Drying

Dehydrating is a fantastic way to store produce long term! Not only does it allow food to store for very long periods of time, it also takes up far less space. It's easy (and convenient) to slip powdered produce into your recipes in ways that even your pickiest eater will enjoy. It's also a no brainer for backpackers!

Ways to dehydrate

Different produce needs to be dehydrated in different ways. Some lighter or thinner or drier materials, like flowers or herbs are readily dried with our typically dry Prairie air and sunshine, while thicker or wetter produce may require an oven or even a dehydrator. Most items can be dried without any pre-processing but items like potatoes should be blanched first. We have some basic articles below and we're working on adding more.

Recipes

We've included several recipes for dehydrated foods below to get you started. Use these as ideas and get creative! We will be adding more to this section as time goes on so check back closer to harvest time for more ideas on how to use your produce.

Alternative ways to eat: as chips and powder

The ways to use dehydrated produce are virtually unlimited. Powdered vegetables (dehydrated and then pulverized in a blender) are especially flexible since they can be slipped into smoothies, desserts, casseroles, soups, salad dressings - the list keeps going! Want some ideas for creative ways to use your fruits, vegetables, flowers, herbs and edible weeds? Check out our alternative uses charts below for ideas. The chips and powdered sections are relevant to dehydration, but the rest gives you plenty of other ideas too. You can download and print them out for inside your cupboard doors and add your suggestions too!