If you're eager to learn how to dehydrate carrots, we're here to help!
You can dehydrate whole baby carrots (takes longer), or slice them lengthwise, or in 'coins.'
By doing the slicing this way for coins (or thin lengthwise cuts), you'll save on dehydrator time.
Carrots are well-known for their great source of beta carotene (Vitamin A) and are a great source of Folate, and Vitamin K.
Carrots rank well for their mineral content: Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, and Magnesium.
Carrots' trace minerals are Fluoride, Manganese, Zinc, Selenium, and Copper ... and they give you orange hands when handling, so use those latex gloves for protection - and to keep your germs off the carrots!
Carrots contain Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids too.
Eating carrots can help you regulate your blood sugar levels. This is especially important for people with diabetes.
Carrots can also help you improve your vision. This is because they contain a type of vitamin A that's good for your eyes.
When you have finished slicing or grating, place the carrots in a
glass bowl (or any non-plastic bowl as plastic stains easily and holds odors). Spray with lemon juice, tossing
the carrots as you go to make sure they're sprayed evenly.
TIP: Use a pump top from a new unused spray bottle, pick one that fits your lemon juice bottle. Look for a bottle that has a long enough plastic tube that will reach the bottom of your lemon juice bottle.
If you don't have any lemon juice, you can choose to blanch your sliced carrots instead in a small amount of boiling water for about 3 minutes.
Whichever way you slice carrots, make sure that they are pretty much the same thickness; this again helps in the drying department—they'll dry more evenly!
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.
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When dehydrating carrots, I prefer to use fresh whole carrots and slice them after peeling, but you can use whole frozen baby carrots with great results.
Remember that baby carrots WILL take longer to dehydrate because of their size/thickness.
Frozen carrots are a great stand-in and require absolutely NO preparation!
Fresh carrots need peeling, then slicing—or grating, and I highly recommend a mandoline for the slicing.
BE CAREFUL with a mandoline slicer... they're very sharp!
There are many different types of carrots that you can grow. Some popular varieties include the Nantes carrot, the Chantenay carrot, and the Imperator carrot.
Experiment and see what type of carrot you like best!
Carrots are fairly easy to grow, but they do require some special care. For example, they need to be planted in an area that receives full sun. They also need to be watered regularly.
If you live in an area with a temperate climate, you may be able to grow carrots outdoors all year round. However, if you live in a cooler climate, you'll need to bring the plants indoors during the winter months.
As the name implies, a baby carrot is a small, young carrot. They tend to taste sweeter and have a crisper, juicier texture than 'mature' carrots. The older a carrot gets the more fibrous and starchier it becomes.
I hope you enjoyed learning how to dehydrate carrots and try these recipes below:
Check out this fantastic carrot soup recipe, either make it from fresh or dehydrated carrots. We have a Delicious Carrot Cake to share with you too!
If you want to have dehydrated carrots put away for making the carrot cake at a later date, then we suggest using the fruit roll sheets to keep the finely grated carrots from falling through the food dehydrator trays.
Learn how to rehydrate your carrots here.
Susan Gast began Easy Food Dehydrating in December 2010.
Read Susan's story of what sparked her interest in all things related to "food dehydrating."
She is featured on the Mother Earth News blog, and on Solo Build It! (SBI!) who hosts this site. Read her first SBI! interview and her second SBI! interview.
Since 1980, Susan's involvement in publishing - in one form or another - led her to create ePubTechReviews which reviews a variety of products related to the publishing industry - if you're at all interested in AI and self-publishing. The website is also hosted by Solo Build It!
Susan also runs her namesake site SusanGast.com on Solo Build It! that showcases the books she has written since 2012.
Do you want to send Susan a quick message? Visit her contact page here. She'd love to hear from you!