My CSA has started the zucchini explosion and since I dont like the rubberyness of frozen zukes I dried some. Crack. I think I ate about 2 large zukes worth of dried today. But thats like what, 90 calories? 8 grams of fiber. Drank a bunch of water with it and I think they reconstituted in my tummy. pretty filling.
Definitely a nice replacement for nibbly snacks and also good on salad, very flavorfull. I think it would also be good as a base for hummus or laughing cow.
I bought some celery to try to incorporate into my food plan, it didn't work, I just don't care for celery. BUT I did dehydrate it, thinking I could add it to soup and stuff. The jar is sitting on my counter and I have munched on the celery chips.
I slice the zucchini thinly. If I'm using a super-zuch (melon sized), I remove the seeds and then slice. Then I put the slices in a large bowl of cold water with a couple tablespoons of salt dissolved in it and allow them to sit for about 20 minutes before putting them on the dehydrator trays (or I don't add salt to the water, and just sprinkle salt on after I have them on the dehydrator trays).
I only use them as snack chips. When I've tried to add them to soups, the texture is weird, soggy and a bit slippery.
They're best (crispiest) the day they're dehyrdated (unless maybe you live in a dry climate.), so I generally don't dry huge batches at a time. After a few days, they get a bit chewier than crispy.
Even at their crispiest, the first bite is crispy like a chip, but as you chew it does start to soften into a chewy finish. I can't think of anything to compare it to, it's unique to zucchini (and maybe other dehydrated not fried veggie chips). When I made them for the first time (I was a teenager, using my parents Ronco dehydrator without a fan), I wasn't sure I liked that chewiness, but it grew on me. It definitely satisfied chip cravings.
I don't presoak, just slice, sprinkle (conservatively!) and dry. I have a vacuum sealer so I make enough for the whole winter. Without that though they are moisture magnets as Kaplods said.
I also dry shredded zucchini and eggplant chunks to mix into stews and soups in the winter. Both just disintegrate into the food but add nutrients and bulk.
wow that is a good idea!! I was just asking my dad if you could freeze them, cuz i do alot of canning, but I was thinking they would come out sogging if you froze them (he said they did). But that is a good idea, other than the normal making relish out of them.
Dried zucchini
