Keep rhubarb and potatoes on hand all year when you learn how to dehydrate vegetables with this unique preservation method.
Many times, I’ve wanted to enjoy a rhubarb-flavored dessert, but Minnesota winters aren’t conducive to picking rhubarb. Yes, many folks pick rhubarb all summer and freeze it for later use. The downside to that method is that when you thaw it, you drain away a lot of liquid – and flavor. In an effort to retain all the good stuff, I’ve taken to dehydrating my rhubarb.
Dehydrating Rhubarb
Picking rhubarb is easy: Grab a single stalk and pull. Try to get the entire stalk, which should break free from the base of the plant. Cut off the leaves and the lower inch or so of the stem. Wash the stalk and chop into half-inch pieces. Place them on a dehydrator tray or on a perforated cookie sheet in the oven at its lowest setting. If your oven doesn’t go below 170 degrees Fahrenheit, keep its door partially open with a spoon or chopstick, bringing the temperature down to about 140 degrees.
Now, before you get excited, there’s a catch: Drying rhubarb takes longer than drying other produce because of its high water content. The end results are small chunks that may fall through the dehydrator trays. Don’t be discouraged. I use a mesh fabric screen to maintain airflow while continuing the drying process.
My first attempt to use the dried pieces, by adding them to a pound cake, wasn’t as tasty as I’d hoped. The small pieces didn’t rehydrate as expected and became chewy little chunks instead. That’s when inspiration struck! I grabbed my coffee grinder and ground the small, dry pieces into powder. This accomplished the intended outcome. The powdered rhubarb is easy to store and even easier to use. I stored it in a sealed container to keep my rhubarb handy throughout the year.
For baking, just add a tablespoon or two of the powder to your next cake recipe. You may want to add a tablespoon of water or an extra egg, or something else with moisture, to help with rehydration. The best use for powdered rhubarb I’ve found is to add it to the mix when I make scones. I shared some of the powder with a local breakfast shop, and the owner says adding a half-teaspoon to her coffee makes a wonderful treat.
Lemon Pound Cake with Rhubarb Glaze Recipe
Now that you’ve dehydrated all of your rhubarb, here’s one way it can be used in the kitchen. Starting with your favorite recipe or mix, make a lemon pound cake. While the cake is baking, combine 1 teaspoon dehydrated rhubarb powder with 1-1/2 teaspoons water in a cup. Set this aside while the cake is baking. Once the cake is done, let it cool for about half an hour. Finally, add 1/2 cup powdered sugar to the cup of rehydrated rhubarb powder. Mix well with a fork, making sure it’s not lumpy. Drizzle the glaze over the cake. Enjoy and share with friends.
How to Dehydrate Potatoes for Long-Term Storage
Potatoes are another crop I use a lot, but they only keep for so long, so I’ve found a better way to store and use them.
Every year, I plant several different varieties of potatoes. Each potato has its advantages and flavors. After harvesting, I rinse them to remove any dirt residue. I choose to peel the spuds in preparation for dehydrating them, which gets rid of any ugly or weird-looking spots. Depending on the variety of potato and your personal preference, you may decide to leave the peels on as you slice them.
Using a mandolin set for thin cuts, slice the potatoes into a bowl of lemon water. (The lemon juice in the water will help prevent the slices from browning before they dry.) When all the potatoes are sliced, remove the slices from the water and place them on trays or cookie sheets in single layers. Try to keep them separate, as overlapping will cause them to stick together as they dry. The total drying time will depend on how efficient your dehydrator or oven is. A trick to speeding up the dehydration process is to swap the trays from top to bottom every half-hour, which will also allow you to inspect your work as it progresses.
When the potatoes are completely dried, place them in a clear container for storage. They’ll look and feel nearly identical to a regular potato chip, but don’t be fooled: They’re still raw.
Dried Potatoes for Soups & Stews
My favorite use of dried potatoes is in soups and stews. For clam chowder, I take a handful of dried potatoes, crunch them in my hands, and toss them into a pot with canned clams. I then add some clam juice and cornstarch or flour to make a hearty soup.
Browning a pound of hamburger, adding a handful of dried potatoes and spices, and letting it simmer results in a comfort-food highlight.
Taking this one step further, put those dried “potato chips” in a coffee grinder and give it a whirl. In just a few seconds, you’ll have powdered potato or, as I like to call it, instant mashed potatoes! To rehydrate, just add hot water and wait a couple of minutes. Powdered potato also works wonders to thicken any soup or stew.
Otherwise, try dried or powdered potatoes in your own recipes to find out what you like.
One last aha moment: We like to travel and bring along our own food, and dried potatoes travel well in addition to being lightweight. Backpackers will appreciate this hack.
Previously, when we had store-bought potatoes and would return from a trip, we’d find them rotting away. Not anymore. If we have any extra fresh spuds around, I simply dehydrate them before we travel. Problem solved.
Originally published as “Firsthand Reports: Dehydrated Delights” in the October/November 2024 issue of MOTHER EARTH NEWS magazine and regularly vetted for accuracy.
Ted McDaniel is a retired director of technology and teacher who enjoys paying it forward. He also enjoys woodworking and a lot of putzing. He and his wife, Pat, live on a small acreage in western Minnesota.
