This is our step-by-step guide on how to dehydrate potatoes.
Actually, we’re going to dehydrate canned diced potatoes. Most of the hard work has already been done by starting with canned diced potatoes. The potatoes have been mechanically diced into uniformly sized pieces. There will be no need to process the diced potatoes further, nor will there be any blanching required.
Dehydrating canned potatoes is a simple process. Dehydrated potatoes can make your homemade dehydrated camping meals more enjoyable by adding more variety and options.
Even if you’ve never dehydrated anything before, don’t worry; dehydrating canned potatoes is a simple process that anyone can do with just a few basic tools that we will discuss here.
So, let’s get started dehydrating canned diced potatoes.
Table of Contents
- How to Dehydrate Canned Potatoes
- Supplies Needed for Dehydrating Canned Diced Potatoes
- Step 1. Process the Canned Potatoes for Dehydration
- Step 2. Preparing the Dehydrator for Dehydrating Potatoes
- Step 3. Dehydrating the Canned Potatoes
- Step 4. When are the Dehydrated Potatoes Done
- Step 5. Equalizing and Conditioning of the Dehydrated Potatoes
- Step 6. Storing Dehydrated Potatoes
- Reconstituting Dehydrated Potatoes
- Weights, Measures, and Serving Sizes
- Dehydrated Potatoes Nutrition Information
- Dehydrator Chef Insider Tips
How to Dehydrate Canned Potatoes
Our primary consideration is the rehydration time; how long does it take for the dehydrated diced potatoes to absorb enough water during the cooking process to become soft enough to eat?
When vegetables like these diced potatoes are subjected to heat during the canning process, the pectin in their cell walls starts to break down. This pectin breakdown causes the bonds between the cells to weaken, resulting in the softening of vegetables. As the pectin molecules break apart, water is released, further contributing to the soft texture.
The advantage of using canned diced potatoes in our Dehydrator Chef homemade dehydrated camping meal recipes is that they quickly reconstitute at the same rate as other ingredients, typically around 15 to 20 minutes.
Dried diced potatoes will hold their shape and maintain their texture once rehydrated.
Supplies Needed for Dehydrating Canned Diced Potatoes
All you need to dehydrate these foods is a good quality food dehydrator. We use the Nesco food dehydrators. You can check out our food dehydrator guide to learn why we think Nesco offers the best bang for the buck. We believe this is the best food dehydrator for our long-term food storage needs.
- Several cans of diced new potatoes
- Food dehydrator
- Removable fruit roll sheet inserts, one for each dehydrator tray
- Standard kitchen tools, including cutting boards, spatula, colander, can opener, etc.
- Clear canning jars with tight-fitting lids
- Wide-mouth canning jar funnel
- Desiccant packets (optional)
The Nesco 13.5-inch round dehydrator tray has close to 119 square inches or .8 square feet of surface area for drying.
One 15-ounce can of drained diced potatoes will fill one Nesco 13.5-inch round dehydrator tray for planning purposes.
Three 15-ounce cans of dehydrated diced potatoes will fill up a single one-pint (16-ounce) canning jar.
Step 1. Process the Canned Potatoes for Dehydration
Open the can of diced potatoes and empty the contents into a colander. We’ll need to rinse away the salty canning liquid.
We’re also inspecting the diced potatoes for anything that shouldn’t be there. The potatoes are mechanically diced into uniform pieces. So, you’ll likely find bits and pieces of potato eyes and other potato pieces that you would probably remove if you were doing the dicing yourself.
Step 2. Preparing the Dehydrator for Dehydrating Potatoes
We will use these removable Nesco fruit roll sheet inserts on our food dehydrator for today’s project. They have over 3000 customer reviews with an average rating of 4.5 stars out of 5, which is evidence of a great product. Check out other Nesco food dehydrator products here.
Spread the diced potatoes over the fruit roll sheet inserts in a single layer.
Spread them out for better airflow and faster dehydration. If it’s too crowded, prepare another tray.
One 15-ounce can of prepared diced potatoes will fill one Nesco FD-75A 13.5-inch round dehydrator tray with the removable fruit roll sheet insert.
Step 3. Dehydrating the Canned Potatoes
Set the dehydrator temperature to 135 °F (57 °C) for canned diced potatoes. I find that 18 to 24 hours is about the right amount of time. Drying times are variable and dependent on your food dehydrator, the ambient temperature and humidity, the number of dehydrator trays, the size of food items, and how crowded you fill your dehydrator trays.
Step 4. When are the Dehydrated Potatoes Done
The dehydrating potatoes will tend to shrink up into hard, little squarish nuggets. If not, just let it go for another few hours and check again.
Drying times depend on your food dehydrator, the ambient temperature and humidity, the number of dehydrator trays, the size of food items, and how crowded you fill your dehydrator trays. Refer to your dehydrator owner’s manual for recommended temperatures and times for dehydrating specific foods. Remember to use drying times as a guide.
