Has anyone out there tried drying zucchini in wedges, so it will be pretty when reconstituted? I'm curious to see if it works.
By Jan from Tampa, FL
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The reason we are supposed to slice food for drying in uniform slices [a wedge is not uniform, as it's wider in one spot, and thinner at the apex] is to make sure the food dries thoroughly. Otherwise you can get mold, or one part [the thinner part] will dry more than the thicker part, actually overdry, none of which will look good.
I'd do the wedges for visual appeal when your zucchini is fresh and sorry to say, slice it uniformly for drying.
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Can you dry Zucchini?
By Carol from Boston, MA
Yes, you can dry zucchini in a food dehydrator. You can dry anything you like. It's nice if you want to use the slices as snack. Try eggplant, too. They come out of the dehydrator sort of semi-dry, a bit like sun dried tomatoes. Mind you, if you want to dry them to add to stews or soups, they become too soft. So excellent for healthy snacking, not so good for adding to stews etc. Good luck. (08/13/2009)
No offense to other feedbacks, but we dry most of our food, especially zucchini. We grate them before we dry them, and they are excellent for stews, sauces, etc. Perhaps the difference is in the other feedback they were only partially dried (if soft, not dried completely) which means they'll still need refrigeration. Make sure it's completely dry (brittle), and as long as no bugs get it (I store in glass and hard plastic), they last for years. (08/13/2009)
By Bonnie
I just got done drying some my boss gave me (can't turn down stuff from the boss! lol) I just sliced it pretty thin and dried it in my dinky Ronco dehydrator for a day on 135 degrees. My hamster really likes it. (08/13/2009)
By Anna
Zucchini can be harvested throughout its growing season. Unlike winter squash, immature zucchini is very desirable as the seeds are soft and the rind tender. Both small and large zucchini can be dried. Choose unblemished rinds.
Preparation: Wash thoroughly. Peel if desired. Cut into 1/4 to 1/2-inch slices, chop into cubes, coarsely grate or cut into julienne strips. If zucchini is larger than 12 inches, the large seeds and fibrous tissue should be removed. For vegetable chips, soak in barbecue sauce or soy sauce before drying. Approximate drying time is 6 to 10 hours. Characteristic dried products are crisp and hard.
Source: MSU Extension
