Expanded Food Storage--Dehydrated Carrots

One of the less commonly purchased items available at the Home Storage Center, currently selling for $9.00 for 2.1 lbs in a #10 can, is dehydrated carrots.  Which is a pity, because they're pretty versatile--you can use them in breads, cakes, smoothies (well, if you've got the electricity to run your blender), soups, casseroles, and baby food.  I think they're so commonly used that we kind of forget about them.
Recipe equivalents:

Fresh                               Mashed     Shredded     Dehydrated  + Water to reconstitute
1/3 pound or 2 carrots    2/3 cup      1 cup           1/3 cup         + 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon
1/2 pound or 3 carrots    1 cup         1 1/2 cups    1/2 cup         + 7/8 cup
1 pound    or 6 carrots    2 cups        3 cups          1 cup            + 1 3/4 cups


Soups.  Just add the carrots and whatever water you would use for rehydrating to the soup and let them rehydrate as the rest of the soup cooks.

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

2 tablespoons dehydrated carrots
2 tablespoons dehydrated celery
2 cups water
1 pint canned chicken, undrained
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
1/4 cup angel hair pasta (or spaghetti), broken in 1 1/2 inch pieces

Reconstitute carrots and celery in boiling water for 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.  Add in chicken, bouillon, and pasta and boil 3 more minutes, or until pasta is done.

Cakes and Muffins.  Rehydrate carrots for 15-30 minutes before mixing into batter.

Carrot Cake
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup oil
2 eggs
1/3 cup dehydrated carrots (whirled in blender if possible to make finer pieces), reconstituted in 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup crushed pineapple with juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Mix all ingredients until moistened.  Beat two minutes on medium speed.  Pour into two greased and lightly floured 8" pans or one 9x13" pan.  Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Frosting
1/2 cup butter
3 ounces cream cheese
3 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cream butter and cream cheese together, then beat in sugar and vanilla.  Frost cooled cake.  Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Carrot Muffins
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup oil
3 eggs (OR 3 tablespoons powdered eggs and 1/3 cup water)
1 cup dehydrated carrots, whirled in blender for a bit to make finer carrots, if possible
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Beat first three ingredients together.  Mix in remaining ingredients, without overmixing.  Bake in muffin tins at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Optional.  Instead of mixing walnuts into batter, sprinkle them on top of the muffin batter.  This will toast the nuts, and you can leave some plain for those who'd rather not have nuts.

Baby food
2 tablespoons dehydrated carrots
1/3 cup boiling water

In a small bowl, reconstitute carrots in boiling water.  Let stand, covered, for thirty minutes.  Mash thoroughly with fork.

Links to related posts:
Home Storage Centers   
Vitamin A deficiency    


For further information:
http://www.abstractsonline.com/viewer/viewAbstract.asp?CKey=%7BE3C1913F-6EF4-42E2-91D7-8585A3F2531B%7D&MKey=%7B50521FFC-4C00-4561-AEBA-632C1175F44C%7D&AKey=%7B8616C01D-DC03-41AD-9244-6706B0A8C9BD%7D&SKey=%7B06F1EA6A-92A3-4343-8975-958C976AE77A%7D (research on storage of dehydrated carrots)
http://ndfs.byu.edu/portals/7/docs/research/long/Lynn%20M%20Arrington%20Park.pdf (thesis on storage and shelf life of dehydrated foods)
http://www.gettystewart.com/how-to-dehydrate-carrots-and-how-to-use-them/ (how to dehydrate carrots)

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