Hints On Reconstitution; Cleaning And Care - Klarstein 10029505 Handbuch

Length of Storage
Dried fruits and vegetables should not be stored longer than one year. Plan to use all dried meats, fish, poultry
or jerky within a month or two. Label dried foods, and rotate on a first-dried first-to-be-used basis. Check dried
foods periodically. If the food seems more moist than when packed, moisture is getting into the container.
Mould indicates the food was not properly dried before being stored. Destroy mouldy food.
Dehydration is the process of removing moisture from food. Reconstitution is the replacement of that mois-
ture to bring the food back to its natural state. Although some dried foods such as fruit are excellent in their
dehydrated state, you will often want to reconstitute other dried foods before eating them. Here are some tips
on reconstitution:
Just Add Water
• For chopped or shredded vegetables, and for fruits to be used in cookies, no reconstitution is usually needed.
lf the pieces are quite crisp and dry you can try sprinkling with 1 Tbs. water per cup (200 ml) of dried food.
• For vegetables and fruits to be used in souffles, pies, quick breads, doughs or batter, use 2 parts water to 3
parts (by volume) dried food.
• For vegetables and fruits which will be cooked in the liquid such as vegetable side dishes, fruit toppings, and
compotes, use 1 to 1 1/2 parts water to 1 part dried food. Extra liquid may be required for proper cooking.
Other Reconstitution Hints
• If you drain reconstituted foods, save the liquid. This liquid has great nutritional value. Freeze this liquid for
later use in soups, leathers, pies or compotes.
• There is no need to reconstitute ahead of time when making soups. Dried vegetables can be added directly
to the soup about one hour before serving.
• Do not add spices, salt, bouillon cubes or tomato products until vegetables are reconstituted and cooked.
These items considerably hinder rehydration.
• Some foods take longer to reconstitute than others. carrots and beans require more time than green peas
or potatoes. A rule of thumb: those that take the longest to dehydrate will take the longest to reconstitute.
• Try not to use more liquid than necessary for reconstitution because nutrients will be drained away with the
excess water. Place dehydrated food in a container and use just enough water to cover the food. Add more
water later as needed to replace what the food absorbs.
After each use, clean the drying trays and dehydrator lid with soapy water. Do not wash trays, lid or base in
dishwasher. Stubborn particles may be removed by soaking and/or using a plastik scrubber. Do not use abra-
sive materials or solvents to clean plastic! To clean the dehydrator's base (the bottom part with the motor and
heating element), unplug and wipe clean with a damp sponge or cloth. NEVER immerse the base in water or
allow liquid to flow into the area that contains the electrical parts.

Hints on Reconstitution

Cleaning and Care

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