Dehydrating food is one of the best things to keep in your kitchen when you are not in the mood to cook anything instantly. Today we are talking about dehydrating potatoes to store them for a long time in your home to munch anytime. We understand the importance of dehydrated potatoes because movie night, gossiping with friends, and the tea party is incomplete without potato chips.
If you were searching for a way to dehydrate potatoes, here we are with a complete guide. By following it step-by-step, you can have dehydrated potatoes at home and store them to eat whenever you want to.
How to Dehydrate Potatoes?
For dehydrating potatoes in a pro-style, follow the below-mentioned steps and get your perfectly dehydrated potatoes.
- Wash potatoes thoroughly and peel off the spots to ensure its good from the inside. Some people cook without peeling off the skin, but it maximizes the chance of cooking rotten potatoes as you don’t know what lies inside the skin.
- Slice potatoes into medium thickness slices. They should not be too thin as dehydration will break them and not too thick or process will take too long. It should be 2.5inch in thickness which is an ideal measurement. It would be great to slice them through a machine to maintain consistency for completing dehydration in the same period. Also, leave them in a water bowl to prevent black spots from appearing. If you will keep them out for more than 5-minutes, they will start turning brown.
- It’s time to move on to a super-important step which is blanching. Without doing so, your potatoes will turn dark brown or black. Boil water in a pot, according to the number of potatoes you have. As soon as the water starts to boil, put all potatoes into it until they are soft enough to insert a fork into. They should not be too soft or hard. Keep them in boiling water for 5-6 minutes.
- Scoop out all once they are semi-soft and put them on a dehydrator grill separately. It applies to sliced potatoes only, but you can overlap finger-style potatoes.
- Place all pieces in a dehydrator, set the oven at 52C, and leave them for 8-10 hours. After a few hours, once half of them are dry, you have to rotate trays in a different direction. Potato slices will start getting crisp and transparent without turning black.
- Let them cool in the open air and fill them in a jar where they won’t get crushed.
How long do dehydrated potatoes last?
This is the question we often get and people are concerned about the shelf life for longer use. You won’t believe it if this is your first time dehydrating potatoes, but they can last for more than 10-years. You heard me right. It would be great if you use them within the first five years because they may last for more years, but it is not beneficial for your health.
It also depends on the storage you are choosing for dehydrated potatoes. Many people keep their dehydrated potatoes in a cool and dark place and, it never affects the taste. If you are placing them somewhere openly on a counter or somewhere warm, they may not last for so long. It’s advisable to keep dehydrated potatoes in a mason jar as it is sealed, and chips will remain the same in quality.
Can you dehydrate raw potatoes?
It depends on your use, and where do you want to use them after dehydrating? Yes, you can dehydrate potatoes in a raw form, but it would be best to follow the procedure in a half-cooked form. For the best results, choose firm and fresh potatoes because soft ones will not stay as fresh as you want them to be.
Another excellent way to dehydrate potatoes is by slicing them, as it works best for serving as a snack.
If you want to dehydrate them in a raw form, peel them and put them in cold water to prevent black spots from appearing. Once they are all set to get into the dehydration process, you may find the results quite amusing. Later on, you can prepare anything with those dehydrated potatoes or take them with you as a meal on a camping trip.
How long does it take to dehydrate potato cubes?
The dehydration process depends on the size of potato cubes and how thick are you cutting them? If cubes are big, they may take more than 45-minutes to complete the process. It would be great to cut them into small pieces to save time and for quick dehydration. While working on cubes, you need to keep the rotating tray in a different direction.
It’s best to set the temperature at 125 degrees to evaporate the last drop of water. Also, if you are worried about the nutritional value, dehydrated potatoes deliver the same nutrition as fresh potatoes. They are healthy to consume when someone is on diet and doesn’t want anything heavy in their food cooked in oil.
Why my dehydrated potatoes are turning black?
Dehydrating potatoes is not a simple task, and you have to go through a process before start dehydrating them. The reason that potatoes are turning black is they are not blanched. If your potatoes are black, you can still eat them, but they may not taste and look good enough. If you want a good color with uncompromising taste, focus on blanching, and the whole process will turn out perfect.
Final Thoughts
Aside from being an affordable vegetable, potato is considered a delicious snack. Dehydrated potatoes are perfect for camping trips with friends where you can’t take cooked meals with you. It will feed you properly, and you can enjoy the delicious taste too. This guide must have helped you dehydrate potatoes at home without going through a hectic procedure. Store them in a cool and dark place for longer shelf life and easy storage. It will maintain the taste, and you don’t have to see black spots on them.
