Learn how easy it is to dehydrate carrots. This is a fantastic way to preserve a large crop of fresh carrots from your garden or the local farmers' market. Dried carrots take up very little space and can be rehydrated and used for many things, like soups, stews and baking!
It can be tricky to know what to do when you have a lot of carrots- they only last so long in the fridge! This has been our dilemma every fall for the past few years.
There's always pickling, but my husband can't handle acidic foods very well and I'm not a huge fan of pickled carrots. We've done it in the past, but they've just sat in our food storage until we realized we weren't going to eat them, so we gave them away.
There's blanching and freezing, but it's hunting season and my husband did very well this year already, so our freezers are literally stuffed to the top with deer (venison stew is my current favorite!), bear and pig (we bought the pig, didn't hunt it, in case there's anyone local to my area that's confused!).
So we've been eating them a lot more at dinner, which is fabulous, by the way. Fresh garden carrots are amazing!
To preserve some for the winter we decided to dry some this year and after doing it, I'd say it's a good option! I love how dehydrated food takes up so little space and is so easy to store.
I would definitely do it again and recommend you try it!
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FAQ
Some nutritional value is lost in the blanching process, but very little is lost through dehydration. Dehydrated carrots are still an excellent source of beta-carotene (vitamin A) and a decent source of many B vitamins, Vitamin K, potassium and antioxidants.
These nutrients help maintain eye and heart health, as well as fight disease.
Blanching is totally optional- dehydrating raw carrots is safe and fine! But blanching is worth the extra bit of effort in my opinion. Here are the advantages of blanching carrots before dehydrating:
-Kills any bacteria that may be unseen
-Carrots will rehydrate faster
-Carrots will retain more of their bright orange color after dehydration and rehydration
-Better quality in long term storage (12 months vs 2 months for unblanched dried carrots)
To blanch, carrots should be placed in water that's at a full boil and timed for 3 minutes if in large chunks and about 30 seconds if shredded. To stop the cooking process, they should be placed immediately in cold water after blanching.
The time it takes to dehydrate carrots (and anything else for that matter) depends on several variables. The size of the item, the moisture content of the item and the humidity of the environment all play a role.
For carrots, check on them after 6 hours for smaller pieces and after 8 hours for larger pieces. Continue to check every hour or so after that until they are crunchy and very shrivelled.
Dehydrated carrots that were blanched before dehydration will maintain a high quality for up to 1 year. Unblanched dehydrated carrots remain decent for 2-3 months. For optimal shelf life, keep dried carrots in airtight containers in cool, dark places. Direct sunlight, heat and humidity will shorten the shelf life and possibly destroy some of their vitamins!
Yes! Set your oven to its lowest temperature (preferably around 125°F). If its more than 150°F, prop open the door slightly. You want to dehydrate the carrots, not roast them! See the recipe below for more detailed instructions.
How to use dehydrated carrots
Dried carrots can be rehydrated and used in anything that normally contains carrots! They just need to be rehydrated first.
One cup of dehydrated carrots turns into approximately 2 cups of rehydrated carrots.
For every 1 cup of dry carrots, cover with 2 cups boiling water and allow 1-2 hours to rehydrate before using. Strain off any excess liquid.
If you are putting the carrots in a soup or stew, you can add them directly into the pot as your soup cooks, keeping in mind that you may need to add more liquid to compensate for the broth that will be absorbed by the carrots.
You can also add rehydrated carrots to pasta sauces, curries, stir frys, casseroles, and baked goods like muffins or carrot cake! If used in baking, either shred the carrots before dehydrating or blitz the dehydrated carrot slices in the food processor or high-speed blender before rehydrating and using them in the recipe.
Another option is to grind the dehydrated carrots into carrot powder and use it sneakily in soups, stews, sauces, smoothies... you get the picture!
Tools you may need
Cutting board
Large pot (optional - for blanching)
How to dehydrate carrots in a dehydrator
Ingredients:
- Carrots
- Water (optional - for blanching)
Instructions:
Wash the fresh carrots well and peel them if they are storebought. You can peel them if they are homegrown, but it's unnecessary (and kind of a waste!). Cut carrots into the desired size (I use them in soups and stews, so I cut them into the size I would typically use in soups and stews, about ½ inch thick). Save the carrot tops to throw in homemade broth!
(Optional) Bring a pot of water to a boil. Place carrots in boiling water and leave for 3 minutes. Then transfer to a bowl of ice water (stops the cooking process) and allow carrots to remain in there for at least 3 minutes, but they may need longer to completely cool. Strain.
Lay on dehydrator trays in a single layer.
Dehydrate at 120°F for 6-12 hours, or until the carrots are crispy and shrivelled. Drying time depends on the size of the carrot pieces and the environment. Shredded carrot will dehydrate much more quickly than ½ inch carrot rounds.
How to dehydrate carrots without a dehydrator
Carrots can be dehydrated in the oven on a baking sheet at the very low temperature of 125°F for 6-12 hours, depending on the size of the carrot pieces.
If your oven doesn't go that low, set it to the lowest temperature and prop the door open slightly. Otherwise, you may roast your carrots instead of dehydrating them! Check on them every few hours, they may be done anywhere between 5 and 8 hours. This will likely take less time because it's being done at a higher temperature.
How to store dehydrated carrots
Allow carrots to cool to room temperature before storing. Store dried carrots in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. I like to use mason jars for storage.
Blanched dehydrated carrots will last about 1 year and unblanched dehydrated carrots will last 2-3 months. After this time, it's still okay to eat them but their quality starts to go down.
Did you try this recipe? If so, I would really appreciate a 5-star rating and your comments below! Thanks!
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📖 Recipe
How to dehydrate carrots
This is a fantastic way to preserve a large crop of fresh carrots from your garden or the local farmers' market. Dried carrots take up very little space and can be rehydrated and used for many things, like soups, stews and baking!
Ingredients
- Carrots
- Water (optional- for blanching)
Instructions
- Wash carrots well and peel them if they are storebought. You can peel them if they are homegrown, but it's unnecessary (and kind of a waste!)
- Cut carrots into the desired size (I use them in soups and stews, so I cut them into the size I would typically use in soups and stews, about ½ inch thick).
- (Optional) Bring a pot of water to a boil. Place carrots in boiling water and leave for 3 minutes. Then transfer to a bowl of ice water (stops the cooking process) and allow carrots to remain in there for at least 3 minutes, but they may need longer to completely cool. Strain.
- Lay on dehydrator trays in a single layer.
- Dehydrate at 120°F for 6-12 hours, or until the carrots are crispy and shrivelled. Drying time depends on the size of the carrot pieces and the environment. Shredded carrot will dehydrate much more quickly than ½ inch slices.
Notes
Allow carrots to cool to room temperature before storing. Store dried carrots in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.
Blanched dehydrated carrots will last about 1 year and unblanched dehydrated carrots will last 2-3 months. After this time, it’s still okay to eat them but their quality starts to go down.
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