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
- Hydration
- Weights, Measures, and Serving Sizes
- 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
It would be best to have a good quality food dehydrator to dehydrate canned diced potatoes. We use the Nesco FD-75A, and you can check out our food dehydrator guide here and why we think Nesco offers the best bang for the buck. This is the best food dehydrator for our long-term food storage needs.
- Several cans of diced new potatoes
- Colander
- Food dehydrator, with removable fruit roll sheet inserts, one for each dehydrator tray
- Wide-mouth canning funnel
- Canning jars with tight-fitting lids
- Desiccant packets
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 13-1/2 inch round dehydrator tray for planning purposes. Three 15-ounce cans of dehydrated diced potatoes will fill up a single one-pint 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
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 13-1/2 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 quality stainless steel or plastic canning funnel makes the messy job of getting dehydrated foods off the dehydrator tray removable inserts and into the canning jars an easy task. Take a minute or two and check them out here 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.
Attach or include a short note to the canning jar describing the contents and the date the product was dehydrated. The note also informs us where to go in the dehydrator logbook to make an update.
Hydration
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.
Weights, Measures, and Serving Sizes
This information is from a recent entry from the notes we keep on most of our food dehydration efforts.
We picked up several cans of 15-ounce cans of diced new potatoes.
Rinsed the diced potatoes under cold water using a colander. Removed potato bits and pieces from the colander, eyes, darker pieces, etc.
The nutrition facts label shows that each can contain about 2.5 servings per container, 2/3 cup (165 grams). Apparently, this includes the canning liquid based on our measurements.
The dehydrator start time was 0955; the thermostat temperature was set to 135 °F / 57 °C.
Removed from the dehydrator at 0530 the following day.
To make it easier, round the 2.5 servings down to 2 servings per can. So, one serving of the dehydrated diced potatoes is about 22 grams by weight. By volume, 22 grams is about 2-1/2 tablespoons.
To rehydrate, using the Dehydrator Chef method, cover the dehydrated potatoes with water and let them soak for 5 minutes. Use a 4-to-1 ratio of water to dried potatoes. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to a low simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the burner, then place the cooking pot into an insulated wrap for 15 to 20 minutes.
The diced potatoes rehydrated almost back to their original appearance. Albeit, they were smaller versions of their original selves and not nearly so symmetrical.
With all that said:
- weight of unopened can: 495 grams
- weight of can contents, including canning liquid: 435 grams
- weight of the drained contents: 295 grams
- dehydrated weight: 45 grams
- dehydrated weight per serving: 22 grams
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.