Not sure what to do with all of that extra rhubarb from your garden? It’s hard to use a lot of rhubarb at once, but you can’t throw this delicious food away. Instead of wasting it make up as much Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Jam as you can possibly use or give away as gifts, dehydrate it.
Why Dehydrate Rhubarb
Dehydrating rhubarb is an easy solution to your extra rhubarb problem. If you dehydrate your rhubarb and store it in an airtight container, such as a mason jar, it will last much longer than keeping it in your refrigerator. If you store fresh rhubarb in your refrigerator, it will only stay fresh for a few days. Dehydrating your rhubarb will make it last. It can even be usable for over a year.
You should also dehydrate your rhubarb because it is cheaper to do that than it is to buy rhubarb year round. Rhubarb can get expensive, especially when it isn’t in-season. If you grow your own rhubarb or if you’re able to find a good sale on it at the supermarket, you can dehydrate enough of it to last you the year.
Another reason you should dehydrate your rhubarb is the culinary options it presents year round! Rhubarb has a delicious and tangy taste the can complement many of your dishes that you already make. Rhubarb can be used as a baking ingredient in your breads or muffins, it can be added as a fruit to your oatmeal, or it can even be used to add flavor in your salads. There are many uses for dried rhubarb, just get creative.
How Do I Dehydrate Rhubarb
Dehydrating your rhubarb is a simple process. All you need to do is cut up your rhubarb in the size of pieces you’d like. Usually, it is best to cut it smaller so that the pieces can be adequately dried. Once it is cut, you just follow the temperature and timing directions for your dehydrator, and in a few hours you have your dehydrated product. After it is dried, it is important for you to store it in an air-tight container and in a cold, dark place. These storage conditions will extend the shelf life of your rhubarb.
If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can also dehydrate your rhubarb with your oven. To do this, you follow the same steps as you would with your dehydrator, but you bake it in the oven on a cookie sheet at a very low temperature. After a few hours, you have your dehydrated rhubarb. This is not as easy as using a dehydrator, however, but it can save you the cost of buying the dehydrating equipment.
The Cast Of Dehydrated Rhubarb
Pretty self explanatory but you will need rhubarb
A sharp knife or mandolin slicer to do all the hard work for you
Dehydrator (I love the Excalibur dehydrators)
Directions To Dehydrate Rhubarb
1. Slice off the ends of your rhubarb and dice into even size pieces. I keep mine about 1/4″ thick. You want all your pieces to be fairly close in size so that they dry evenly. I slice all of mine with a mandolin slicer because it keeps them even. This is also a good size to throw a few pieces in your morning oatmeal.
2. Layer your sliced rhubarb on your dehydrator sheets in a single layer.
3. Turn your dehydrator onto the recommended settings. I dry mine at 135 degrees for 8-12 hours rotating my trays at least three times throughout the process. I make sure my dehydrator is packed at this time so keep in mind if your only drying a try or two your drying time will be significantly less.
4. Rhubarb is dry when it is crisp and will break easily with no “leather” feeling when breaking. Because my pieces are so thin it looks a lot like dried celery.
Looking For More Rhubarb Recipes
Looking for more Rhubarb recipes? Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Jam can be made in all size batches.
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