Spiced carrot bread has been the breakfast of choice for two weeks in a row in our house. Of the 12 mornings the kids have been given a choice of either carrot bread or oatmeal, oatmeal has been chosen only once – and that was yesterday. This recipe is not only a winner, but it’s a nothing-but-net swoosh from half court. Even the egg-less version with sunflower seeds and dried cranberries was a hit!
The fact that this recipe is a dump and stir is more awesomeness. Shredding the carrots is probably the most time consuming, but the level of difficulty is low.
Wouldn’t it be nice if I could save those few (10 or so) precious minutes each week? I won’t be able to finish a novel or anything in those 10 minutes, but a page or two is possible. Or maybe an opportunity to finish drinking my coffee before it’s cold? Or simply getting a head start on the morning to help make the day go a little smoother?
Dehydrating carrots is one of those ways I can help save time later. There’s no additional prep work than what I would have already been doing, but the advantage is that I only have to do it once, instead of two or three times (depending on how many loaves we’re making around here).
Here’s a super simple tutorial on dehydrating carrots using a dehydrator.
(Don’t have a dehydrator? Follow steps 1 and 2, then skip down.)
1. Wash, peel and chop ends off of carrots (save the ends for stock).
2. Shred carrots using a grater. You can use a food processor or a chopper, but I felt that using a grater would allow me greater control over the size consistency of the carrots. Plus I was afraid that if I put them in my blender, I’d get carrot juice.)
3. Spread carrots out somewhat evenly and in a single layer onto your dehydrator tray. If you have a circular dehydrator like me, you’ll need to use the liner so that the carrots don’t fall through the holes.
4. Set the temperature to 135 degrees and walk away.
5. Allow the carrots to dry for 8-12 hours, depending on your machine and climate. Check the carrots every couple hours or so, starting at the sixth hour, to rearrange and check for doneness. Carrots are done when they are crispy and no liquid remains in the pieces.
6. Store in a nice pretty jar.
Don’t Have a Dehydrator? Don’t Worry!
Dehydrating carrots without a dehydrator is possible, but it requires a bit more effort. Set your oven to it’s lowest temperature possible – ideally 170 degrees. Spread your carrots out evenly on a baking sheet and “cook” in the oven with the door propped open. Check the carrots after two hours, and every hour after that. You may even want to check every 30 minutes. With the oven temperature being high (compared to the temperature of a dehydrator), your carrots can go from not done to done in a flash.
There are a few different preparation methods available:
- Blanching – plunging carrots into boiling water for 2-5 minutes until slightly tender, then removing to ice cold water to stop the cooking time
- Steaming – using a vegetable steamer, steam carrots for 2-5 minutes until slightly tender
- Lemon Juice – spray and coat carrots with lemon juice before setting them on the try
- Do Nothing
I chose option D – and did nothing – for a few different reasons, but mainly because no preparation treatment is required. You can do absolutely nothing to the carrots and the end result will be the same. Why add more work if I don’t have to?
What to do with dehydrated carrots?
Add to soups, stocks, breads, muffins, cookies, or rice pilaf as is. Grind into powder to thicken soups and sauces. Rehydrate for stir-frys, salads and side dishes.
This batch is going in a jar, along with some other key ingredients. The next time the kids want carrot bread, I’m enjoying my coffee while it’s hot.
How would you use dehydrated carrots?
Good tips here. Thanks. My dehydrator disappeared during our last move and I really miss it. I haven’t dried anything in the oven but you’ve inspired me to give it a try.
My favourite way to use dehydrated carrots, beets, potatoes, or shredded onions is in latkes. You do have to rehydrate them for this but it’s quick enough to do and I just go about my other kitchen chores while they’re soaking up some moisture. Once rehydrated, I add an egg and a couple of tablespoons of flour for every pound or so of veg, form them into patties and fry them. Latkes are traditionally served with either applesauce or sour cream. We almost always have applesauce in the house so that’s what we usually use.
Your latkes sound delicious! I think I’ve had a similar Polish dish made of only shredded potatoes, but using multiple vegetables would be a great way to use up produce from the garden or CSA box. My favorite topping is sour cream. Thanks for the idea Beth!
I have never heard of doing this….a couple questions for you. 1) do you leave these in the jar sitting out? and if so, how long do they stay good and 2) can you freeze the dehydrated carrots? Thanks!
Hi Shelley! Yes, as of right now, they’re in that same jar sitting on my counter top! I’ll layer up the ingredients for cake next week. Once dehydrated and in a sealed container, they can be stored in a cool dry place (like a pantry) for at least one year. I’ve read up to two years, but I haven’t done it personally so I can’t attest to that (yet). You can freeze the dehydrated carrots, but you will run the risk of the carrots icing inside your bag, unless they’re wrapped, really, really well. This could possibly cause freezer burn, or the carrots will rehydrate once they’re thawed instead of staying dehydrated.
Wow! A year in the pantry? No need to freeze then! I was thinking a much shorter shelf life. I really like your blog and look forward to reading more. : )
This was interesting. I have been toying around with the idea of dehydrating. I have two questions:
1) What is the machine you work with? There are quite a number.
2) Do you need to rehydrate the carrots before you make your muffins?
I may try using the oven for the immediate as apples are cheaper right now. I want to have something more to offer when the price goes back up at the end of season. Also, my youngest children seem to need the extra carbs from a dried fruit. I don’t like store bought apples, bananas, mangos etc. They can tend to have much of what they don’t need. Besides, homemade always tastes better, right?
Hi Asiyah,
To answer your questions, I have a Nesco – the one with round trays. I did not rehydrate the carrots before baking and the bread the day of was fine. Next time I would had a dollop of yogurt to help keep them moist for day 2 and beyond.
That’s my motto! The oven should work fine for now. I tried once and failed miserably and was discouraged, but I’ve heard others have great success!