Last week while I was swimming in a sea of Swiss Chard, someone suggested I dehydrate it. At first I thought it was a weird idea. But after thinking about it for a few days it totally made sense.
I could dehydrate the chard, store it, and then use it this winter as an extra nutritional boost in soups and stews. Freakin’ genius!
If you have never dehydrated Swiss chard before it is ridiculously easy.
- Pick chard
- Wash chard
- Dry chard
- Cut chard into 4 inch pieces
- Lay chard flat on trays
- Turn dehydrator on {it took 3 hours at 135 degrees for me}
- Cool chard
- Store chard in a dark pantry until ready to use
See, how easy was that? Piece of cake!
So tell me, what’s the strangest thing you have ever dehydrated?
If you are looking for a deal on a dehydrator, Amazon has my favorite Nesco American Harvest Food Dehydrator
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Heidi says
Hey Mavis, I’m thinking this might work for other things like spinach. Then when added to a recipe, like lasagna, you wouldn’t have to cook it and then squeeze out the excess water.
Mavis says
Hey great idea! I’m going to try that. I bet it would work too.
janice says
when my tomatoes have almost finished I process all but the big stems to reduce to even sized ‘mince’. Then dehydrate and make stock/herbs. Or process a lot and add a few tomatoes to wet. dehydrate and crumble to chunky powder and store as buillion/ stock. Add basil when processing and you get instant Bolognese flavour. infact add anything to get different recipes. .
Crystal says
How to dehydrate it, okay. But what in the world do you do with dehydrated swiss chard?
Mavis says
I’m thinking I could add it to soup. 🙂
Alice says
Feed it to Guinea pigs as well! Or you could season the leaves and eat as chips similar to kale chips.
Barbara says
Grind, make a drink with beet powder to reduce high blood pressure. Tastes good and helps!
Lucky L. says
What about Kale? My random scattering of seed produced 40 plants! Kids can’t eat that much kale chips. What would you use dried Kale in – soup too?
Mavis says
I think you could totally dehydrate kale and spinach too! 🙂
Kathy says
Strangest thing ever in dehydrator? I haven’t done it myself, but I’ve had clients do their placentas.
Saralie says
Hmm… to each their own!
Joy says
Hi Mavis,
Where do you get your jars that you have the basil stored in? I need some for my fireballs and double bubble habits.
Mavis says
Sur La Table Click on the words and it should take you right to them. 🙂 Make sure you go through ebates so you can save an additional 6.5%
Amanda says
If you powder it up you could add it to smoothies.
Janine says
What else could you add the powder to besides smoothies? Just curious
Lea Davis says
I freeze or dehydrate all my organic greens in season then when I make soup
or stews or even a broth I know my kids will eat, I grind it and add it.
The nutrition is there but they don’t see it.
I’ve also been known to add frozen chard or kale, crunched up fine to a simple
scrambled eggs and cheese dish to make green eggs.
Hide it in chili, curry or soup. Even pasta sauces.
Boost that up!
Jodi says
I always have a bumper crop of chard and kale and I dehydrate it all summer and then add dehydrated kale, swiss chard and spinach to smoothies, soups and sauces the rest of the year!
Nancy says
I have dehydrated both kale & spinach and then used them in soups or breads. I am going to do the same with swiss chard leaves this year. I would like to freeze and use in lasagna (just like spinach) has anyone done this?
Nancy villblomst says
I add dehydrated greens to soups, stews, and breads. I will be adding chard (in addition to kale & spinach) because it is high in vitamin A
Mavis says
Love it. Me too!
nancy says
I add dehydrated kale to bread also
Jan says
I dry everything. Dried spinach/swiss chard is great on veggie pizza. Weirdest thing i dry is eggs.
They work great in baked goods.
Caris says
How do you do that?
Janette says
I dry my Swiss chard or beet leaves and put them in my food processed to make a powder. It is great for my smoothies! You barely taste it and get your vegetables at the same time.
