by Karen Ward
Because dried zucchini is virtually tasteless in your dishes, you can easily add nutrients to a dish without changing the flavor.
Dried Zucchini
Select young, small- to medium-size zucchini. To use, sprinkle directly into your soup or stew and cook until tender. Add shredded zucchini directly into any baked goods without rehydrating.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Drying time: 8 hours
Yield: 1 1/2 cup
10 pounds fresh zucchini (about 30 medium)
1 Shred the zucchini or slice it in 1/8-inch slices — blanching first isn't necessary — and place the cubes or slices in single layer on your drying trays.
2 Set the temperature on your dehydrator to 120 degrees and allow the zucchini to dry for 8 hours, stirring at least once to prevent sticking. Rotate the trays occasionally to facilitate even drying. Properly dried zucchini is crisp.
3 Store the dried zucchini for up to one year in a tightly sealed container.
Per 1/2-cup serving: Calories 302 (From fat 29); Fat 3g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 30mg; Carbohydrates 66g (Dietary fiber 29g); Protein 18g.
Zucchini Chips
These crispy chips are the perfect way to use up the piles of zucchini you always end up with during the summer. Keep in mind, though, that they absorb moisture from the air quickly. Once opened, use them as quickly as possible to avoid them becoming soft.
Preparation time: 10 minutes for preparing, 15 minutes for marinating
Drying time: 12 hours, or until crisp
Yield: 4 servings
1 pound zucchini (about 3 medium)
1/4 cup Italian-style salad dressing
1 Wash and slice the zucchini into 1/8-inch thin slices. Place the slices in a large bowl or gallon-size plastic, sealable storage bag. Pour the Italian-style dressing over the slices and toss to coat. Marinate the zucchini in the dressing for 15 minutes. Place marinated slices in a single layer on your drying trays.
2 Set the temperature on your dehydrator to 120 degrees and dry the zucchini slices for 12 hours (or until crisp), turning at least once. Rotate the trays occasionally to facilitate even drying.
3 Store the zucchini chips for up to three months in a 1-gallon, sealable plastic storage bag.
Per serving: Calories 91 (From fat 66); Fat 7g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 118mg; Carbohydrates 6g (Dietary fiber 2g); Protein 11g.
Soup and Stew Mix
This is a wonderful way to have the basics for soups and stews on hand. Dry each vegetable separately, as explained in the preceding sections, and then store together. For a vegetable soup, add these to a simple broth base. Fast and easy! Note: If you don't have dried potatoes, dried carrots, dried peas, or dried onions on hand, use the instructions in the earlier recipes to dry each vegetable and then proceed with this recipe.
Preparation time: 10 minutes for mixing
Yield: 4 cups
1 cup dried potatoes
1 cup dried carrot slices
1 cup dried peas
1 cup dried onions
1 Combine the dried vegetables in a large bowl.
2 Store the stew mix in a moisture-proof container in a dark, cool place.
3 To use, measure out the amount of vegetables you want and then simply add them to your broth and simmer until tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.
Per 1/2-cup serving: Calories 188 (From fat 6); Fat 1g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 40mg; Carbohydrates 38g (Dietary fiber 10g); Protein 9g.
Chapter 19: Drying Herbs
In This Chapter
What makes a good drying herb
Creating blends for cooking
Making your own herb tea
Recipes in This Chapter
Italian Herb Mix
Mexican Herb Mix
Rice Mix
Lemon Lover Tea Blend
Mint Lover Tea Blend
Drying herbs is a wonderful way to be sure you have the freshest seasoning possible for your cooking. Because you pick herbs throughout the growing season, you can collect the finest herbs again and again, drying them as you go. Drying herbs is also an easy way to create your own signature blends for cooking and herbal tea. You will always have your favorites on hand if you dry them yourself.
This chapter shares the most common herbs that dry well and some recipes for making herbal blends that everyone can enjoy.
Drying Common and Not-So-Common Herbs
Herbs are one of the most important and expensive ingredients in any dish. Drying them can save you a lot of money and give you much fresher and fuller flavor than any found on a store shelf.
The best herbs for drying are those that are resinous, or contain the most oils. The oils are where the scents and flavor come from. Herbs that have very juicy stems and overly thick leaves don't dry well.
If you find that your herb of choice seems to become tasteless or dries to a black mess, try freezing that herb instead. Two herbs that are commonly used in cooking but do not dry well are chives and basil. Some have luck drying basil at a low temperature, but we don't recommend it for those just starting out. Blend in a little olive oil with these too fussy herbs and freeze instead (go to Chapter 15 for details).
The best herbs for drying are those you grow in your own garden. If you don't have a green thumb, the next best thing is to buy your herbs from a farmer's market that sells produce grown without chemical sprays and picked as recently as the day you buy it.
If you grow your own herbs: Start small, growing only what you can easily care for because you'll have to pick your herbs many times over the gardening season. You can simply dry them as they become ready, and combine the fully dried herbs with the ones dried before.
Harvest your herbs just after the morning dew has dried, but before the hot, noonday sun has hit them. The heat from the sun drives the fragrant oils out of the leaves and blossoms, so the herbs have less flavor.
