It's time to learn how to dehydrate potatoes and they are one of the most versatile veggies out there!
Here's a quick potato selector guide from Sue Sanderson that takes you from choosing a cropping type to variety, planting tubers, and how to harvest and enjoy your spuds!
How do you dehydrate sweet potatoes?
Here is an easy way to dehydrate sweet potatoes:
2 lbs sweet potatoes, washed thoroughly.
Instructions:
Peel the sweet potatoes (if desired), then slice into 1/4 inch thick slices or cut into 1/2 inch cubes.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add sweet potato slices or cubes and blanch for 3 minutes. Drain.
Optional step - toss blanched sweet potatoes with 1/2 tbsp oil and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, or chili powder.
Arrange the slices/cubes in a single layer without overlapping on your dehydrator trays lined with a nonstick mesh insert, or parchment paper.
Dehydrate at 135°F for 8 to 14 hours until sweet potato pieces are completely dried and leathery, with no moisture pockets showing up when squeezed. Adjust drying time based on thickness and the texture you want.
Allow to cool to room temperature. Put the dried sweet potatoes in an airtight glass Mason jar or a plastic freezer bag for storage for up to 1 year. Learn how to vacuum seal them here.
Enjoy dried sweet potato as a healthy snack and rehydrate it in soups, stews, or gravies too.
How to dehydrate potatoes?
Follow the instructions further down this page.
Dehydrate potatoes for mashed potatoes?
This question is ambiguous. How so? Yes, you can dehydrate ready-made mashed potatoes, sure.
But if the question is "How do you dehydrate spuds to MAKE mashed potatoes later on?" then here's a combined answer to both.
#4 and #5 in the instructions directly below show you how to prepare it for reconstituted mash!
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Make a big flavorful batch, dehydrate the leftovers, and have instant mashed potatoes anytime! Adjust milk and butter to rehydrate as mentioned in step #5.
In steps #4 and #5, it's important to note that your dehydrated ground potato powder contains butter and milk when you originally made the mash.
It's important to vacuum-seal ASAP with an oxygen absorber tucked in the bag before drawing out the air. You see, fat goes rancid, so that's why I say to dehydrate your potato flakes/powder as soon as possible.
VITAMINS: Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Choline, followed by Niacin, Thiamine, Vitamin B6, Pantothenic Acid, and Betaine. There are trace amounts of Vitamin K and Folate.
MINERALS: Potassium, followed by Phosphorus, Magnesium, and Calcium. There are also trace amounts of Iron, Zinc, Manganese, Copper, and Selenium.
Potatoes contain Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids too.
If you want a great way to slice potatoes—cool them off! Put them (whole) in the refrigerator
overnight.
Then, when slicing them, they'll be much firmer—and you won't have to deal with hard-to-cut warm mushy potatoes! Works wonders!
Check out this great chef's knife with a full tang that means the handle and blade "are one" so they can't come apart when we're slicin' and a dicin'.
I know these Cutluxe Chef knives may be a little expensive, but they do last pretty much a lifetime when you maintain their cutting edges.
*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases with no price increase to you. Read disclosure here.
If using frozen hash brown potatoes, ignore steps 1, 2, and 3.
When using frozen hash brown potatoes and clumps
persist, run the clump under cool running water for a few seconds—that should do the trick! Pat dry the potatoes with paper towel if necessary after de-clumping.
Joan, fondly known as the "Case Hardened Lady" wrote in to tell us how she gets ready for dehydrating potatoes. Here it is, straight from Joan:
"Started batch number four of potatoes this morning. Things are running quickly and smoothly now that I have the routine down. Still forgot to start heating the blanching water first, though. It takes about 20 minutes on my stove. I'm making sliced raw potatoes.
Anyway, in my mind it takes longer to peel and slice potatoes than to get the water boiling. In reality, it's only a few minutes of prep, and then the potatoes are ready and the water isn't.
Oh, what a journey these 99-cent bags of potatoes have taken me on!"
~ ~ ~
Joan, thanks for writing in! :-)
When planting potatoes in your garden, you'll want to make sure you have the right conditions for growing this versatile veggie.
According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, potatoes need full sun and well-drained, fertile soil with a pH between 4.8 and 5.5.
When it comes to planting, you'll want to start your potato seeds indoors about two weeks before the last spring frost. Once it's time to transplant the seedlings outdoors, make sure to space them 12 inches apart in rows that are 3 feet apart.
Remember to water regularly during dry periods. The Almanac also recommends adding a layer of mulch around the plants to help retain moisture.
Harvest your potatoes when the tops of the plants start to die back. You can dig up the entire plant at once, or harvest individual potatoes as needed. Be sure to check your plants regularly, as potatoes that are left to mature will produce flowers and eventually go to seed.
I hope you enjoyed learning all about how to dehydrate potatoes!
Before you go, don't forget to pick up your free eBook called "How to Grow and Dehydrate Herbs" here!