Dehydrating question

[Jmurman]

I want to dehydrate some potatoes and onions.

With potatoes I know that I need to blanch them, but should I skin them also?

How should I cut them? Thin slices? or other?

With onions and potatoes how many quarts of finished product should I expect per, lets say 10 lb bag?

I dont have the delight of gardening these so I will be purchasing them to dehydrate.

Can I use the dehydrated potatoes to make mashed potatoes? Do you have any good receipes for using your dehydrated potatoes?

 

[Morning Star]

From “How To Dry Foods” by Deanna DeLong

Potatoes

Because fresh potatoes are available all year at modest prices, it is usually not economical to dry them. Keep in mind that some vitamins are lost through steaming, rinsing and drying. If potatoes are not steamed enough, they will turn black during drying and storage. The lower the moisture content in dried potatoes, the better the storage life.
Quality when dried: Good
Selection – Potatoes should be mature and heavy for their size with a low sugar content and free from bruises or decay. Store potatoes in a cool, dry, dark area. Exposure to sunlight or artificial light will cause a greening on the surface due to the development of chlorophyll. This greening may result in a bitter taste. Refrigeration or storage below 40 degrees F causes the potato starch to change to sugar, making the cooked potatoes too sweet and causing them to darken more during cooking or drying.
Water content before drying – 80%
Preparation – Peel, wash, and slice ¼ to 3/8 inch thick or shoestring 3/16 inch thick, or grate or dice depending on how the dried potato is to be used.
Pretreatment – Steam blanch over water containing 1 teaspoon sodium bisulfate per cup of water 4 to 6 minutes or until translucent but still firm. Rinse well in cold water to remove gelled starch.
Drying Temperature – 160 degrees for 1 to 2 hours or130 degrees until dry.
Dryness test - crisp


I don't know exactly how much 10lbs will reduce down, but I would guess maybe a couple quart jars full.

 

[yellowsprings]

Just a reminder that your home will smell like whatever you are dehydrating! You may consider drying the onions in your garage or other enclosed space free from insects and breezes (slows drying time).

 

[Jmurman]

Just a reminder that your home will smell like whatever you are dehydrating! You may consider drying the onions in your garage or other enclosed space free from insects and breezes (slows drying time).

I know this from experience. A few years agoi, I had a bumper crop of Habanero peppers. so I decided to dehydrate them...POW! we had to evac the house.

 

[goatlady2]

I use my dehydrated potato rounds mostly in soups, stews, and scalloped potatoes dishes. If you don't blanch the taters first they will dry very discolored and ichy looking. I peel mine first cause the skin separates off during drying amyway. I sort of dice my onions before drying and YES they do "scent" the air mightily!

 

[Splicer205]

I use mine for hash browns, and they are delicious. Once dehydrated they shrink a whole lot! Morning Star is right about getting rid of the green. It has a neuro toxin that affects people, children and elderly especially. It's really bad stuff. We just put the dehydrated hash browns in a little water, then cook in butter. Yuum. Good Luck.

 

[Mushroom]

I don't find it cost effective to dehydrate my own onions when they are so cheap in such large quantities at Sam's. The dehydrated garlic is also useful. The mushrooms are freeze dried and are rather expensive but nice if you want them in a hurry and don't have time to wait for regular dehydrated ones.

Some things are worth dehydrating. If you have your own garden or get a windfall from a friend, dry all you want. If you want soup starter or want some dehydrated veggies and don't have a garden, use the 5# bags of frozen from Sam's or Costco. They work just fine and have already been blanched so it saves you a step. They are cost effective, as well. I just dried 10# of mixed veggies for soup starter and it fit into 2 quart jars. I use them in vegetable beef soup in the winter. It saves me a trip to the store and freezer space.

You can use dehydrated sliced potatoes in escalloped potatoes, potatoes augratin, fried potatoes, soups, or any recipe that calls for sliced potatoes. The cassaroles would make up very nicely in a solar oven as they need long slow cooking. Put on some ham slices or pork chops and you have a whole meal in a pan.

Mushroom

 

[Deemy]

Stupid question maybe but...would it be cost effective to buy frozen hasbrowns and dehydrate them?

 

[Mushroom]

I would buy one package and give it a try. That way you won't waste a lot of time and energy finding out. Let us all know if it works and if it is cheaper to do your own compared to buying them in #10 cans from Waltons.

Mushroom