When preserving food, choose the best quality fruits and vegetables. As with other preservation methods, drying not only maintains food quality—it also produces safe, flavorful, textured, colorful, and nutritious food when done properly.
Preparing Vegetables for Drying
Prepare vegetables for preservation immediately after picking to prevent changes in color, flavor, texture, sugar content, and nutrients. Sort out any vegetables with mold, bruises, or rot and discard them.
Rinse vegetables thoroughly under running water, using a vegetable brush if needed, and drain them well.
Slice the food into pieces between ¼ and 1½ centimeters thick. The higher the water content, the thicker the slice. High-moisture foods will shrink significantly once the moisture evaporates.
Blanch the prepared vegetables in boiling water or a citric acid solution.
If you use citric acid (available in the canning section of supermarkets), add ¼ teaspoon to one liter of water. Citric acid helps prevent discoloration and acts as an antimicrobial agent.
Drying Vegetables Using the Oven
You can dry vegetables in an oven, but make sure your oven can maintain a low enough temperature; otherwise, “case hardening” may occur. This happens when a crust forms on the outside of the food, preventing it from drying properly inside.
To test your oven, set it to the lowest temperature. Place an oven-safe thermometer on the rack where food will go. Keep the oven door open 5–15 cm and place a fan near the opening to circulate air. Check the temperature. If your oven can maintain a low temperature (140–145°F / 60–63°C), it can be used for drying vegetables. Racks should be spaced 5 cm apart, with at least 7.5 cm of clearance from the top or bottom of the oven.
Note: Oven drying is not safe when young children are present.
Drying Food with a Food Dehydrator
Surprisingly, you can even dry vegetables using a food dehydrator—just follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Allow vegetables to cool before testing for dryness. Properly dried vegetables should be crisp or brittle.
A Great Way to Dry Leafy Vegetables
Dried and ground vegetables take up little storage space and are very useful for winter cooking. They’re also a great solution when freezer space is limited.
Although a food dehydrator is helpful, leafy vegetables can also be dried in the oven, on the stovetop, or even air-dried in less humid environments. You don’t necessarily need special equipment.
How to Dry Vegetables for Winter
You can dry garden vegetables on or near a wood stove. Some herbs can be dried by hanging them in bundles. For vegetables, place them on wire racks in a warm, well-ventilated area, or dry them in the oven on low heat. Of course, if you have a dehydrator, you can use that as well.
Remove thick or tough stems and dry the leaves until they can be crushed into powder. However, stems can also be used—nothing should go to waste in a zero-waste household.
Once completely dry, vegetables become crisp and easy to crumble for storage. Make sure they’re fully dried—partial drying can lead to mold.
You can use many types of green leafy vegetables this way—cabbage leaves, broccoli and cauliflower leaves, beet greens, Swiss chard, kale, and more. Dried and ground green onions add a mild onion flavor to the mix.
How to Grind Dried Vegetables
You can store dried leaves whole or lightly crumbled in airtight jars for winter use. However, it’s often better to grind them into powder using a blender—it takes up less space and is easier to add to various recipes.
If you don’t have a blender or prefer not to use electricity, you can crush the dried leaves manually using a mortar and pestle.
A cup of dried, unpacked leaves typically grinds down to about a tablespoon of powder—very convenient when freezer and pantry space are limited.
Store the powdered vegetables in airtight containers for the winter (and possibly up to a year). They’re a great way to add nutrients to meals during the colder months when fresh produce is scarce.
How to Use Ground Vegetables
If someone in your family resists eating leafy greens, adding a spoon or two of vegetable powder is an easy way to sneak them in unnoticed. Even if your family enjoys fresh vegetables, powdered greens are very convenient—just scoop some into soups, stews, or other dishes. You can also add them to smoothies or healthy drinks, or mix them into egg dishes such as omelets, frittatas, and quiches.
If you run out of fresh vegetables or don’t feel like going out in hot weather, having a jar of this powder on hand means you can still add nutrients to your meals.
Rehydrating Dried Vegetables
Most vegetables are soaked or rehydrated in cold water before use. Two other acceptable methods are adding them directly to boiling water or to liquid-rich foods like soups. Whichever method you choose, the vegetables will return to their original shape.
You can soak vegetables in water, vegetable broth, or their own juice for added flavor. They usually rehydrate within 1–2 hours. If soaked for more than two hours—or overnight—they should be refrigerated. Using hot or boiling liquid speeds up the process. Keep the soaking liquid and use it in cooking.
Adding dried vegetables directly to soups and stews is the simplest way to rehydrate them. Leafy greens, cabbage, and tomatoes usually don’t need pre-soaking; just add enough water to cover them and simmer until tender.
Vegetable Chips
Thinly sliced, dried vegetables make nutritious, low-calorie snacks. They can be served with your favorite dip. Try making chips from zucchini, tomatoes, squash, parsnips, kale, cucumbers, beets, or carrots.
Be sure to slice vegetables thinly using a food processor, mandoline slicer, or sharp knife before drying.
Vegetable Flakes and Powders
Vegetable flakes are made by crushing dried vegetables by hand, with a rolling pin, or using a wooden mallet. Powders are finer and made with a grinder, food processor, or blender. Common vegetable powders include onion, celery, and tomato.
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