Drying Vegetables and fruits A report prepared byAllah Dad Khan

Successful drying depends on the having following 3 conditions met:

Enough heat to draw out moisture but not so much to cook the food. Hot sunny days are best for sun drying. Low oven heat, about 140 °F, dries it even faster. Do not let the heat go above 165 °F.

Dry air to absorb the released moisture. Rainy, humid weather is a bad time to dry food unless you are using heat...and,

Good air circulation to carry the moisture off. A light breeze, a fan, or a draft supplies moving air.

With these 3 conditions in mind, let's look at 3 methods to dehydrate or dry your foods, both the pro's and con's:

Sun drying. Drying vegetables in the sun is unpredictable unless temperatures are above 100 °F and the relative humidity is low. If the temperature is too low, humidity too high, or both, souring or molding may occur. Place trays of pretreated vegetables in direct sun in a flat or tilted position so that air can circulate underneath them. To keep out insects, cover trays with netting. Raise trays off the ground to protect them from dust, dirt and animals. Stir the vegetables occasionally to help them dry evenly. Bring trays indoors at night to protect the food from dew or rain.Oven drying. Oven drying is faster than sun drying. However, oven drying is done on a smaller scale and is more expensive. Limit oven load to 4 to 6 pounds of prepared vegetables. Trays should be at least 1½ inches smaller than the width and depth of the oven. Separate trays by about 2 inches. Allow a 3-inch clearance from the top and bottom of the oven. An oven temperature of 140 °F is desirable for drying. Disengage the top heating element of an electric oven. Preheat the oven at its lowest setting. Place the trays of vegetables in the oven. Prop open the door of an electric oven 1 inch, a gas oven, 8 inches. This helps control heat and lets out moist air. A fan can help circulate the air and speed the drying. Use an oven

thermometer to check the temperature throughout the drying process. As food dries it takes less heat to keep the oven at the specified temperature. Stir the vegetables occasionally from the outside to the center and shift the trays from top to bottom every 1 to 2 hours. Foods dried in the oven must be watched closely. It is easy to scorch vegetables that overheat near the edges of trays. When drying is almost completed, turn off the oven and open the door wide. Most vegetables will oven dry in 4 to 12 hours. Times will vary according to the kind of vegetable, size of the pieces, and the tray load.Dehydrator drying. Prepare foods and load trays as for oven drying. Preheat the dehydrator to 160 °F. After much of the water has been removed, lower the temperature to 130 °F to 140 °F.

How to Use Dried Food in Recipes

You will need to soak or cook your dried foods before using them in recipes. Some foods require soaking and cooking.Vegetables are usually soaked btween 1/2 to 1-1/2 hours and then simmered. Some vegetables can be rehydrated while they are cooking. Fruits are soaked, and then cooked in the water they were soaked in. Don't add extra sugar until the fruit is cooked;otherwise, the fruit may be tough. Fruits are sometimes eaten in their dry state as snacks. You must remember that after a food is rehydrated, it may spoil quickly, so use it promptly. To cook dried food, use the following information and simmer until tender.

Apples: Add 1 1/2 C. warm water to 1 C. apples and soak for 1/2 hour. Beans, green: Add 2 1/4 C. boiling water to 1 C. beans and soak for 1 1/2

hours.

Beets: Add 2 3/4 C. boiling water to 1 C. beets and soak for 1 1/2 hours.

Carrots: Add 2 1/4 C. boiling water to 1 C. carrots and soak for 1 hour.

Corn: Add 2 1/4 C. boiling water to 1 C. Corn and soak for 1/2 hour.

Onions: Add 2 C. boiling water to 1 C. onions and soak for 1 hour.

Peaches: Add 2 C. warm water to 1 C. peaches and soak for 1 1/4 hour.

Pears: Add 1 3/4 C. warm water to 1 C. pears and soak for 1 hour.

Peas: Add 2 1/2 C. boiling water to 1 C. peas and soak for 1/2 hour.

Potatoes: Add 1 1/2 C. boiling water to 1 C. potatoes and soak for 1/2 hour.

Nutritional Value of Dried Foods

Drying, like all methods of preservation, can result in loss of some nutrients. Nutritional

changes that occur during drying include:

Calorie content: does not change, but is concentrated into a smaller mass as

moisture is removed.

Fiber: no change.

Vitamin A: fairly well retained under controlled heat methods.

Vitamin C: mostly destroyed during blanching and drying of vegetables.

Thiamin, riboflavin, niacin: some loss during blanching but fairly good retention if

the water used to rehydrate also is consumed.

Minerals: some may be lost during rehydration if soaking water is not used. Iron

is not destroyed by drying.

For best retention of nutrients in dried foods, store in a cool, dark, dry place and use

within a year.

Vegetable Drying Guide

All vegetables except onions and peppers,and mushrooms should be washed, sliced, and blanched. Dry vegetables in single layers on trays. Depending of drying conditions, drying times make take longer. Dry vegetables at 130-degrees Fahrenheit.

Steps for drying vegetables.

Vegetable Preparation

Blanching Time* (mins.)