With experience, you’ll develop an eye for determining doneness.
Step 5. Equalizing and Conditioning of the Dehydrated Potatoes
We always recommend letting food items cool completely after dehydrating and before packing them into an airtight storage container for equalizing and conditioning. Warm food may cause sweating, which could provide enough moisture for mold to grow.
It does not take long for dehydrated food items to start hydrating from ambient household humidity. Do not leave dry food items exposed to the elements any longer than necessary because of the increased risk of mold growth.
After a short cooling period, loosely pack the dehydrated potatoes into a clean, dry, insect-proof, and airtight storage container. We use appropriately sized canning jars for conditioning. Since the canning jars are clear, it’s easy to see what’s inside.
Fill canning jars no more than 2/3 to 3/4 full to leave adequate headspace. Headspace is the distance from the top of the food to the top of the jar.
A wide-mouth canning jar funnel is handy for the task of getting dehydrated food from the trays into the canning jars with minimal spillage. It’s not a necessity, but having one does make the job easier and faster. Need one, check them out on Amazon.
When the dehydrated potatoes are removed from the dehydrator, the remaining moisture may not be distributed equally among the pieces because of their location and position in the dehydrator. Equalizing and conditioning is a process for freshly dehydrated foods that ensures any residual moisture remaining in any piece is spread or equalized among all the other pieces in the batch. Let the dried potatoes equalize and condition in the storage container for 7 to 10 days.
Every day, check the jar for moisture. Roll the jar contents around and note any clumping or sticking. If seen, put the contents back on the dehydrator for several more hours. Since canning jars are clear, it’s easy to see what’s inside.
In the unlikely event you notice any mold, even the slightest bit, throw it all out. What you see are the mold spores finally blooming enough to make them visible. But there are more, even tinier mold spores in the rest of your jar that make your dehydrated food inedible. Toss it out and start another batch.
Step 6. Storing Dehydrated Potatoes
Use an appropriately sized canning jar for storage. The dehydrated potatoes might keep up to 12 months or longer. Exactly how long depends on how well you dehydrate the canned diced potatoes and your pantry storage conditions.
We’ll use a food-safe desiccant packet for moisture control because we live in a fairly humid area. For our pint-size or quart-size canning jars, we’ll use a single food-safe 5-gram desiccant packet. The desiccant packets will absorb any moisture and extend the shelf life of the dehydrated potatoes.
We use these inexpensive food-safe desiccant packets, which are available from Amazon. These 5-gram packets have over 5000 of mostly 4- and 5-star customer reviews, with an average of 4.7 stars out of 5. Our bag of 60 desiccant packets will last quite a while because they can be recharged and reused multiple times. Other food-safe sizes are available.
Lastly, attach or include a short note describing the jar contents and the date the product was dehydrated. The label identifies the canning jar contents, and the date helps with the rotation schedule. A first-in, first-out rotation helps us to use items that have been on the shelf the longest, so we’re using the oldest food first. This method helps us maintain the integrity of dehydrated products. The note also lets me know where to go in my dehydrator logbook if I want to make an update.
Reconstituting Dehydrated Potatoes
Hydrate the dried diced potatoes using roughly a 3-to-1 or 4-to-1 ratio of dehydrated potatoes to boiled water. Plan on at least 15 to 20 minutes to fully hydrate.
The diced potatoes rehydrated almost back to their original appearance. Albeit, they were smaller versions of their original selves and not nearly so symmetrical.
Weights, Measures, and Serving Sizes
This information is summarized from the notes we keep in our logbook for most of our food dehydration efforts.
One 15-ounce can (425 grams), about 2.5 servings, of diced new potatoes will dehydrate to approximately 40 grams.
To make it easier, we’ll round the 2.5 servings down to 2 servings. So, one serving of dehydrated diced potatoes is about 20 grams.
The same 20 grams of dehydrated potatoes is about 2 tablespoons.
Dehydrated Potatoes Nutrition Information
The nutrition information is only an estimate and may differ depending on the ingredients you use.
Serving Size: 20 grams | Calories: 60 kcal | Total Fat: 0 g| Saturated Fat: 0 g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 280 mg | Carbohydrate: 15 g | Dietary Fiber: 2 g | Sugar: 0 g | Protein: 1 g
Note: The product’s ingredient list may include added salt. It is assumed that some, but not all, of the sodium content would be drained away with the canning liquid, so the actual sodium may be less than shown above.
Dehydrator Chef Insider Tips
Besides the homemade dehydrated meal recipes on this website, add dry diced potatoes to any of your favorite freeze-dried food pouches for a bit more bulk and calories.
I don’t know about you, but with some of those store-bought freeze-dried meals, I am still hungry. I need a bit more to fill me up.
Practice these Dehydrator Chef homemade dehydrated camping meal recipes at home several times with the very same outdoor kitchen gear used in the field or at the campsite. This approach lets you practice your skills to know what to expect and where to adapt.