Narroweve says
Chard is high in oxalic acid, and should be blanched in boiling water for 2 minutes before drying. The acid stays in the water, so throw the water away and don’t use it. Lamb’s quarters are full of oxalic too. Both are yummy. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=16
Sakti says
Of course, Sakti is not my real name. I just wanted to comment on the strangest thing I have dehydrated. Purple cabbage. Turned out beautifully but was difficult to do. Fantastic boost for smoothies and soups. I am just learning about dehydrating so literally trying out everything.
JJ says
Why was it difficult to do?
Sakti says
I read your article about cutting grocery cost, buying spices in bulk. I started buying everything to make my own. I prepare, dehydrate and store properly so I have an abundance for long periods of time. In addition to saving money, this way you know exactly what is in your spices and they taste so much better. Could be they taste better because of the feeling of accomplishment but you can even make all of your blended spices this way. It really is fantastic. I know it’s expensive starting out. I don’t have the proper equipment to really do what I would like but I have been buying a little every chance I get. I really wish there was a way people like us could get all of the proper tools we need that didn’t cost a fortune. I would love to be able to do so much more.
Sakti says
Also, I am working on growing my own herbs and a few other things, as soon as I am able to. I am a grown woman with 6 children, I had never even been introduced to all of these wonderful vegetable or herbs, etc… until I was well into my 30’s. There is a good reason behind that. Now that I have, I am trying to learn everything. Canning, dehydrating, cooking storing, growing, you name it. I am just in awe.
Kowena says
I make my own no salt taco spice mix. The only salt is in the Chili spice. So much better.
Rita Renee Bronson says
My question is the cost of dehydrating: 400 watts x 6 hrs = 2400 watts added to your electric bill each time you use it. If you use it once a week for 4 weeks it is 2400 x 4 = 9600 watts or 9.6 kw which is how your electric company bills you. Is this cost worth it?
Diane says
Based on my rate $.123/kWh x 0.400kW x 6hr=$.30 per use. This seems low for an appliance using electric heat, but I took your value of 400 watts.
I’m about to start a batch of apples and I’ve plugged it into the Kill-A-Watt so I’ll track the actual usage and post again.
Online calculators are available.
One must also factor in the value to having something homemade under controlled handling conditions and with known ingredients, so the financial aspect may be secondary. As an aside, since it’s winter any heat that escapes goes into the house so it goes into the plus column. Negligible, most likely, but it’s there.
carla says
My guess would be that chard could possibly ‘air dry’ also (haven’t tried it). I often leave herbs in my dehydrator, laid out in single layer with no electricity turned on. Takes several days for them to dry but costs me nothing. And I’ve dehydrated in the solar oven also.
silly says
I bought a Sun Oven and use that to dehydrate. Free!
JJ says
Yes, it will be when the worldwide food shortages kick in. It’s already starting.
Paula Johnstone-Whitehawk says
One way to dehydrate without electricity is on your hot car windshields. Or make an oven out of a Sunscreen for a Windshield which works too.
Kale is often mixed in some Cultures with mashed potatoes so you get added Vitamins and minerals.
Casseroles are great and you can put in healthy amounts of your dried vegetables.
I also dehydrate all my carrot tops and add to soups and stews. I dehydrate beet greens for smoothies and will mix greens; powdered rather than pay $40-60 a can from a health food store. For more Ingredient ideas, read their labels.
Blessings Paula JW
KD Dunbar says
What was your yield (by weight) after dehydrating the swiss chard?
Holly says
I dehydrated radishes which I like to eat better than fresh. Great chips. I will do more to make powder. I dehydrate the ends of asparagus, which I blanch first then takes less time to dehydrate. I then powder them. Why waste them.
Tina says
I love dehydrating kale, spinach, collard greens, and chard. Crush or make a green powder. Add it to soups, stews, casseroles, Mexican foods, chili, muffins, cornbread, smoothies, etc. It is great in broccoli casserole, chicken chili verde, and white chicken chili. It gives you a great nutrition boost, and you hardly notice it. You won’t notice it all in the stronger dishes named above.