Sweet potatoes are getting all the hype nowadays. Sweet potatoes are loaded with good nutrients and are low on fat- the perfect fit for your impromptu cravings. However, every sweet potato lover complains that this vegetable has a very short shelf life.
Dehydrating your veggies such as sweet potatoes or cauliflowers is the right approach as this will increase their shelf life. In this article, we are going to discuss some easy ways to dehydrate sweet potatoes. Let’s get into it!
Yes! It’s fairly easy to dehydrate sweet potatoes. They rehydrate really well and can be thrown in soups, salads, or used as a snack.
How to dehydrate sweet potatoes?
There are more than one ways to dehydrate sweet potatoes. We’ve listed some easy ways to do so below so that you can opt for the one that suits you best!
Method 1: Dehydrating sweet potatoes in a dehydrator
Step 1: Wash and peel your sweet potatoes
Firstly, wash your sweet potatoes and peel them. You can peel as many you feel can fit in your dehydrator trays. That depends on how many trays you have or how large your potatoes are.
Step 2: Slice up the potatoes
Slice up the potatoes with a sharp knife or a mandolin slicer.
Step 3: Place the sliced potatoes in an ice bath and boil water in a pot
Take an ice bath and put your sliced sweet potatoes in it. Boil some water in a large pot or a blanching pot and wait till it reaches a rolling boil.
Step 4: Boil the sweet potatoes for 5 minutes, then transfer them back to the ice bath
Boil the sweet potatoes for 5 minutes. After they’re done boiling, drain them in a colander and run them under cold water to stop the cooking process.
Step 5: Add lemon juice to the ice water bath and place the potatoes in it
Add little less than a cup of lemon juice in the ice bath and place your parboiled sweet potatoes in it so that they can cool down completely.
Step 6: Drain and put the sweet potatoes on dehydrator trays
Drain the sweet potato slices and then place them on the dehydrator trays or shelves, making sure their edges do not touch.
Step 7: Dehydrate them until crisp and store
Dehydrate them at 125 degrees for 10-12 hours or until crisp. You can store them in canning jars or airtight containers.
Method 2: Dehydrating sweet potatoes in an oven
Step 1: Preheat your over to its lowest setting
Start by preheating your oven. The ideal temperature for dehydration is 115 F or 46 C. You can dehydrate sweet potatoes at a temperature of 145 F or 63 C, but some ovens do not go that low. In that case, you need to keep checking your chips and adjust the dehydration time accordingly.
Step 2: Put your cooling rack into a baking tray
Take your cooling tray and place it on a baking sheet. This way, you have your own dehydrator through which air will be able to circulate over and beneath the sweet potato slices.
Step 3: Spread the sweet potato slices on the cooling rack
Spread your sweet potato chips on the prepared cooling rack in a single layer.
Step 4: Place the tray in the oven and start dehydrating
Put the tray in the oven and keep the oven door slightly open. Keep checking on your chips every hour if your oven is hotter than 145 F or 63 C.
Step 5: Once dried, remove and store
Once the chips have reached the crispiness you were looking for, remove them from the oven and store them in an airtight jar after they have cooled down.
How do you rehydrate dehydrated sweet potatoes?
If you want to rehydrate dehydrated sweet potatoes, simply pour boiling water over them and let them soak for 10-40 minutes. The amount of time required for the chips to rehydrate depends on their thickness. The thicker the chips are, the more time they will take to rehydrate.
How do you store dried sweet potatoes?
You can store your dehydrated sweet potatoes in a cool, dry, and dark place in an airtight container. Do not store them in a refrigerator.
What is dehydrated sweet potatoes’ shelf life?
For best taste and quality, use the dehydrated sweet potatoes within one year. However, if you vacuum seal them, they will last longer than a year!
Why did my dehydrated potatoes turn black?
The color of your sweet potatoes changes due to a natural degenerative process that is called oxidation. This can happen due to many reasons, such as direct exposure to open-air or other factors like interaction with the metal of your knife or food processor blades.
To prevent this from happening, you can place your dehydrated sweet potatoes in a water bath mixed with some kind of acids such as lemon or vinegar, or you can use baking soda too. This way, the sweet potatoes will not be in direct contact with open-air and won’t oxidize- or go black.
Check this article to learn more about dehydration!
Related FAQs to dehydrating sweet potato!
Are dehydrated sweet potatoes good for dogs?
Dehydrated sweet potatoes can be a good source of vitamin A for your dogs. They can be used as snacks. However, confirm with your veterinarian first if they are suitable for your dog because excessive vitamin A can cause muscle problems or bone weakness.
Can you fry dehydrated potatoes?
Well, you can. But the fact that they have been dehydrated suggests that the water has been removed from them. If you fry them without rehydrating them first, they will be excessively crispy and crunchy, but they will not taste good.
Are dehydrated potatoes cooked?
Potatoes are heated until they are dehydrated, which means they are cooked. However, you can easily rehydrate them if you want to cook them differently.
Concluding our thoughts on dehydrating sweet potatoes!
We all love sweet potatoes due to their versatility and the fact that they are highly nutritious. However, they do have a short shelf life, but by the end of this article, you already know how to increase their shelf life– by dehydrating them! Employ the methods we described and use your sweet potatoes to the fullest.