The late pandemic has prompted a phenomenal surge in the number of people who recognize a need to be better prepared for life's challenges. In the forums I frequent, I read a lot of questions regarding the "best way to preserve/store xyz." Dry storage of long-term staples like grains and beans, etc., has been covered in other posts. Here we'll consider preservation methods for produce.
The best way to preserve different types of produce varies.
Personal preference: The first important factor to consider is what you like, your personal preference. What other people do is totally irrelevant. For example, most directions for dehydrating pineapple indicate that it should be cut into chunks and then dehydrated. Dutifully following the directions, I did that. Unfortunately, we didn't really like the result. The taste was fine, but we really didn't like the texture, even if I cut the pineapple into small chunks. I was about to give up on dehydrating pineapple when I came across a suggestion to cut it into very thin slices. That was exactly what we needed. The pineapple looks like strips of fruit leather. The texture is great. We all love it.
Intended use: Sometimes the best way to preserve an item depends on how you are planning to use it. For example, most gardeners find themselves with excess zucchini. And most people shred it and throw it in the freezer. This is probably the best way to go for making zucchini breads, cakes, and cookies--if you have the freezer space. But what if you don't? In this case, some people advocate dehydrating shredded zucchini. It's great for adding to soups, but I don't like it in baked goods. This is because zucchini doesn't quite fully rehydrate, and often the result in cakes and breads is a little on the chewy side. However, if the zucchini shreds are canned (according to the directions in the Ball Blue Book or another accepted guide), they work very well in baked goods.
Another way we like to use zucchini is to dehydrate slices for soups. One of our favorite uses is dehydrating 1/4" thick slices for making deep-fried zucchini later in the year.
Berries get preserved in numerous ways. The most important is a dozen or two pints of jam each year. Fruit rolls are probably next on the list. Raspberries are dehydrated whole for use in raspberry-lemon muffins. If there are still berries left, then they are pureed, dehydrated, and powdered for adding to smoothies (which will have to be mixed by hand if there is no electricity, so having the berries powdered in advance helps here).
Best texture. If any produce is to be eventually used as a sauce, then it gets made into a sauce first, then dehydrated, and then powdered. Sauces prepared this way will rehydrate to the smoothest consistency. This is especially effective for tomato sauce. And it's also nice because you can add just the amount you need without wasting the rest of the can.
Beans have the best texture, and use the least amount of fuel, when they are pressure canned. Beans can also be dehydrated, but then they kinda fall apart and separate when rehydrated. The taste is fine, but the texture's a bit different. It works for backpacking or emergency meals, but it's not what we really want to eat regularly. I'll use them when I want taco salad without having to open up a quart jar just for me. Garbanzo beans, on the other hand, are an entirely different matter. Our favorite way to use them is to pressure can, puree, dehydrate, and then powder. It sounds like a lot of work, but it's really not a big deal. We love being able to just add water and have hummus dip ready in an instant.
Links to related posts:
Dehydrating Pineapple
Zucchini cupcakes
Hummus
21 july 2022
