Dehydrating veggies

question: do i absolutely have to cook something like celery before drying it? are there any veggies that don't have to be cooked first? I know i can use fresh fruits, but I was wondering about veggies. Some veggies just turn to mush when you try to cook them, no matter how hard you try....

My dehydrator was given to me as a gift from a friend who bought it second hand at a thrift store. It came with the unit, four trays and a lid. that's it.

I have dehydrated lots of raw veggies. Tomatoes, peppers, onions, carrots, herbs, various fruits.

Although I have a dehydrator I prefer to use my oven - it is propane and so has a pilot light. I just cut up the veggies like celery, peppers, herbs, etc., and put them in the oven for a few days, then store them in mason jars. I've reconstituted the celery and peppers by soaking in water for about 15 minutes before adding to the recipe and the result has been fine.

Moggy

Celery seems to dry just fine without blanching. So do onions, garlic, tomatoes and peppers.

Lots of others do NOT... sweet peas, carrots, potatoes, snap beans, etc.

A lot has to do with natural enzymes.... blanching helps deactivate them, so the veggies don't continue to "ripen" (read: rot) over time. It can also help preserve color, texture and flavor.

Most directions don't call for actually COOKING the veggies which do require blanching,... in general, just steaming or keeping in boiling water for a minute or two, but no longer.

Summerthyme

I don't blanch celery, cucumbers, onions, summer squash, zucchini, or tomatoes. I do blanch most other vegetables.

thank you so much. i was worried, and this worry was keeping me from actually doing anything with all those veggies that dh got from Reasors during that sale. I gotta act fast before they all go bad