While thinking about dehydrating vegetables, the last ingredient you can think about is to dehydrate cabbage. It may not occur to you instantly, but when preparing Chinese food or soup, you may need several vegetables to get the right taste. During a diet plan, when you have to add cabbage to your salad to obtain essential nutrients by limiting calories.
The best way to ensure you will never run out of cabbage while preparing something instantly is to dehydrate and preserve it, but how and for how long? Let us answer some basic questions elbowing their way into your mind.
How to Dehydrate Cabbage – Method of Dehydrating Cabbage
As cabbage is already a dry vegetable and doesn’t have anything juicy inside; the method is quite simple and super-fast.
The best thing about cabbage dehydration is you don’t need to blanch it, so there is no need to get into that complication. Cabbage never turns black, and you don’t have to take additional steps. Wash cabbage thoroughly and cut it in half. Start slicing it thinly, and it should be not too thick.
It’s time to arrange cabbage on the dehydration tray. It’s difficult not to overlap when you have thinly sliced vegetables but make sure you are not adding layer after layer for better results. Keep them in a single line for better dehydration and to remove the last drop of moisture from a surface.
The ideal temperature to set is 135degrees for proper air circulation, but you should also read a manual to have an idea about the dehydrator’s power. Cabbage may take around 6-8 hours for drying out completely. Keep them in a sealed container when you are done.
Do you have to blanch cabbage before dehydrating it?
Every vegetable is different in texture and requires various methods to dehydrate to maintain its taste. While you are planning to dehydrate potatoes for use the next time without turning black, you need to blanch them. But the method of dehydrating cabbage is different. If you don’t want to waste all nutrients and essential vitamins of cabbage, don’t blanch it.
As cabbage never turns black and there is no need to keep it in water other than by washing it. Cut the cabbage into small strips to use in a soup, it should be thin. Wash them and start the process directly. If you still don’t want to take any chance and you always blanch every vegetable, then you can put it all in a boiled water pot for a few minutes. Drain all the water and let them dry out in the air before dehydration.
How long will dehydrated cabbage last?
The key to increasing the shelf life of a vegetable is to evaporate every inch of moisture from them. Suppose if you are dehydrating tomatoes and not drying them out completely, they will spoil after a few weeks. The more you keep vegetables dry, the more they can last. So the shelf life also depends on the method you have adopted to dehydrate any vegetable for further use. It’s better to take a closer look at vegetables when you are done instead of storing them in a container with moisture.
When talking about cabbage, this vegetable is easy to dehydrate due to its dry nature and how it is not juicy enough to consume for additional hours. According to several studies, a dehydrated cabbage can last for 10 years. If you compare dehydrated vegetables with canned food, canned meals can only last for only 5-years. It’s essential to store dehydrated vegetables in a cold and dark place.
Is dehydrated cabbage good for you?
Cabbage is full of vitamins and minerals essential for your health when you want to consume something healthy. It’s an ideal vegetable to add to soup, stew, and Chinese food to have the best taste. Cabbages are generally crispy and have no bitter or sweet taste that can play with your buds. The best way to store them for a long time is to dehydrate them and place a jar somewhere cool and dark.
There is a misconception that whenever you dehydrate vegetables, they lose their essential nutrients, and there is no benefit to eating them. This is 100% a myth that comes from an illogical ground. As soon as you dehydrate cabbage without blanching it, you lock all nutrients in its place. Cabbage is full of vitamins K, C, and A with low-calorie benefits. After dehydration, you can use it as long as you want to without worrying about wasting essential vitamins.
Can you dehydrate fresh cabbage?
It’s always a good idea to dehydrate fresh vegetables to get most of their taste even after drying them out. Usually, cabbages are easy to store without dehydration, but they can last only for 3-days maximum without a crisp. You can’t put them in a soup or any meal because the texture will be different after a few days. After slicing thinly from the middle, wash it and start dehydrating process to witness pro results.
Dry cabbage enhances the taste of different meals such as casseroles, soups, and stews. Above all, you will love the taste of cabbage-like never before. It’s already dry enough, so you don’t need to invest any further effort to do anything before sliding a tray into a dehydrator. Set the temperature at 135degrees and watch it closely because vegetables are delicate and they can get ruined easily. It doesn’t take 13-14 hours or more like other juicy vegetables that are hard to dry for long-term use.
Final Thoughts
The dehydrating cabbage process is easy, and you don’t have to run into the market to grab vegetables anymore. Even after dehydration, you will not find any massive difference in taste. The texture and crispiness will be on point.From using it on your picnic parties to camping trips, dehydrated vegetables solve food problems and give you an authentic taste. By dehydrating any vegetable, you can lock its nutrients inside without wasting them during a process. The best and quick way to dry out vegetables is through a dehydrator as it requires less effort than other manual processes.