If you choose herbs from a farmer's market: Look for fresh, vibrant leaves, a strong smell, and clean, healthy-looking plants. Avoid buying wilted or shriveled herbs, as they have been picked too long ago. Don't hesitate to ask for a taste of a leaf. You may also want to crush a piece of leaf in your hand, to see if it smells strongly of the fresh herb.
The following sections outline several herbs that are easy to dry. When selecting your herbs, choose those that you're familiar with first.
You can use either an oven or a dehydrator set between 115 and 125 degrees. This temperature is just high enough to heat but not cook the herbs. Don't set the temperature any lower than 115 degrees though, because it takes too long and sometimes allows mildew.
Store your dried herbs in small containers. Glass jars with tight-fitting lids work best. For your herbs to maintain the best flavor during storage, keep them away from heat, light, and your refrigerator.
Air-drying fresh herbs
An electric dehydrator and oven aren't your only options when it comes to drying herbs. Air-drying them is an easy alternative. Follow these steps to air-dry herbs and check out the figure as well:
1. If you're harvesting herbs from a garden, cut the stems, don't pick them, leaving an extra inch or two for tying them in bunches.
Harvest the herbs in the morning after any moisture on the leaves has dried.
2. Rinse your herbs quickly by dipping them in a bowl of cool water and shaking off the excess water.
Pat them dry with a paper towel, making sure they're completely dry to prevent mildew.
3. Tie the herb stalks near the cut part of the stem in small bunches (no more than five or six stems) with cotton string or thread.
Don't mix your herb bunches because flavors transfer during the drying process.
4. Either hang the herbs upside down in a warm room (the kitchen works well) near a south-facing window and out of direct sunlight or place the tied herb bundle in a paper bag with holes or slits cut in it for air circulation before hanging the bag in a warm room. Place the herb bundle u
pside down in the bag with the stems toward the top opening of the bag. Tie the top of the bag closed. The bag protects the herbs from light and catches any loose seeds for replanting your herbs.
Your herbs will dry in two to three weeks with good air circulation.
Herbs are dry when they crumble easily. Remove the leaves from the stems. Crush soft leaves (like basil, sage, and oregano) by hand. Store harder leaves (like rosemary, tarragon, and thyme) whole, crushing them with a rolling pin before using them.
Chamomile
Chamomile is a delicate flower that is as lovely as it is useful. Harvesting chamomile, however, is difficult in a major scale, making it loved by home gardeners but expensive as an herb farm crop.
Chamomile has a lightly fruity taste. Because the taste differs slightly from variety to variety, tasting is the best way to find the right chamomile for your garden.
To harvest chamomile for drying, pick the individual chamomile flowers as they bloom and just after the dew has dried in the morning. This is very important because chamomile's delicate scent is easily lost if you're not careful. Some leaves are fine to include because they also have some chamomile flavor.
To dry chamomile, follow these steps:
1. Lay the flowers in a single layer on trays.
2. Set your oven or dehydrator temperature to between 115 and 125 degrees and dry for 3 to 5 hours, checking carefully after 4 hours and rotating the trays periodically to facilitate even drying.
You don't want to overdry them. Flowers are fully dry when the tiny petals curl inward, and the center of the blossom is totally dry.
3. Store in a airtight container, out of sunlight.
To use your dried chamomile, pour 1 cup of boiling water over 1 tablespoon dried flowers; then cover and steep for 3 minutes. (Don't steep chamomile too long; it can produce a bitter taste.)
Dill
Dill, an herb that grows anywhere, has tiny leaves and a large, flowering seed head. Harvest the leaves any time you want. Use dill leaves in dressings and pickle mixes. It makes a refreshing dip for vegetables and tastes great added to your summer salads.
Dill can quickly become an invasive plant. Once the plant goes to seed, it starts popping up everywhere. Be sure to keep it in check by trimming off the flowers and seeds before the plant makes itself a permanent member of your garden.
Drying dill is super easy. Follow these steps:
1. Lay the dill leaves in a single, loose layer on trays.
2. Set your oven or dehydrator temperature to between 100 and 115 degrees and dry 3 to 5 hours, rotating the trays periodically to facilitate even drying.
Properly dried dill leaves are crispy.
3. Store dried dill in airtight containers, out of light.
This herb loses its delicate flavor quickly if left in sunlight for too long.
Chewing a few dill seeds can help with indigestion. Historically, dill was an ingredient in gripe water for colicky infants.
Marjoram
Marjoram is sometimes mislabeled as oregano, and the two do look surprisingly similar. Marjoram, sometimes called sweet marjoram, is the perfect addition to any recipe that calls for oregano. Many people dislike the bitter taste that oregano can have, and using marjoram takes care of this problem. I (Amy) find that marjoram's taste has much more depth than oregano, too. (I am a true convert to this delicious herb!)
If you're growing your own marjoram, harvest its leaves when they are young. Cut the soft stems in the morning, after the dew has dried and before the sun becomes too hot. If you're buying marjoram at a farmer's market, look for young, small leaves with a bright green color and aromatic scent.
