A great way to prepare vegetables for the winter is to dry them. Such fruits can be used to prepare various dishes. You can dry vegetables by placing them on sieve or trays and exposing them to the sun's rays. You can easily determine their readiness by eye.

There is one more method of drying vegetables- in the oven. In another way it is called artificial drying. If you want to use it, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the prepared fruits on it. Place the baking sheet on the highest shelf of the preheated oven, leaving the door ajar. After 20 minutes, move the baking sheet with vegetables down and dry them until ready.

You can check whether the fruits are ready by two signs. If vegetables release juice (no matter in what quantity) and the pieces break when compressed, the raw materials are not completely dried.

Dried vegetables practically do not contain vitamins, which evaporate along with moisture during heat treatment. This is their main drawback.

Before you start drying, select quality vegetables. Unripe and overripe ones are not suitable for this.

Special requirements are imposed on the preparation: if you want to dry legumes, take unripe, so-called milk fruits.

If you decide to dry whole vegetables, pay attention to their size. It is desirable that they are all approximately the same size.

Rinse the vegetables thoroughly, and then dilute 0.5 tablespoons of vinegar in 0.5 liters of water and dip the vegetables intended for drying into the solution. This way you will wash away any remaining pesticides from the fruit.

After cutting the skins off the vegetables, wash them again and chop them. To prevent the crushed fruits from darkening, dip them in a saline solution for a few seconds. Vegetables cut into strips or slices dry much faster.

If you want to dry your greens, tie them into bunches and hang them on string or string in a well-ventilated area.

In order to prepare white roots (, and parsnips), wash them, peel them and cut into thin slices. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place in the oven. Dry the roots at a temperature of 60°C, opening the lid slightly and checking their readiness from time to time.

Root vegetables intended for drying should have a bright color and a small diameter. Prepare them by washing and removing the skin.

Do you want to dry light-colored vegetables as quickly as possible while maintaining their original color? Place the prepared fruits in an enamel pan, 1/4 of the total volume filled with liquid sugar syrup, and place over medium heat. After 5 minutes, remove the vegetables from the stove, place them in a colander to drain the liquid, and start drying them.

After this, place the peeled root vegetables in a pan of water brought to a boil. Blanch the carrots for 10-15 minutes. Drain the water without removing the vegetables and place the pan under cold running water. Wait until the carrots have cooled, then cut them into strips about 3 cm long and place them on a baking sheet. Place it in the oven, preheated to a temperature of 80 - 85°C, and make sure that the vegetables do not burn.

If you want to dry, choose only spicy varieties. Clean the heads from the scales, cut out the bottoms, cut the onions into rings and place on a baking sheet. Remember that onions can only be dried in an oven preheated to a temperature of 65 °C.

In order to preserve the original taste and aroma, dry its leaves whole. After thoroughly washing the leaves, tie them into bunches and hang them on a rope outdoors under a canopy or in a draft.

Before putting dried vegetables into storage, carefully inspect them so that poorly dried vegetables do not accidentally get into the general mass, as mold may appear on them.

Store dried vegetables in a cool, dry place, placing them in glass jars and sealing them tightly with metal lids.

Drying vegetables is one of the most ancient methods of preparing for the winter. It allows you to preserve almost a complete set of nutrients, which is important for the winter period. In this article you will find useful information about how to properly dry vegetables for the winter.

What vegetables are best dried for the winter?

It is unlikely that anyone will decide to dry carrots or beets for the winter, because these vegetables are in abundance in winter. Although even these vegetables can have a savory taste if they are deprived of excess moisture and dried in a dehydrator or oven.

Most often, greens, eggplants, and legumes are dried, however, even potatoes can be dried. Unfortunately, vegetables with a high moisture content dry out and lose weight, so drying them may not be efficient. It is recommended to dry the fruits without any signs of spoilage.

Before drying, vegetables are thoroughly washed and then wiped off excess moisture. Then they need to be cut into any shape, but up to 5 mm thick. To preserve the color of the legumes, they are pre-treated with steam, and before drying the pumpkin, it must be soaked in syrup with the addition of lemon juice.

How to dry vegetables in a dryer

You can decide for yourself how to cut vegetables - into strips, cubes or layers. After this, load them onto the dryer tiers and set the required drying time. To prevent vegetables from falling through during drying, you can place a cotton cloth under each tier of the dryer.

Useful video: Drying herbs, vegetables and fruits in the Isidri dryer

The drying speed of different vegetables differs, so if you decide to put everything out at once, make sure that nothing burns. You can swap tiers over time, or it’s better to dry one type of vegetable at a time.

We hope our tips will be useful and you will make preparations from dried vegetables instead of canning them for the winter. Now you know how to properly dry vegetables for the winter.

