How to Reconstitute Dried Vegetables

Drying vegetables is an easy preservation method, especially if you have your own food dehydrator. Within about six to 24 hours, depending on the type of vegetable, you can convert ripe produce into dried products that will last much longer than the fresh versions. Reconstituting dried vegetables is a much faster process than dehydrating them; depending on the vegetable, you can rehydrate your vegetables in as little as half an hour.

• 1

  Bring water to a boil in your pot or saucepan. You will need at least 1 cup of water per cup of dehydrated vegetables but may need up to 3 cups of water per cup of dehydrated vegetables.

• 2

  Measure your dried vegetables, then put them into a container that can tolerate the heat of boiling water.

• 3

  Pour boiling water over your vegetables. The amount of water you should use depends on the type of vegetables you are reconstituting. Use 1 cup of water per cup of dried greens (such as spinach) or up to 3 cups of water per cup of pumpkin, okra or cabbage. See the University of Missouri Extension's information on "Quality for Keeps: Food Preservation -- How to Use Dried Foods" (listed below) for specific amounts for other vegetables.

• 4

  Soak your vegetables for at least half an hour and up to an hour and a half. Spinach, peas and corn should be done after half an hour, while asparagus and beets may take up to an hour and a half. The University of Missouri Extension's page offers details about soaking times.

• 5

  Taste a piece of one of the vegetables periodically and remove vegetables from the water as soon as they reach your desired texture. Your vegetables can get soggy and lose their flavor if you soak them too long.