It’s about 5 PM as I finish up this post. I’m not sure exactly whether it was a viral or bacterial beast that violated my personal space and sent me to bed two days ago. Did it happen at the Valentine’s Day dinner party, or at the grocery store the next day? After dry heaving for a couple of hours Thursday night, I finally expelled the suddenly offensive food and spent most of Friday sleeping. Today I’m still weak but able to read, surf, and type. And by the time you read this, I will be fully recovered.
Anyway, the following chart has been one I’ve wanted to assemble for quite some time. I think I might even print it up and laminate it for the kitchen. I never seem to know just how much dehydrated onion or celery to add to a dish. Amounts always look so puny and then seem to swell in the pot. Which, of course, is what they are supposed to do.
|
Fresh produce |
Dehydrated and freeze-dried powders |
Dehydrated amount |
Water to reconstitute |
Minimum soaking time |
|
Apple, 1 medium or 1 cup |
|
1 cup |
1.5 cups |
½ hour |
|
Apricot |
|
1 cup |
1.5 cups |
¼ hour |
|
Asparagus, 6 stalks |
|
1 cup |
1 cup |
|
|
Banana |
|
1 cup |
1 cup |
¼ hour |
|
Beans, green, 1 cup, FD |
|
½ cup |
1 cup |
¼ hour |
|
Beans, green, snap |
|
1 cup |
2.5 cups |
1 hour |
|
Beets |
|
1 cup |
2.75 cups |
1 ½ hours |
|
Bell peppers, 1 cup |
¼ cup flakes |
1/2 cup |
¾ cup |
|
|
Blackberries, 1 cup, FD |
|
¾ cup |
1 cup |
|
|
Blueberries, 1 cup, FD |
|
½ cup |
1 cup |
|
|
Broccoli, 1 cup, FD |
|
1 cup |
1 cup |
¼ hour |
|
Cabbage, 1 cup |
|
½ cup |
1.25 cups |
1 hour |
|
Carrots, 1 cup, 4 medium fresh carrots, DH |
¼ cup powdered |
½ cup |
1.5 cups |
1 hour |
|
Cauliflower, 1 cup |
|
1 cup |
½ cup |
¼ hour |
|
Celery, 1 cup |
|
½ cup |
1 cup |
1/3 hour |
|
Corn, DH |
|
1 cup |
2.25 cups |
½ hour |
|
Corn, 1 cup, FD |
|
1 cup |
1 cup |
|
|
Green onions, ½ cup |
|
¼ cup |
¼ cup |
|
|
Hash browns, 1 cup |
|
½ cup |
1.5 cups |
¼ hour |
|
Mushrooms, 1 cup, DH |
|
½ cup |
1 cup |
1 hour |
|
Mushrooms, 1 cup, FD |
|
1 cup |
½ cup |
|
|
Okra, DH |
|
1 cup |
3 cups |
½ hour |
|
Onions, DH |
|
1/3 cup |
1 cup |
¾ hour |
|
Onions, 1 medium, DH |
1 ½ tablespoons onion powder |
½ cup |
¾ cup |
¾ hour |
|
Onions, 1 medium, FD |
|
1 cup |
1 cup |
|
|
Peaches, 1 medium, |
|
1 cup |
2 cups |
1 ¼ hours |
|
Pears, DH |
|
1 cup |
1 ¾ cups |
1 hour |
|
Peas, DH |
|
1 cup |
2 ½ cups |
½ hour |
|
Peas, 1 cup, FD |
|
1/3 cup |
1 cup |
|
|
Pineapple, 1 cup |
|
1 cup |
1 cup |
|
|
Potatoes, mashed, 1 cup |
|
½ cup |
1 cup |
5 minutes |
|
Potato dices, 1 cup |
|
1/3 cup |
1 cup |
10 minutes |
|
Raspberries, 1 cup, FD |
|
1 cup |
1 cup |
|
|
Spinach, DH |
2-3 tablespoons powder |
1 cup |
½ cup |
5 minutes |
|
Spinach, FD |
|
1 cup |
¾ cup |
|
|
Squash, DH |
|
1 cup |
1 ¾ cups |
1 hour |
|
Strawberries |
|
1 cup |
1 cup |
|
|
Sweet potatoes, DH |
|
1 cup |
1 ½ cups |
½ hour |
|
Sweet potatoes, FD |
|
1 cup |
1 cup |
|
|
Tomato, 1 medium |
|
|
½ cup |
|
|
Tomato dices, 1 cup |
|
½ cup |
1 cup |
½ hour |
|
Tomato paste, 1 cup |
|
½ cup |
1 cup |
5 minutes |
|
Tomato sauce, 1 cup |
|
¼ cup |
1 cup |
5 minutes |
|
Turnip greens, other greens |
|
1 cup |
1 cup |
¾ hour |
|
Zucchini, 1 small |
|
¾ cup |
½ cup |
|
Fruits are best soaked in cool water. Vegetables are best soaked in hot or boiling water. For soups and stews, vegetables do not need to be rehydrated. Simply add them and the necessary liquid for reconstituting to the cooking pot. Where no soaking time is listed, allow about 45 minutes depending on the size of the chunks of produce and whether it was dehydrated (more time) or freeze-dried (less time).
Unfortunately, despite claims to the contrary, the reconstituted veggies will not look just like fresh. Even with freeze-dried foods, there is a little bit of loss in color and texture. Peas and all fruits will benefit from adding about ½ teaspoon of sugar per cup of fruit to the soaking water at the end of the soaking time.