Drying Time (hrs.) Dryness test

Asparagus Wash thoroughly. Halve large tips. 4-5 6-10 Leathery to brittle

Beans, green Wash. Cut in pieces or strips. 4 8-14 Very dry, brittle

Beets Cook as usual. Cool, peel. Cut into shoestring strips 1/8" thick.

None 10-12 Brittle, dark red

Broccoli Wash. Trim, cut as for serving. Quarter 4 12-15 Crisp, brittle

stalks lengthwise.Brussels sprouts Wash. Cut in half lengthwise through stem. 5-6 12-18 Tough to

brittleCabbage Wash. Remove outer leaves, quarter and

core. Cut into strips 1/8" thick.4 10-12 Crisp, brittle

Carrots Use only crisp, tender vegetables. Wash. Cut off roots and tops; peel. Cut in slices or strips 1/8" thick.

4 6-10 Tough to brittle

Cauliflower Wash. Trim, cut into small pieces. 4-5 12-15 Tough to brittle

Celery Trim stalks. Wash stalks and leaves thoroughly. Slice stalks.

4 10-16 Very brittle

Chili peppers, green

Wash. To loosen skins, cut slit in skin, then rotate over flame 6-8 minutes or scald in boiling water. Peel and split pods. Remove seeds and stem. (Wear gloves if necessary.)

None 12-24 Crisp, brittle, medium green

Chili peppers, red

Wash thoroughly. Slice or leave whole if small.

4 12-24 Shrunken, dark red pods, flexible

Eggplant Wash, trim, cut into 1/4" slices. 4 12-14 Leathery to brittle

Mushrooms** Scrub. Discard tough, woody stalks. Slice tender stalks 1/4" thick. Peel large mushrooms, slice. Leave small mushrooms whole. Dip in solution of 1 tsp. citric acid/quart water for 10 minutes. Drain.

None 8-12 Dry and leathery

Okra Wash thoroughly. Cut into 1/2” pieces or split lengthwise.

4 8-10 Tough, brittle

Onions Wash, remove outer paper skin. Remove tops and root ends, slice 1/8 to 1/4" thick.

4 6-10 Very brittle

Peas Shell and wash. 4 8-10 Hard, wrinkled, green

Potatoes Wash, peel. Cut into 1/4" shoestring strips or 1/8" thick slices.

7 6-10 Brittle

Spinach, greens like Kale, Chard, mustard

Trim and wash very thoroughly. Shake or pat dry to remove excess moisture.

4 6-10 Crisp

Squash, summer or banana

Wash, trim, cut into 1/4" slices. 4 10-16 Leathery to brittle

Squash, winter Wash rind. Cut nto pieces. Remove seeds 4 10-16 Tough to

and cavity pulp. Cut into 1" wide strips. Peel rind. Cut strips crosswise into pieces about 1/8" thick.

brittle

Tomatoes Steam or dip in boiling water to loosen skins. Chill in cold water. Peel. Slice 1/2" thick or cut in 3/4" sections. Dip in solution of 1 tsp. citric acid/quart water for 10 minutes.

None 6-24 Crisp

* Blanching times are for 3,000 to 5,000 feet. Times will be slightly shorter for lower altitudes and slightly longer for higher altitudes or for large quantities of vegetables.** WARNING: The toxins of poisonous varieties of mushrooms are not destroyed by drying or by cooking. Only an expert can differentiate between poisonous and edible varieties.

Fruit Drying Guide

All fruit should be washed,pitted and sliced. Arrange in single layers on trays. Dry fruit at 135 degrees Fahrenheit. You may wish to pretreat your fruit with lemon juice or ascorbic acid or it won't darken while you are preparing it for drying. Just slice the fruit into the solution and soak for 5 minutes.

Apples:Peel, core and slice into 3/8-inch rings, or cut into 1/4-inch slices. Pretreat and dry 6-12 hours until pliable.

Apricots: Cut in half and turn inside out to dry. Pretreat and dry 8-20 hours until pliable.

Bananas: Peel, cut into 1/4-inch slices and pretreat. Dry 8-16 hours until plialbe or almost crisp.

Blueberries: Dry 10-20 hours until leathery.

Cherries: Cut in half and dry 18-26 hours until leathery and slightly sticky.

Peaches: Peel, halve or quarter. Pretreat and dry 6-20 hours until pliable.

Pears: Peel, cut into 1/4-inch slices, and pretreat. Dry 6-20 hours until leathery.

Pineapple: Core and slice 1/4-inch thick. Dry 6-16 hours until leathery and not sticky.

Strawberries: Halve or cut into 1/4-inch thick slices. Dry 6-16 hours until pliable and almost crisp.

STEPS IN FRUT DRYING

For apricots, peaches, apples, berries and more, seven easy steps from selection to storage

1. Select the FruitUse only blemish-free fruits that are fully ripe but not overly ripe.

2. Prepare the FruitWash, pit and slice the fruit. The smaller the pieces, the quicker they will dry. But keep all pieces uniform in size so they’ll dry at the same time.

3. PretreatingTo preserve the color of the fruit, blanch or dip the fruit slices before drying them. There are several ways to do this. As indicated below, some methods work better for some fruits than others.

