How Many Vegetables Fill a Dehydrator?
Use This Easy Tray Guide

Wondering how many vegetables it takes to fill a dehydrator? You’re not alone — it’s one of the most common questions when planning shopping trips or bulk prep days.

✅ Quick Answer: How many vegetables fill a dehydrator?
On average, 2–4 pounds of vegetables (like carrots, broccoli, or peas) will fill four dehydrator trays. Amounts vary by type and cut size, but one medium head of cauliflower or 6–8 ears of corn typically covers a full load.

The good news: you don’t have to guess. This page gives you a tray-by-tray breakdown for common veggies like carrots, onions, and broccoli, so you’ll know exactly how much to buy, prep, and dry with confidence.

Celery on a Nesco dehydrator tray

I'm going on the assumption that you're filling FOUR full trays. I created this guide to help make that decision easier for you.

It helps to have a rough idea of how many vegetables to purchase at the grocery store.

🛒 How Many Vegetables Should You Buy for a Full Dehydrator?

This veggie buying guide helps you figure out how much to buy if you cannot afford to buy in bulk, or don't have room to store it and prefer picking up your vegetables on a weekly basis.

Maybe it's time to begin growing your own. But... most of us do not have tons of spare time to grow stuff or have room in our fridges and freezers.

Before you go out and buy too much though, a little farther down the page I'll show you roughly how many vegetables will fit on four dehydrator trays.

Please remember this is just a guide. It's not an exact science...

Vegetable-to-Tray Breakdown: Exactly How Much Fills 4 Trays

  • Cut Green Beans: fresh or frozen, 2lb
  • Broccoli: fresh or frozen, 2lbs
  • Butternut Squash: fresh, 1 medium squash; frozen 2lb
  • Cabbage: fresh sliced, 1/2 cabbage head
  • Carrots: fresh, sliced 5-8 carrots; frozen 2lb
  • Cauliflower: fresh, 1 medium; frozen 2lb
  • Celery: fresh, 1 stalk, sliced
  • Cut Corn: fresh: 6-8 ears; frozen 2lb
  • Garlic: Elephant, fresh: 1 large bulb
  • Mushrooms: fresh, 2lb
  • Onions: fresh 1-1/2 to 2 medium to large; diced frozen 2lb
  • Peas: fresh or frozen 2lb
  • Peppers: fresh, cut in strips 4-5; frozen 2lb
  • Potatoes: fresh, varies 4-6; frozen diced hash brown 2lb
  • Tomatoes: fresh, 7-9
  • Zucchini: fresh, 3-6

Why Fewer Than 4 Trays Can Mess Up Drying Results

The reason why I picked how many vegetables it takes to fill four full trays is this: FOUR trays are the Nesco dehydrator brand's recommended minimum tray usage.

If you use any less than four full trays, for instance, only two trays, then you are not getting the proper air circulation necessary to dry your vegetables properly.

Read more about Nesco dehydrators here. They have plenty of great accessories, such as spare trays (I purchased the four-tray starter Nesco); and they have non-stick solid sheets which are great for making fruit leathers.

The non-stick mesh sheets are great for stopping smaller pieces of food from dropping down into the tray below. When food dries, natural shrinkage occurs. Keeping the dried food on the trays means less stuff to clean up out of the bottom of the dehydrator, right? Right!

Excalibur dehydrators also have non-stick sheets for the same purposes I listed above as the Nesco dehydrator.

For the Elite Gourmet dehydrator, I purchased sheets which I had to cut to size. No biggie.

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Which Dehydrator Brand Handles Vegetables Best?

As mentioned in our dehydrator section, I have an Excalibur dehydrator and a Nesco dehydrator. Also feel free to check out my Elite Gourmet dehydrator too!

I use the Nesco pretty much on a daily/weekly basis. The Excalibur is great for proofing bread! But I love the Elite Gourmet because I can clearly SEE what is on the trays!

Smart Questions About Dehydrating Vegetables

Do I need to blanch all vegetables before dehydrating?

Not all. Carrots, beans, and broccoli benefit from blanching, but onions, peppers, and mushrooms don’t require it. Check the vegetable type before you prep.

Can I dehydrate frozen vegetables without thawing?

Yes — most frozen vegetables are already blanched, so you can spread them directly onto trays. It saves time and keeps prep simple.

How do I know if my vegetables are fully dry?

They should feel brittle or leathery with no visible moisture. Break a piece in half — if it snaps clean or feels firm and dry, it’s ready.

What’s the best container for long-term veggie storage?

Food vacuum sealer bags with oxygen absorbers and desiccant packets are best ways to store dried veggies for a year or more. For short-term use, mason jars or vacuum-sealed bags in a cool, dark place work well.

Now you know how many vegetables it takes to fill your dehydrator — from green beans and broccoli to corn and squash. Planning meals and shopping trips just got easier!

Ready to turn your dried veggies into something delicious? Grab your free 5 Dried Food Recipes You'll Actually Love PDF (below) and enjoy carrot soup, minestrone, split pea soup, spicy beef jerky, or even banana cinnamon rolls.

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