To dry marjoram, follow these steps:
1. Lay the marjoram stems on trays, allowing room between them for proper air circulation.
2. Set your dehydrator's temperature to between 115 and 125 degrees and dry your marjoram for 3 to 5 hours, checking carefully after 3 hours and rotating the trays periodically to facilitate even drying.
Properly dried marjoram leaves crumble easily.
3. Store the stems, whole, in a cool dry place, away from sunlight.
To use dried marjoram, crumble leaves in your hand before adding to the dish and add the herb in the last 10 minutes of cooking to keep its flavor.
For the best flavor, remove flowering tops of marjoram as they appear. Once it flowers, the scent and flavor fade. Harvesting just before flowering, however, produces the strongest flavor of all.
Mint
Mint is arguably the herb most people are familiar with and also the easiest herb to grow. It only requires sunlight and water to thrive. Yes, you can grow mint on a counter in a glass of water — forever!
Mint comes in dozens of flavors, with more being created all the time. From citrus to chocolate, mints are available for any palate. Grow as many varieties as you want, but keep them contained! And harvest them often, throughout the growing season, for drying.
Mint is a highly invasive herb and will overtake a garden within one growing season if left to spread on its own. Plant mint in a container to keep from having it go wild (literally). If you grow more than one variety of mint, plant them at least 10 feet apart to avoid cross-pollination. Although you will still get mint, it will no longer be true to the original scent you planted, if cross-pollinated.
To dry mint, follow these steps:
1. Cut the stems that seem to want to straggle, and lay them on a drying tray.
2. Set your dehydrator or oven temperature to between 115 and 125 degrees and dry for 3 to 5 hours, rotating the trays periodically to facilitate even drying.
Properly dried mint leaves easily crumble in your hand.
3. Store mint in airtight containers.
Try making it into tea or adding a few leaves, crumbled, to boiled potatoes.
Oregano
Oregano is another easy-to-dry herb. Used in any tomato-based dish, oregano adds a distinct flavor to your meals. By drying oregano, you ensure that you have plenty of this popular flavoring available throughout the winter months. Use only young leaves, as older oregano has a tendency to taste bitter.
To dry oregano, pick the young leaves once the dew has dried in the morning and then follow these steps:
1. Remove any leaves that have insect damage or have been crushed while harvesting.
These sometimes turn an unappealing black when drying.
2. Arrange in a single layer on trays, but don't fill them too full. You want air to flow around them.
3. Set the temperature on your dehydrator to between 115 and 125 degrees and dry the oregano for 3 to 5 hours, rotating the trays periodically to facilitate even drying.
Properly dried oregano is dry and crumbly.
4. Store dried oregano in its whole form until ready to use.
To use dried oregano, crush the leaves in your hand just before adding to the dish. Add oregano to the dish in the last 10 minutes of cooking to preserve the flavor.
Rosemary
Rosemary is a centerpiece to any herb garden. Its scent is recognizable by nearly everyone, and its lovely bluish flowers are truly special. Rosemary can be harvested throughout the season. To dry, cut the smaller, side stems where they branch off from the main stem and then follow these steps:
1. Lay the whole stems onto the drying trays.
2. Dry the herb for 6 to 8 hours at a temperature between 110 and 115 degrees, rotating the trays periodically to facilitate even drying.
They're done when the leaves slightly shrivel and release from the stem easily.
3. Remove the leaves by holding the stem over a dish or container and running your fingers along the stem.
The leaves come off with a gentle touch and you are left with a clean stem.
4. Store rosemary leaves whole, and only break them up right before adding to your recipe.
This keeps most of the flavor inside until needed.
Save the dried rosemary stems for making kabobs. They contain plenty of the rosemary
flavor, and make a unique presentation. Use the stems as you would skewers.
Sage
Sage is an easy-to-grow herb that is available as seeds or plants that quickly grow into small, lovely bushes. You can use any variety of garden sage for drying. Some offer a stronger flavor than others, so be sure to taste it before purchasing to find your favorite. To dry sage leaves, harvest them as they become large enough (1/2 inch or more in length) and then follow these steps:
1. Lay out your sage leaves in a single layer on your drying trays.
Be sure to leave room between the leaves for even drying.
2. Dry the herb for 6 to 8 hours at a temperature between 115 and 125 degrees, rotating the trays periodically to facilitate even drying.
It's dry enough if a leaf crumbles in your fingers.
Be careful to dry these leaves thoroughly; they are slightly thicker than many other herbs and require careful attention.
3. Store the dried leaves in their whole form until needed.
If you find that you use rubbed sage often, dry the whole leaves and rub them through a mesh strainer to create a fluffy sage powder perfect for cooking.
Stevia
Stevia may not be as widely known as some of the others in this list, but it is a very useful herb. It's been used for hundreds of years in other parts of the world as a replacement for sugar. Stevia users have found that it has a slight licorice aftertaste. You may find that your family enjoys stevia as much as sugar!
To dry, pick the stevia leaves as needed throughout the growing season and then follow these steps:
1. Lay the leaves on your drying trays in a single layer.
