Dehydrating Living Food (Like Kale Chips)

Nourishing the body can be a creative adventure.  Today, I borrowed my mother's five tray dehydrator to attempt to make a few raw treats. Foods that are heated using temperatures below 115 degrees retain their enzymes, as well as their vitamins, minerals and micronutrients. This can be helpful when you are trying to eat more raw foods.

Eating a diet that is 51% raw gives a huge nutritional boost to the cells. While some foods are best eaten cooked in soups or other lower heat methods, raw foods, which most of us don't get enough of, are key to vibrant health.

Dr. Fuhrman states, "Eating lots of raw foods is a feature of a healthy diet. I always encourage people to eat more raw food. One of my common statements is — the salad is the main dish. Raw food is necessary for digestive efficiency, proper peristalsis and normal bowel function. Certain foods, especially fruit, avocado and nuts undergo significant change with cooking and are best eaten raw."

It can be a challenge to have raw food around the house without shopping regularly.  In the winter months, fresh, organic produce is a bit more scarce.  Dehydrating in season can be a great practice for having "living foods" available year round.  

Marinated dehydrated eggplant

There are many benefits to dehydrating: dehydrated foods (like sundried tomatoes) have a strong, concentrated flavor, take up less storage space, have no chemicals or preservatives, and can save you money over store bought foods, herbs and snacks. Other benefits and helpful information can be found at http://www.diynatural.com/dehydrating-food.  

I chose to use the dehydrator because I wanted to try a few new recipes.  One recipe was for a marinated eggplant dish which we ate tonight and was very good.  While making the eggplant, I decided to make some spicy kale chips which were delicious.  Kale chips are like potato chips in my house and it is difficult to eat just a few.  However, too many kale chips and the body will do a detox ritual that might involve frequent trips to the bathroom.

Here's the recipe I used for the kale chips:

Spicy Kale Chips

2 bunches of kale, washed, dried and without stems
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/8 tsp. 21 seasoning salute (Trader Joe's)
Dash of cayenne pepper (to taste)


Mix spices with oil and pour over kale leaves.  Use hands to mix thoroughly. Place in a single layer on dehydrator shelves with mesh lining.  Dehydrate for 3 - 4 hours or until dry and crisp. Store in a paper bag.  Chips will lose their crispness if the air is humid.  To re-crisp, put in dehydrator (or very low oven) for 15 minutes.

What have you tried dehydrating?  Do you have a favorite recipe or use for your dehydrated items?