Time has shown how important dehydrated products are for travelers and climbers. Nowadays, in fact, you can buy everything, but, unfortunately, it is quite expensive. Therefore, another solution naturally suggests itself: drying the food yourself. It's not that hard at all. Well-dried and properly stored dry foods, even without freezing, are suitable for consumption for about 1 year.

When drying, you need to pay attention to the following important points:

The temperature should be 35 - 60 degrees and constant.
- There must be good air circulation, so that moist air is constantly replaced by fresh and dry air.

There are different ways to dry food at home:

Drying in the sun and, accordingly, air.
- Oven drying.
- Drying in a special dryer.

Let's look at some ways to dry food at home:

Sun drying

This is perhaps the simplest and cheapest method. The conditions are only sunny weather with a temperature of about 25-30 degrees, low air humidity and stable atmospheric pressure so that the sunny weather lasts for several days. Vegetables are also dried, if there are no more suitable methods, in a place open to air. Products are pre-prepared depending on the type as described in the table below. They need to be folded onto a grid or mesh, not very tightly. Then you need to put them in a warm, ventilated place outdoors. They should be located at some elevation, for example, on several stones, so that air can also penetrate from below. All foods, with the exception of some herbs, can be dried in direct sunlight. Of course, the aroma is preserved better in the shade. Fruits should be covered with a mosquito net so that it does not touch them, to protect them from insects. The product to be dried must be turned over several times during drying and brought into the house during high humidity and rain.

Oven drying

The advantage of this type of drying is its independence from weather conditions. Products to be dried are placed on a wire rack. To use all the thermal energy, you need to put several grates with food in the oven. Products to be dried should not be placed too closely together to ensure air circulation. Set the oven to a temperature of 50-60 degrees. Additionally, leave a gap of 2-3 cm in the electric oven, and 20 cm in the gas oven. If drops of water form in the oven, this is a sign that the temperature is too high. Temperature fluctuations should be as small as possible. It is also recommended to measure the temperature on the grate to ensure that the temperature is set correctly. To ensure uniform drying, you need to constantly change the position of the grill and turn the dried products over. The drying process is complete when the dried product is completely dry and hard to the touch. If it sits in the oven for long enough, the product may dry out so much that it cracks.

Tumble drying

You can easily make a dryer at home yourself or buy it. It requires less energy than a furnace. You just need to pay attention to the fact that the heat source heats up evenly and can be adjusted by a thermostat. A simple solution would be incandescent lamps. But they are ineffective. The temperature should not fluctuate more than 2-3 degrees to maintain nutritional value and flavor. An additional fan will ensure sufficient air circulation. The dryer must be well insulated to prevent heat from escaping. Grilles must be easily accessible for change. Materials must withstand temperatures of at least 80 degrees and must not be easily flammable. For painting you need to use only non-toxic paints.

Most types of vegetables are suitable for drying and retain their nutrients. Before drying, they most often need to be blanched in order to preserve vitamins and taste in vegetables and increase shelf life. Blanching is nothing more than scalding vegetables with boiling water or steam. The best method is steam. Vegetables must first be placed in boiling water. After this, cool sharply with ice water to preserve color and vitamins. The duration of blanching depends on the size of the vegetables. A more detailed description is in the table below.

Vegetable variety	Preliminary processing	Note
Green beans	Cut into pieces 2-3 cm long and blanch for 4-6 minutes.	For soups.
Red beetroot	Pour boiling water over lightly, cut into thin discs and divide in half.	For salad, soak in marinade, rich in minerals.
Cabbage	Cut into wide 0.5 cm circles and blanch for 3-4 minutes.	As an additive for soups
Carrot	Peel the carrots, cut into thick disks of 0.5 cm, blanch for 3-4 minutes.	For soups, grated - as a salad, rich in vitamin A.
Celery	Cut into thick cubes of 0.5 cm, blanch for 2-3 minutes.	For soups, rich in minerals.
Red capsicum, chili pepper	Cut into strips, do not blanch.	Small pieces or ground into powder - as a seasoning, rich in vitamins A and C.
Corn	Blanch the cobs for 3-4 minutes, cool with ice water, and separate the grains.	Soak in milk with salt, a pinch of sugar and water, the grains should be completely covered with the mixture.
cucumbers	Cut into thick 0.5 cm circles	Soak in marinade.
Garlic	Depending on the size, cut individual cloves in half or into 4 pieces.	Grind into powder, seasoning for many dishes.
Greenery	Leave the herbs on the stem, dry at 35-40 degrees or in the air, separate the herbs from the stem, but not in the sun.	In crushed form - for spice mixtures.
Mushrooms	Rinse, cut into thick 0.5 cm circles or strips, blanch for 3-4 minutes.	For soups and sauces.
Onion	Cut into rings and chop a little, do not blanch.	For fried potatoes, omelettes, soups.
Potato	Wash, cut into thin slices, steam blanch until translucent, rinse with cold water, and dry.	Fried potatoes, soups, etc.
Cauliflower	Divide into small pieces, blanch for 3-4 minutes	For soups