Blanching (apricots, apples)Put slices in a steamer (or a colander suspended in a pot of boiling water) for five minutes then place fruit in ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and dry on towels.

Ascorbic acid dip (all fruits)2 tbsp ascorbic acid or 5 1-gram crushed vitamin C tabs and 1 quart water

Pectin dip (peaches, berries, cherries)Mix 1 box of powdered pectin with 1 cup water. Boil together for 1 minute, then add ½ cup sugar and enough cold water to make 2 cups.

Honey dip (bananas, peaches, pineapples)Mix 3 cups waters and 1 cup sugar. Heat and then add 1 cup honey. Stir well.

Juice dip (peaches, apples, bananas)Combine 1 quart pineapple juice, 1 quart lukewarm water and ¼ cup bottled lemon juice.

4. DryingSun Drying a) Spread on screen for two to four days, turning slices over half way through the drying process. b) Bring inside at night to keep dew from collecting on the fruit. c) This method works best in climates with 100 degree heat and low humidity. Otherwise use caution, or try the oven.

Oven Dryinga) Place fruit directly on racks or first spread 100 percent cotton sheet or cheesecloth over oven racks.  b) Preheat oven to 145 degrees, propping door open with wooden spoon to allow steam to escape. c) Allow 4 to 12 hours to dry the fruit.d) Food should be dry but pliable when cool. Test a few pieces to see if the batch is ready

5. Post Drying

Put food in a big dry open pot in a warm, dry, airy location. Stir once or twice a day for 10 days to two weeks.

6. PasteurizeIf you want to store the dried fruit for any great length of time, it is best to pasteurize the slices to destroy any insect eggs. To do this, when drying is complete, freeze the fruit for several days at zero degrees in a deep freeze (the freezer compartment of a refrigerator won’t do), or heat in a 175 degree oven for 10-15 minutes

7. StorageStore in airtight ziplock bags or glass containers kept inside paper bag to protect from light. Store in cool dry place. Since a refrigerator is cool and moist, keep the dried fruit there only in the heat of summer, but make sure the package is air tight.

Urdu names and pictures, photos of fruits and vegetables.

English Urdu Picture

Amaranth Chauli, Chowlii, chavleri, lobia phali

Apple Sev

Apricot Fresh Khoobani

Apricot Dried Khoobani

Asah Gourd Petha

Asparagus Shatwar, Sootmooli, Musli

Avocado, butterfruit Makhanphal

Banana Kela

Bael, Stone apple, Bengal quince Bel, siriphal

Bell Pepper Shimla Mirch

Bitter Gourd Karela

Black Eye Beans, Green Lobia Phali

Beet Root Chukander

Blueberries Falsa

Bottle GourdChinese MelonLong Melon

Loki (Lauki)

Broccoli Hari Phool Gobhi

Brussels Sprout Chhoti Gobhi

Cabbage Pattagobhi/Bandhgobhi

Cantaloupe Kharbuza

Capsicum (green pepper/bell pepper) Shimla/Kashmiri Mirch

Carrot Gajar

Cauliflower Phoolgobhi

Celery Celery

Chakothra, Pomelo Chakotra

Chili Mirch

Cluster Beans Gawar Phali

Coconut Narial

Colocassia Arbi

Colocassia Leaf Arbi Patta

Coriander/Cilantro Dhania

Cucumber Kheera

Dill Suwa

Eggplant (brinjal) Baigan

Endive Gulsuchal

Fennel Moti Saunf

Fenugreek Leaves Methi

Fig Anjeer

French Beans Flash (Frash) Beans

Garlic Lahsun

Ginger Adrak

Ginger DrySaungth

Grapes Angoor

Guava Amrud

Gooseberry Amla

Jackfruit Kathal

Jamoon, Jamun

Lettuce Salad

Lime Nimbu

Lemon Galgal/Nimbu

Lotus Stem, Lotus root Kamal

Lychees Lichi

Mango Aam

Mint Leaves Pudina

Mulberry Shehtooth

Mushroom Guchi/Kukurmutta

Mustard leaves Sarson Ka Saag

Okra (Lady Finger) Bhindi

Olive Jaitun

Onion Pyaz

Onion-green, Hara Pyaz

Orange Narangi

Papaya Papita

Parsley Ajmud,

Peach Aahroo

Peanut Moongfali

Peas Matar

Dried Green Peas Matar

Pineapple Ananas

Pinenut Chilgoza

Plum Aloobukara

Pomgranade Anaar

Potato Alu

Prunes Prune

Pumpkin Kaddu

Pumpkin Pitha

Radish Mooli

Ridge Gourd Tori/Turaii

Sapota Chiku

Snake Gourd Chichonda

Spinach Palak

Sweet Lime Mosambi

Sweet Potato Shakarkand

Tomatoes Tamater

Turnip Shalgam

Turmeric Haldi

Star Fruit Kamrakh

Water Chestnut Singhara

Watermelon Tarbooz

White goose-foot Bathua

Zizyphus, Green berry Ber, bor

Zucchini Tori/Turaii