drying potatoes

8/7/2019 drying potatoes

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Dehydrating Your Own Potatoes

From 'Gifts and Mixes'

For many various reasons, folks are becoming more interested in how to preserve food for later use. One of my favorite methods of food preservation is dehyd

ration or drying. Potatoes are a main- stay of many families, and are a food which most folks are uncertain about drying themselves. Can this be done? Of course! The difference you will see in your home dried potatoes and the ones you purchase in the stores, is in color. This is due to the fact that the commercial dehydration process also bleaches the potatoes in order to make them appear more appetizing to the public. I suggest that you store your dried foods in jars or bags, in a cool, dry place just as you would any other home preserved food. I save mayonnaise and applesauce jars for this purpose because they are a great size, and of course, recycling is cheaper than purchasing new jars.

Home Dried Potatoes

Potatoes (an amount you find manageable)

Metal vegetable blanching basket, or French fry basket

Colander & Mixing Bowl which is larger than your colander

Paper towels

Several cookie sheets OR Food Dehydrator & trays or racks

Vegetable Oil Cooking Spray

Peel desired amount of potatoes and slice into rounds 1/8 inch thick. (Peeli

ng is optional- there are important vitamins and minerals stored in the potato skins, but they look nicer peeled, so choose according to your personal preference.) This can be done quickly with a food processor or slicer. Bring a large potof lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Put potato slices into a vegetable basket and plunge the basket into the boiling water and wait for the water to return to a boil. Once the water is boiling, start counting off 8 minutes of blanching time. While potatoes are blanching, set up a large mixing bowl in your sink and fill it with ice water. When the potatoes have blanched for 8 minutes, plungethe basketful of potatoes immediately into the ice water and let them sit therefor 15 minutes. Spread the blanched potato slices in a single layer between paper towels and blot them dry.

If you are not using a dehydrator, spray cookie sheets with vegetable oil spray (do not use regular cooking oil); if you are using rimmed baking pans, sprayand use only the upside down bottoms of these pans to prevent scorching near the pan's raised rim; if you are using Teflon cookie sheets, there is no need forspray. Spread potato slices on the prepared sheets or pans as close together aspossible but in a single layer. Place cookie sheets on oven racks and turn the oven on to its very lowest temperature. (between low and off) Keep the oven doorajar so that the air can circulate freely and let moisture escape. Make sure that the temperature never gets so hot that your hand feels uncomfortable when heldin the oven. This is necessary for thorough drying.

If you are using a dehydrator, place potato slices on racks which have beenprepared with vegetable oil spray, placing potatoes close together, but not touc

hing, so air is allowed to circulate between them. Turning is not necessary on vented racks. Dry according to manufacturers instructions, or until potatoes are brittle, somewhat translucent and are not at all pliable. If you have solid racks



, follow the same directions as for turning potatoes dried in an oven:

After 1 hour, turn all the slices over; then turn the slices over every 30 minutes. Drying time will depend largely on your own oven, but you should begin checking for doneness at 3 hours. The potatoes are done when they become brittle,somewhat translucent, and are not at all pliable. Their color should be pale white with a tinge of yellow; do not let them become brown or even dark amber in c

olor. Some potato slices will dry faster than others, so check every 15 - 30 minutes for slices which are done.

Let the dried potatoes cool thoroughly, then store for up to a year in glassor plastic jars OR plastic bags at room temperature in a cool, dry place.

**You can use the instructions from your favorite pre-packaged potato mixesto cook or reconstitute your dried potatoes, or you can use the recipes below to put together your own mixes for your home-dried potatoes.

Basic Sauce Mix

2 Tbsp. Nonfat Dry Milk

2 Tbsp. Flour

2 Tbsp. Cornstarch

1 tsp. Onion Powder or 1 Tbsp. Crushed Dried Onions

1/8 tsp. Black Pepper

Combine the above ingredients to make 1 package of sauce mix and seal it ina small zip baggie, removing as much air as possible. When making several mixesto store or give as gifts, multiply this sauce mix recipe and store in a jar unt

il ready for use. 6 Tbsp. Sauce Mix is equal to 1 x the above recipe.

Yield: 3 cups or four 3/4 cups servings

Scalloped Potato Mix in a Jar

3 cups dehydrated Potatoes

1 package (6 Tbsp.) Sauce Mix

1/3 cup Nonfat Dry Milk

Place these ingredients into a one quart jar, making certain the sauce mix and dry milk are first placed into small zip baggies, then sealed with the air removed. Place the potatoes into the bottom of the jar, then add the baggie of mixon top. Place lid on jar and store in a cool dry place until ready to use. Attach the following instructions for later use, or for gift giving:

Scalloped Potatoes

3 Tbsp. Butter or Margarine

2-3/4 cups boiling Water

Pour the potatoes into a medium size ungreased casserole and sprinkle the sa

uce mix on top. Dot with butter; stir in the boiling water. Bake at 400 degreesF for 30 to 35 minutes or until tender. If you are cooking something else at a lower temperature in your oven, adjust the baking time; at 350 degrees bake 40 to



45 minutes; at 325 degrees bake 50 to 55 minutes.

Skillet Meat and Potatoes Casserole Mix in a Jar

3 cups dehydrated Potatoes

1/3 cup Nonfat Dry Milk

1 package (6 Tbsp.) Sauce Mix

1/4 tsp. Black Pepper

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Beef Bouillon Granules

Place above ingredients into a quart jar, placing milk, sauce mix, pepper, s

alt & bouillon granules into a small zip baggie, which will be placed on top ofpotatoes in the jar. Place lid on jar & store in a cool dry place until ready touse. Attach the following instructions for later use, or for gift giving:

Skillet Meat & Potatoes Casserole

Brown 1 pound of ground beef in a skillet, and drain off excess fat. Stir in2 3/4 cups water and the ingredients from the jar. Heat to boiling, reduce heat, cover and simmer stirring now and then, for about 25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Yield: 4 one cup servings

drying potatoes

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