Rehydrating & Enjoying Previously-Dehydrated Carrots

by Texas Homesteader ~

Remember recently I ended up with a boatload of fresh carrots? Now there was no way to consume that many carrots before they went bad.

So I was frantically sharing as many as I could with friends, family & neighbors but there were Still. So. Many. Carrots.

So I dehydrated a huge bunch of them so I could enjoy them all winter long in our hot soups & stews. (you can read about dehydrating carrots here)

These dehydrated carrots look awesome in my pantry in shining glass jars. And they take no additional energy to store such as a refrigerator or freezer. 

But I wanted to know how they would taste if I reconstituted them to enjoy as a veggie side dish.  Let’s check it out, shall we?

I dehydrated boatloads of carrots, but can I rehydrate & enjoy as a side dish? Absolutely! Check out how easy it is. #TexasHomesteader

How To Cook Dehydrated Carrots

It’s easy to rehydrate carrots that have been dehydrated. Just remember to more-than double the measure of water to carrots. (I typically use 2.25 cups of boiling water for each cup of cooked carrots)

Then boil the water & pour the boiling water over the dehydrated carrots. All that’s left to do is just allow them to sit & rehydrate for about 15-20 minutes.

I dehydrated boatloads of carrots, but can I rehydrate & enjoy as a side dish? Absolutely! Check out how easy it is. #TexasHomesteader

1 cup of dehydrated carrots will typically rehydrate into about 2 cups. So I took a shortcut – I measured 2-1/4 cups water in my large glass measuring cup & microwaved it until it was boiling. 

Then I poured in 1 cup of dehydrated carrots and gave it all a stir to make sure the carrots were all in contact with the water. I decided to stir in about 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary too for extra flavor. Finally I covered it all with a hot pad to keep the steamy goodness going.

20 minutes later? Voila! I add a small pat of butter and our veggie side dish is ready.

I dehydrated boatloads of carrots, but can I rehydrate & enjoy as a side dish? Absolutely! Check out how easy it is. #TexasHomesteader

I will say I was surprised that the sliced carrots didn’t flatten out more when rehydrated. There remained a slight curl to the carrots. 

So although they tasted fine, keep in mind that rehydrated carrots won’t look exactly like the fresh counterpart.

But it looks like we’ll be able to enjoy carrots all winter long. Not only in soups & stews, but as a delicious side dish as well.

 

~TxH~

Other Dehydrating Posts

See All Our Dehydrating Posts

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8 thoughts on “Rehydrating & Enjoying Previously-Dehydrated Carrots

  1. Debra Nelson

    Were they soft….or were they “chewy”….just curious.
    Thanks….Debra

    Reply
    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      I didn’t notice anything different about the texture compared to carrots cooked any other way, Debra. I typically don’t slice them as thin as I did with my food processor prior to dehydrating though. So the rehydrated rounds were thinner than I typically enjoy when just cutting with a knife and cooking. I’ll be experimenting with the cubed dehydrated carrots next to see how they rehydrate. ~TxH~

      Reply
  2. snowgoose

    I’ve never had rehydrated carrots return to their original shape; they always have a bit of curl and scallop, even if I cook them all day in a soup!

    Reply
  3. MeanJean

    The carrots look great–what a great idea to dehydrate them for later!
    A while back I dehydrated a ton of celery, without blanching, it was fabulous for quick soups and stews, but, it was too chewy for “fresh” applications.
    I wonder if carrots need blanching so they rehydrate to a tender, not tough consistency?
    Love the blog– FABULOUS TESTED IDEAS…and fun to boot!

    Reply
    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      What a sweet comment, MeanJean – thanks! You may be right about the reason behind blanching. I was talking to my dad recently about dehdyrating and he asked if I thought food tasted the same before & after dehydrating. I told him I felt food always tasted pretty much the same, although the texture often is not exactly the same no matter how you preserve – canning, freezing, dehydrating. But if you’re using those dehydrated veggies in soups & stews I don’t really see a difference at all. ~TxH~

      Reply
  4. Mrs Shoes

    How frugal! They look tasty too.

    Reply
  5. Wanda Jouett

    They look really good!!

    Reply
    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      I think 1 cup of dehydrated carrots rehydrated into way more than we could eat, Wanda. (actually for TWO meals!) So in the future I’ll be rehydrating a smaller amount. The last of the leftover carrots will be added to my homemade chicken & dumplings tonight. Perfect! ~TxH~

      Reply

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