How Many Vegetables
Fill a Dehydrator?

Celery on a Nesco dehydrator tray

Deciding how many vegetables fill a dehydrator is not an exact science.

It obviously depends on what size dehydrator you have and how often you use it. It also depends on what size family you're feeding!

But for now, we're going on the assumption that you're filling FOUR full trays. We 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 store!


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Treat yourself today with my free eBook. Learn how to dry the top six herbs and make herb-infused oils and vinegars!

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An Easy Guide for Vegetables so You'll Know How Many Vegetables Fill a Dehydrator!

This 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...

4 Trays is THE Minimum to Use for Nesco Dehydrators

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.

Here is Your Guide to How Many Vegetables Fills FOUR 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

Nesco and Excalibur Brands are Super Dehydrators

As mentioned in our dehydrator section, I have an Excalibur dehydrator and a Nesco dehydrator.
I use the Nesco on a daily/weekly basis, and the Excalibur is great for proofing bread!

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If you wish to learn more, tune in to Susan's free Podcast: "What's the Difference Between Nesco and Excalibur Dehydrators" HERE.

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Susan Gast, founder of Easy Food Dehydrating

Hi, I'm Susan Gast, founder of Easy Food Dehydrating. My passion for dehydrating food began in 2010 while seeking crafty uses for abundant tomatoes. I've since devoted myself to elevating the art of removing moisture from fruits, vegetables, meats, and so much more!
JOIN ME as we unlock the magic of food preservation through dehydration together!
Read About Me here.

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