Carrot harvests from the garden come in large loads – too many to simply store in the refrigerator. Our last harvest filled nearly both produce drawers and we don’t eat them that fast.
Carrots are excellent storage vegetables and can be stored long term in a root cellar, but without one, our summer carrots get dehydrated. (In the winter, we simply leave them in the garden with a bit of protection during the coldest weather and pull them as needed.)
Some sources suggest that blanching carrots before dehydrating helps kill spoilage enzymes. This year, I was tired and had more food still to process, so I didn’t.
How to Dehydrate Carrots (the lazy efficient way)
Step 1: Wash carrots
Step 2: Slice carrots –
- Method 1: Knife – Slicing by hand with a knife is slow and produces less uniform pieces.
- Method 2: Mandolin – Using a mandolin is faster, more uniform, but in my case is extremely dangerous and almost ALWAYS guarantees injury.
- Method 3: Food Processor – Slicing in a food processor is faster, safer, but sloppy (Ours didn’t cut uniformly, but with a bandaged thumb, I was relegated to this method.)
Step 3: Dehydrate carrots in the dehydrator for 10 hours at 125˚F.
Step 4: Store them in an airtight container – I prefer mason jars, but for banana chips and other things that are consumed quickly, I just use freezer bags.
Stored this way they keep for a year or so and are ready to add to soups, casseroles, and many other recipes that use cooked carrots.
To reconstitute your dehydrated carrots, pour boiling water over the dehydrated carrots and let stand for 15 -45 minutes before cooking (blanched carrots will reconstitute faster).
If you add them to soups, add them an hour before you would add them normally add carrots, to allow them to rehydrate for your recipe. If using in a casserole, allow them to sit in boiling water for an 30-45 min before adding to your recipe.
I love dehydrating! Although it requires a bit more planning to rehydrate beforehand, it helps prevent spoilage and allows for more long term storage allowing for even more extended enjoyment from your harvest! Enjoy your harvest longer!