Potatoes (an amount you find manageable)
Metal vegetable blanching basket, or French fry basket
Colander & Mixing Bowl which is larger than your
colander
Paper towels
Several cookie sheets OR Food Dehydrator & trays or
racks
Vegetable Oil Cooking Spray
Peel
desired amount of potatoes and slice into rounds 1/8 inch thick. (Peeling is optional-
there are important vitamins and minerals stored in the potato skins, but they look nicer
peeled, so choose according to your personal preference.) This can be done quickly with a
food processor or slicer. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Put
potato slices into a vegetable basket and plunge the basket into the boiling water and
wait for the water to return to a boil. Once the water is boiling, start counting off 8
minutes of blanching time. While potatoes are blanching, set up a large mixing bowl in
your sink and fill it with ice water. When the potatoes have blanched for 8 minutes,
plunge the basketful of potatoes immediately into the ice water and let them sit there for
15 minutes. Spread the blanched potato slices in a single layer between paper towels and
blot them dry.
If you are not using a dehydrator, spray cookie sheets with
vegetable oil spray (do not use regular cooking oil); if you are using rimmed baking pans,
spray and use only the upside down bottoms of these pans to prevent scorching near the
pan's raised rim; if you are using Teflon cookie sheets, there is no need for spray.
Spread potato slices on the prepared sheets or pans as close together as possible but in a
single layer. Place cookie sheets on oven racks and turn the oven on to its very lowest
temperature. (between low and off) Keep the oven door ajar so that the air can circulate
freely and let moisture escape. Make sure that the temperature never gets so hot that your
hand feels uncomfortable when held in the oven. This is necessary for thorough drying.
If you are using a dehydrator, place potato slices on racks
which have been prepared with vegetable oil spray, placing potatoes close together, but
not touching, so air is allowed to circulate between them. Turning is not necessary on
vented racks. Dry according to manufacturer’s instructions, or until potatoes are
brittle, somewhat translucent and are not at all pliable. If you have solid racks, follow
the same directions as for turning potatoes dried in an oven:
After 1 hour, turn all the slices over; then turn the
slices over every 30 minutes. Drying time will depend largely on your own oven, but you
should begin checking for doneness at 3 hours. The potatoes are done when they become
brittle, somewhat translucent, and are not at all pliable. Their color should be pale
white with a tinge of yellow; do not let them become brown or even dark amber in color.
Some potato slices will dry faster than others, so check every 15 - 30 minutes for slices
which are done.
Let the dried potatoes cool thoroughly, then store for up
to a year in glass or plastic jars OR plastic bags at room temperature in a cool, dry
place.
**You can use the instructions from your
favorite pre-packaged potato mixes to cook or reconstitute your dried potatoes, or you can
use the recipes below to put together your own mixes for your home-dried potatoes.
Basic Sauce Mix
2 Tbsp. Nonfat Dry Milk
2 Tbsp. Flour
2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
1 tsp. Onion Powder or 1
Tbsp. Crushed Dried Onions
1/8 tsp. Black Pepper
Combine the above ingredients to make 1 package of
sauce mix and seal it in a small zip baggie, removing as much air as possible. When making
several mixes to store or give as gifts, multiply this sauce mix recipe and store in a jar
until ready for use. 6 Tbsp. Sauce Mix is equal to 1 x the above recipe.
Yield: 3 cups or four 3/4
cups servings
Scalloped Potato Mix
in a Jar
3 cups dehydrated
Potatoes
1 package (6 Tbsp.) Sauce
Mix
1/3 cup Nonfat Dry Milk
Place these ingredients into a one quart jar, making
certain the sauce mix and dry milk are first placed into small zip baggies, then sealed
with the air removed. Place the potatoes into the bottom of the jar, then add the baggie
of mix on top. Place lid on jar and store in a cool dry place until ready to use. Attach
the following instructions for later use, or for gift giving:
Scalloped Potatoes
3 Tbsp. Butter or Margarine
2-3/4 cups boiling Water
Pour the potatoes into a medium size ungreased
casserole and sprinkle the sauce mix on top. Dot with butter; stir in the boiling water.
Bake at 400 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes or until tender. If you are cooking something
else at a lower temperature in your oven, adjust the baking time; at 350 degrees bake 40
to 45 minutes; at 325 degrees bake 50 to 55 minutes.
Skillet
Meat and Potatoes Casserole Mix in a Jar
3 cups dehydrated Potatoes
1/3 cup Nonfat Dry Milk
1 package (6 Tbsp.) Sauce
Mix
1/4 tsp. Black Pepper
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Beef Bouillon
Granules
Place above ingredients into a quart jar, placing
milk, sauce mix, pepper, salt & bouillon granules into a small zip baggie, which will
be placed on top of potatoes in the jar. Place lid on jar & store in a cool dry place
until ready to use. Attach the following instructions for later use, or for gift giving:
Skillet
Meat & Potatoes Casserole
Brown 1 pound of ground beef in a skillet, and drain
off excess fat. Stir in 2 3/4 cups water and the ingredients from the jar. Heat to
boiling, reduce heat, cover and simmer stirring now and then, for about 25 minutes or
until the potatoes are tender.
Yield: 4 one cup servings
