Freeze Dried Crunchy Salad Topping
Use your garden harvest's leftover bits and bobs to make this delicious crunchy salad topping in your freeze dryer.
Ingredients
- Basil
- Cucumber
- Chives
- Eggplant
- Garlic Scapes
- Kale de-ribbed
- Onion
- Parsley
- Radish
- Sea Salt
- Sweet Pepper
- Thyme
- Tomato
- Zucchini
Instructions
- Change up the ingredients according to your taste.*
- Dice or finely chop each ingredient and place into a large bowl. Amounts will vary.**
- Toss all vegetables with sea salt to taste. Add fresh or dried herbs. If using fresh herbs, tear or chop into small pieces. If using dried, grind in a mortar and pestle before sprinkling over the veggies. Toss again to combine.
- Spread evenly over each dehydrator tray allowing some space between the ingredients to allow for air flow. Cucumbers contain a lot of water that the freeze dryer will work hard to remove. Make it easier by not tightly packing your tray.
- Process according to your freeze drying unit's instructions.
- Package and seal immediately.***
Notes
*All the ingredients are subject to change according to your tastes and what is ripe in the garden. You select that flavors you think will combine the best. The above recommended ingredients represent one of my favorite flavor combinations.
**I have the large freeze dryer from Harvest Right, so I have 5 trays that measure 9″ W x 20.5″ x 0.75″ H. This is usually 8-10 cups of material per tray, though it varies widely. Since I like to give the salad topping some room, I aim for 8 cups per tray, spread evenly.
***I purchase 3" x 4" zipper lock Mylar bags in which to store herbs and specialty items like this salad topping. Because you only need a small amount per serving, there's no need to open a larger bag. Each time you open a Mylar bag storing freeze dried food, air and moisture immediately start infiltrating.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!