Dehydrating & storing Raw Vegan

[aslraw]

Hello Everyone!

I need a little help. My husband found a whole bunch of you tube clips about dehydration & storage but don't know if good for Raw Vegans since the lady says to blanch items and use higher temps etc. Anyone have info that will help us with this? Any books of websites you can recommend for this?
Here is a clip link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxVpIHre2ao

Thanks!!!:)

[Veganforlife]

Do you have Alissa's book and DVDs? The best...

[aslraw]

Yes I have Alissa's book and DVDs but it doesn't really explain about dehydrating...or did I miss something?

[Veganforlife]

Check pages 280-283.

[aslraw]

OK Thanks!!

[DebB]

I've been dehydrating tomatoes ever since they started coming on some weeks back. I've got about 6 quarts of dehydrated tom's so far.

I simply put them in a glass Mason jar and pop a lid on them once they've completely cooled. Then I store them on the pantry shelf.

It was mentioned to marinate the 1/2" tomato slices in olive oil and spices and then dehydrate. I would like to do this - but these I will probably store in the fridge.

Last fall - I dehydrated about 40 gallon size ziploc bags full of different types of apples. I sliced them into rings, sprinkled with cinnamon and dehydrated. They've done beautifully in the ziploc bags on the pantry shelves. I also d'd Asian pear slices (no cinnamon) the same way. *Ü*

---Back to add a picture of tomatoes that I'm currently dehydrating. On the left are regular and heirloom that I'm slicing 1/2" thick - they're pliable. On the right in the jar are my Amish paste, they're more brittle and they take a lot longer because they're so meaty and thick.

I'll probably store the tomato slices in glass jars as well.

[margoss]

Are they in just a simple ziploc bag? I have a lot of moisture/humidity here & worry about spoilage. My freezer (beside fridge combo) is overflowing.

[DebB]

Hi Margo - yes, they're Ziploc brand bags. However, not much humidity because we live in the desert.

I wonder if you sealed them well in a Mason jar? Twisted the lid tight so no moisture could get in. That might work for you. We've got a Food Saver and I use the jar sealer often, they're vacuum sealed and no air can get in. *Ü*

[anniez]

OK, time for a stupid question. (Well, they say the only stupid questions are the ones that aren't asked, but I don't know about that.)

I love the idea of dehydrating apples, but what do you use them for? Can you reconstitute them to use in recipes, or do you just snack on them? And do you put them in lemon juice first, so they don't get brown?

Help, please!

Annie

[DebB]

Hi Annie ~ I'm glad you asked! Our apple slices are used for snacking. They're so tasty (and popular) we give them as gifts. Everyone seems to love them.

No, I don't soak them first in lemon juice. I core them, using an apple corer. Mine happens to be from Pampered Chef (http://www.pamperedchef.com/our_products/catalog/product.jsp?productId=12&categoryCode=CE)and I really like theirs because it has a core ejector. I then slice them using this mandoline (http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.item.K5662.desc.Fuller-Kitchen-Solutions-VBlade-Mandoline-Slicing-Kit). I leave their peels on. Then I simply lay them out on the dehydrator tray and lightly dust them with cinnamon, dehydrate.

Ours have not browned to speak of.

There may very well be other uses as you mentioned, rehydrated for use in desserts..

I'll snap a picture of what I've got and post back.

--- Okay, I snapped 3 pictures. The apple slices are on the left, you can see the cinnamon (I sprinkle it on one side only) and the Asian pear slices are on the right. *Ü*

[aslraw]

Wow you look like a pro at dehydrating! I am just trying different things and this lady Tammy on her YouTube videos says to boil, blanch etc and I want to stay 100% raw. Any other helpful hints for me to dehydrate and store? I live in humid Florida.
Thanks!:D

[anniez]

Hi Annie ~ I'm glad you asked! Our apple slices are used for snacking. They're so tasty (and popular) we give them as gifts. Everyone seems to love them.*Ü*

Deb, thanks for the info. What a great idea: gifts! I'm going to free up some dehyd space later this morning, so in will go some apples. About how long do they take to dry? Do you dry them until they are crisp, or still pliable.

Thanks again.

Annie

[coco]

I live in a very humid area and things stay fresh, dry and crisp sealed in mason jars in the cupboard.

[DebB]

Deb, thanks for the info. What a great idea: gifts! I'm going to free up some dehyd space later this morning, so in will go some apples. About how long do they take to dry? Do you dry them until they are crisp, or still pliable.

Thanks again.

Annie

I'm sorry - I don't remember how long I dehydrated them for... I'm thinking it was 12-15 hours, but don't use that as gospel. The slices are pliable. They will start to crack at the edges when bent in half.

I go by feel. When I check items in the dehydrator, I simply feel them, bend them to see how they're doing. After a while, you will get the hang of it, trust me!

If you're uncertain (as I was when I started), you can always put a batch in the fridge. I still have a bunch of Food Saved fruit from last summer in the fridge because I wasn't sure if they were dehydrated enough to stay on the pantry shelf.

I should get it all out and check it now that I have more experience and get them out of the fridge (taking up valuable space). *Ü*