DEHYDRATING: Onions and Garlic

Onions and garlic are in just about everything- soups, sauces, meat marinades and rubs... Dehydrating your own at home is a simple, money saving process!

Onions and garlic are dehydrated much in the same way as mushrooms - there is no need to blanch them before drying. You will process the raw produce depending on what end product you'd like- Whole? Minced? Powdered? I personally prefer simply slicing them, and drying whole for versatility. 

Be warned that some people find the scent of drying onion and garlic overpowering! (Personally, I like it!) You may choose to set up in a room with the door shut, or in a garage on warmer days.

PROCESS:

Bulb Onions, Leeks and Garlic:

Set dehydrator on 135 degree vegetable setting for bulb onions and garlic. 

Slices: Slice onion/garlic about 1/8" thick. No need to separate the individual rings.  8-10 hours process time (save time on prep, but longer time in the dehydrator).

Minced: You may either chop the raw onion before placing in the dehydrator (a food processor works well), or dehydrate as above, then crush into smaller pieces as needed. 6-8 hours process time.

Powdered: Use a rocket blender to grind dried product into powder.

Be aware that onion will not re-hydrate to original texture. I do not recommend using re-hydrated onion slices on sandwiches and burgers!

Green Onions and Chives:

Set dehydrator on the 95 degree herb setting for bunching onions and chives.

Slice into 1/4" long pieces. Process for about 6-8 hours.

Store all your dehydrated produce in clean glass jars with an airtight lid. For a longer shelf life, you may add an oxygen absorber to the jars, or use a food saver with jar attachment!

*For large batch onion processing, I recommend using a mandoline slicer and/or food processor. We use a Norpro Mandoline Slicer and a Hamilton Beach 8-Cup Food Processor .