Yield:
1 cup

1 pound fresh carrots

1
Scrub the carrot skin with a vegetable brush to remove any trace of dirt. Cut off the tops and about 1/4 inch of the carrot itself to remove any of the green, bitter part of the carrot. Then cut the carrots into 1/8-inch slices or shred finely. Blanch the slices or shreds for 2 minutes in boiling water and then cool immediately in ice water. Drain well. Layer carrot slices or shreds in a single layer on your dehydrator trays.

2
Set the temperature on your dehydrator to 120 degrees and dry the carrots for 8 to 10 hours, or until they’re tough and leathery, stirring at least once to ensure that the pieces don’t stick and rotating the trays periodically to facilitate even drying.

3
Store the dried carrots for up to one year in a tightly sealed container.

Tip:
To remove as much water as possible from the blanched carrots, especially for shreds, use paper towels.

Per 1/2-cup serving:
Calories 102 (From fat 0); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 116mg; Carbohydrates 23g (Dietary fiber 6g); Protein 3g.

Corn

Corn is another popular vegetable. It is not often dried at home, due to the availability of it frozen. Yet drying corn is an easy way to take advantage of the abundance in spring.

Dried Corn

Select young, milky ears of corn for drying. To use dried corn, bring water to boil in saucepan and add the corn. Simmer for about 45 minutes or until the corn is once again tender.

Preparation time:
10 minutes

Drying time:
5 to 7 hours

Yield:
1 cup

2 pounds fresh corn

1
Husk the corn ears and blanch them in boiling water for 3 minutes. Cool immediately and drain. Cut the kernels from the cob, taking care to cut cleanly and not go over the same area more than once with your knife. (This keeps the cut corn from becoming too sticky with corn milk.) Layer the kernels in a single layer on trays.

2
Set the temperature on your dehydrator to 120 degrees and dry the corn for 5 to 7 hours, stirring every 2 hours to prevent sticking and rotate the trays to facilitate even drying. Dried kernels will be hard and brittle throughout.

3
Store the dried corn up to one year in a tightly sealed container.

Per 1/2-cup serving:
Calories 272 (From fat 29); Fat 3g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 43mg; Carbohydrates 63g (Dietary fiber 7g); Protein 8g.