Drying meat or fish

Meat that will be dried should be as low-fat as possible, because... fat goes rancid over time. From 4 kg of meat you get 1 kg of dried meat. Beef fillet or game meat are good for drying. Cut the meat into thick strips 0.5 cm thick, and separate the existing fat, if possible. If meat is to be used as a main food (soups, etc.), it should not be seasoned or marinated. If it is used as a snack, it can be pre-coated with spices. Dry in the oven or dryer at 60-70 degrees until it becomes dark and hard. You can also place the meat on paper so that the released fat is absorbed into it. Air drying is done in the same way as fruit drying. The fish is cut according to length. Large fish should be filleted and cut into strips. Do not remove the skin so that the strips stay together and the fat is preserved. The dried product is ready for use. Fish can also be fried, soaked in water and boiled, or used to enhance the flavor of soup.

Storage

Dried food, when ready, is placed in a tin box. If moisture has concentrated in the container, it means that the food has not been dried long enough and must certainly be dried again. Then place the dried food in a dry place in a breathable container or an opaque, hermetically sealed plastic bag. If they must be stored for a long time, then only in a cool and dark place. If the drying and storage rules have been followed, the shelf life of the products will be about a year.

Reconstruction of dried products

Dried fruits and meat can be eaten this way. But most products need to regain the moisture that has been taken from them. This is called rehydration. The food should be filled with water so that it is barely hidden under it. The excess water that remains can be used, for example, for soups. Dried vegetables must first be kept in the marinade for about 12 - 14 hours.

On multi-day hikes, when the weight of a backpack is calculated, figuratively speaking, down to the gram, dried vegetables become a real salvation for the diet. Since it’s problematic to take fresh ones with you, and no one wants to eat concentrates and sublimates... Well, let’s talk about how to dry vegetables? To do this, it is not at all necessary to buy a special dryer (although this, of course, is the easiest way).

What vegetables can be dried?

Yes, almost any! In principle, you can take with you in dried form all the components for borscht, soup or vegetable stew. Potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic, bell peppers, mushrooms and even tomatoes are excellent for drying. But you probably shouldn’t bother with tomatoes – it’s easier to take a packet of tomato paste with you.

And, what’s nice, when dried, vegetables have minimal weight and volume. When soaked, they increase many times over, and the taste is almost as good as fresh.

And now that we have found out which vegetables can be dried, let’s look at how best to do it.

How to dry vegetables in the sun?

For successful drying, good ventilation is needed - so that dry air is constantly supplied to the vegetables and air saturated with evaporated moisture is successfully removed. Choose an open area that gets sun most of the day and is away from traffic (a balcony is also fine if it faces the sun).

So, the place has been chosen. But before drying vegetables, you need to make a home dryer - for this you use sieves made of metal or plastic mesh stuffed onto wooden slats. Remember, such a sieve cannot be placed on the ground, floor or table - in this case there will be no free air circulation. The sieve should be installed so that air blows over the vegetables both from above and from below. To do this, you need to hang it or place it on supports (preferably with a slight slope to the south).

How to dry vegetables in the oven?

If you don’t have a drying machine, the easiest way is to dry vegetables in the sun, but in a pinch, you can also use the oven. You need to select or make sieves according to the size of the oven, set the temperature to about 70°C and leave the door slightly open.

At the very beginning of drying vegetables, the gap should be wide enough, then you can make it narrower and narrower (but do not close the door all the way). As a rule, vegetables are dried in the oven for 10-12 hours.

How to dry vegetables: preparation rules

Potato– before drying, you need to peel and cut into slices with a cross-section of 3-4 mm, rinse well, and then put in salted boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Then the slices need to be laid out on a sieve in one layer and dried in the sun or in the oven at a temperature of 80°C. If the slices are small, you can sprinkle them in a layer of about 3 cm and stir while drying.

Carrot– peel and cut into strips or 2 mm slices, then put in boiling water for a couple of minutes and cool in cold water. After this, the slices are placed on a sieve and dried at a temperature of 70-80°C for at least 5 hours.

bell pepper – remove seeds, cut into 2x2 cm strips, then throw into a boiling 1% salt solution and place on a sieve. Peppers are dried at temperatures up to 70°C for about 3-4 hours.

Onion– cut and disassemble into individual rings up to 4 mm thick, then place on a sieve and place in the sun or in the oven. The temperature for drying onions is about 60-65°C, the optimal time is about 5 hours.

Garlic – peel and cut each slice in half, then place on a sieve, cut side up. Place the sieve in the oven at a temperature of 50-55°. Once dried, garlic can be ground into powder and added as a seasoning.

