DRY UP!

Now that summer is winding down harvest chores loom large on the horizon. Ever have those days when you wonder what to do with all that produce? You've canned and frozen just about all you ever want to look at again, but the tomatoes, beans, and zucchini just keep on coming. Well, there is an alternative.

Why not dry the harvest? Have you ever priced sun-dried tomatoes in the store? Yikes! Ever thought of making your own? It's easier than you think. There are so many inexpensive home food dehydrators on the market now that making your own dried foods is a viable option. Home dried fruits make wonderful snacks, and it's possible to make some very savory soups and stews using produce you've dried at home.

You would be amazed at what you can dry. Carrots, peppers, celery, potatoes, eggplant, squash (both summer and winter), green and shell beans, fruits, herbs, and of course tomatoes all lend themselves to drying. Dry corn for grinding your own cornmeal. Make your own raisins. Yes, even zucchini can be dried and used later is casseroles and soups.

When choosing a dehydrator look for one with no more than four trays. Unless it's a heavy-duty (i.e. expensive) model, food will take too long to dry on more than four trays. Also buy one with a fan. This saves drying time and electricity.

Fortunately, fruits and vegetables are the easiest items to dry. They need to be clean and fresh, though drying can save apples that have gone way past crisp. Slice everything thinly except small fruits like blueberries, grapes, and the like. These you can throw in whole. I've found 1/8 - 1/4 inch slices are optimal thickness. Immediately soak fruit or potato slices in salted water to keep them from turning brown. If you have to watch your salt intake use lemon juice instead. Vegetables need no pretreatment at all. Drain slices, if soaked, and arrange on the trays so that the pieces don't touch. Leave lots of air space between the slices. Drying times can vary depending on the food item and your dehydrator, but the average is four to eight hours. Follow the directions that come with your dehydrator.

The food is ready when it has reached a leathery stage. You may continue to dry it until it snaps, but this will require longer rehydrating time. The only things I dry to this stage are apples that will be eaten as is, and that's mainly because I like them that way. The slices should not exude any water when squeezed or feel damp. If the food is rubbery, rather than leathery, it needs to dry longer. Incomplete drying encourages mold.

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