Title: Vegetables a To Z Part 1
Categories: Dehydrator Vegetable Info
Yield: 1 Textfile

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ARTICHOKES

QUALITY WHEN DRIED -- Fair VARIETIES BEST FOR DRYING -- Globe SELECTION ~- Dry only the tender hearts of fresh young artichokes with few bruises. Before processing, store only briefly at refrigerator temperature, 35øF to 40øF (1ø to 3øC), to maintain highest quality. WATER CONTENT BEFORE DRYING ~- 87% PREPARATION -- Wash artichokes and trim leaves. Save leaves to eat later. Remove and discard the fuzzy choke. Cut the heart in half. PRETREATMENT -- Water blanch 2 to 4 minutes or steam blanch 3 to 5 minutes. DRYING TEMPERATURE -- 140øF (60øC) for 2 hours, then 130øF (55øC) until dry. DRYNESS TEST -- Brittle HOW TO USE -- Rehydrated artichokes are good marinated or dipped in a batter and fried until golden and crisp. Lemon juice added to the rehydrating water helps retain color.

ASPARAGUS

QUALITY WHEN DRIED -- Poor to fair SELECTION -- Dry only the fresh, tender, young green stalks. Before processing, store at refrigerator temperature, 35ø to 40øF (1ø to 3øC), to maintain highest quality. WATER CONTENT BEFORE DRYING -- 92% PREPARATION -- Wash spears. Trim scales and tough ends. PRETREATMENT -- Water blanch 2 to 3 minutes or steam blanch 3 to 5 minutes. DRYING TEMPERATURE -- 140øF (60øC) for 2 to 3 hours, then 130øF (55øC) until dry. DRYNESS TEST -- Very tough to brittle HOW TO USE -- Rehydrate asparagus and serve it in a cream sauce seasoned with lemon juice or Parmesan cheese and paprika

BEANS, GREEN

Dried beans are often not tender and tasty when rehydrated. It takes only a little extra effort to help them retain their tenderness and flavor.

Use only fresh beans and process them quickly. French cutting, or diagonal slicing, exposes more surface area, shortening drying time. If steamed and frozen before drying, beans will dehydrate faster and be less tough. Sulfiting lengthens their storage life.

QUALITY WHEN DRIED -- Fair to good VARIETIES BEST FOR DRYING -- Tendergreen, Blue Lake SELECTION -- Dry only fresh tender beans with a dark green color and bright appearance. They should have thick walls and small seeds and be free from strings. Before processing, store only briefly at refrigerator temperature, 35ø to 40øF (1ø to 3øC), to maintain highest quality. WATER CONTENT BEFORE DRYING -- 90% PREPARATION -- Wash pods and snip off pod ends. Slice lengthwise for French cut or crosswise into 1-inch segments, slanting the knife diagonally to expose more surface area for drying. PRETREATMENT -- Water blanch 3 to 4 minutes or steam blanch 4 to 6 minutes over water containing 1 teaspoon sodium bisulfite per cup of water. Place on a drying tray and freeze solid, 30 to 40 minutes before drying to tenderize. DRYING TEMPERATURE -- 140øF (60øC) for 2 hours, then 130øF (55øC) until dry. DRYNESS TEST -- Brittle or crisp HOW TO USE -- Serve rehydrated green beans in a cream of mushroom sauce with almonds or in soups, stews or casseroles.

CONTINUED IN ADDITIONAL CHARTS ** How To Dry Foods by Deanna DeLong HPBooks, California 1992 ISBN = 1-55788-050-6

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