During the cold season, vitamins and other useful substances are very scarce. Yes, and I want to eat summer fruits. But they can only be found in stores at a very high price. How to dry fruits yourself at home? Let's figure it out.

Basic methods of drying fruits

On open air

To dry fruit in this way, it is enough:

1. place them on a baking sheet or any other flat surface covered with paper or parchment.
2. After this, you need to place them in the fresh air, preferably in the shade, and put them indoors or cover them at night.

Most often, fruits are dehydrated on a balcony or windowsill. Drying fruit under such conditions usually takes 2–3 days.

Oven

Preheat the oven to +50 ... +65 °C, then place a baking sheet with chopped fruit there for 6-12 hours. Do not leave the stove on overnight as this can be dangerous.

Electric dryer

Processing fruits using this method will take the same amount of time as using an oven, but it will be much easier.

Simply place the fruit slices in the dryer and turn on the required mode. After a few hours the device will turn itself off. Dried fruits are ready!

Preparation

1. Wash and dry the fruit.
2. Remove all the stalks and trim off any spoiled parts.
3. After this, cut into thin slices. Their thickness should not exceed 5–7 mm.
4. For ease of use, remove the seeds. If you are drying apples or pears, remove the core completely. Steam corn, peas, beans and beans before drying to help retain color.

Apricots

• Thus, apricots dry out quite strongly, approximately 4–5 times their original volume, therefore, a large amount of moisture needs to be evaporated from them.
• If drying outdoors, keep it in the shade for the first 4 hours, then move it to the sun. They should remain there for 4-5 days until they are completely dry.
• When drying fruit in an oven or electric dryer, immediately use a high temperature setting - up to +60 °C. As soon as the fruits begin to decrease in size, reduce the temperature to +40 ... +45 °C and leave for 10 hours, stirring occasionally. If the pieces dry unevenly, it means you haven't stirred them often. In this case, put them in fresh air for several hours, and they will reach the desired state on their own.

Plums

1. Blanch the plums before drying.
2. Then start oven drying at +50 °C and maintain this temperature for 4 hours.
3. At the next stage, cool and stir the pieces, put them back in the oven or dryer for 5 hours.

You need to air dry plums in the same way as apricots.

Apples and pears

1. It is necessary to soak in a 15% salt solution so that they do not darken during cooking.
2. Keep the apples in the dryer at +55 ... +60 °C for 5 hours, then cool, stir them and reduce the temperature to +40 °C. For pears, the required temperature is 10 °C lower.
3. Determine the readiness of the fruit by pressing: if no moisture comes out of them, but the pieces are elastic, then they can be removed. In the fresh air, apples and pears are dried for a week in direct sunlight.

During drying, fruits must be stirred periodically.

Cherry

1. Remove the seeds and preheat the oven to +55 ... +60 °C.
2. Place a baking sheet with berries there, open the door slightly and dry them for 10 hours.
3. Check and stir the fruit regularly. If they start to burn, cool and lower the temperature.

Cherries

1. Place it in the oven at +35 °C for 2 hours, then remove the seeds.
2. Mix sugar and water in a 1:1 ratio, add berries, put the whole mass in a saucepan and let it boil.
3. Turn off the stove and leave the cherries for a day, then boil again, remove from the syrup and leave to dry at +50 °C for several hours.

Strawberry

1. Wash the berries.
2. Spread them in a 3 cm layer on a baking sheet and turn on the oven at +45 °C.
3. After a few hours, when the berries begin to shrink in size, increase the temperature to +60 °C and leave to dry for 8 hours.
4. Stir the fruit every 60 minutes.

Grape

To make raisins, it is best to use the fresh air drying method. It will take more than two weeks, but the berries will not lose color or become too hard.

1. Wash and sort the grapes. Do not separate the berries from the bunch.
2. Place them in the shade and turn them over every few days.

If you dry grapes in the oven, choose a medium temperature setting (+50 ... +55 °C) and dry for 6-10 hours. Ready raisins are soft and easily separated from the bunch.

Melon

It dries best in the open air. Place the pieces in the shade for 4–5 days and turn them over once a day.

In a dryer or oven, the fruit is dried at +45 °C for 3–4 hours.

Rules for storing dried fruits

• The optimal storage temperature for dried fruit is up to +10 °C.
• It is very important that they are kept in a dark and dry place, otherwise bugs may infest them.
• Use bags made of natural fabric as storage containers.
• To prevent insects from having access to dry foods, first soak the bags in a strong saline solution and dry them.
• Use airtight food-grade plastic containers or glass jars.
• If insects do settle in the dry fruits, sort them out, discarding the spoiled ones, and then place them in an oven preheated to +60 °C for half an hour or freeze them at a temperature of –15 °C.

When using an oven or dryer, do not leave it unattended - this can be dangerous. Properly dried fruits can be stored for more than a year. You can grind the finished product to create your own combinations of various seasonings.