# Dehydrating lettuce?



## squshnut (Sep 5, 2011)

I was wondering why some one would dehydrate lettuce and cole slaw.What would you use it for?
Several people on youtube have videos on this, but don't say what they do with it.
some buy the little bags in the produce section, 
I wouldn't think you could use them as they were originally intended.
ANY body have any Ideas about this?


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## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

Add in for soup? Or meatloaf for picky kids who won't eat veggies? Maybe add to a casserole? 

Grimm, OCH... Help us out here cuz this sounds like a good idea to me!


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## Toffee (Mar 13, 2012)

If it keeps nutritional value, then it would be an easy add-in. I would use something like red or green lettuce, never iceberg. If it is a good tasting lettuce, then you could eat it like kale chips.


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## twiggie (Jan 3, 2009)

We dehydrate spinach as a stir in for most of our meals. It's the only way to get the boy to increase his vitamin intake since he's such a picky eater.


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## Bobbb (Jan 7, 2012)

A friend of my wife's dehydrates kale into powder form and then uses it in her cooking and even in her breakfast cereal (yuck!).


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## WWhermit (Mar 1, 2012)

I dehydrate cabbage and use it as an added ingredient for Top Ramen. Same with Kale. Usually, for the Top Ramen, I have cabbage, dried corn, leeks, onions, and some type of meat, like Spam or canned chicken. Takes the weight down tremendously for packing, and keeps a good portion of the nutrition.

Lettuce, I've never done, and it doesn't sound very appetizing to me, but that's just me.


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## Bobbb (Jan 7, 2012)

Anyone else dehydrate and then grind down into powder? I've seen this powder kale. I don't yet know quite what to make of it.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

I've dehydrated just about kind every garden green we've grown, including lettuce.

If you are going to powder them you need to cut any thicker veins out of the leaf before dehydrating. When the leaves are dry, crunch them up and and then using your fingers, rub them through a tea strainer or other sieve. What falls through is usually pretty much powder.

Some of the more durable greens like cabbage and collards may need to be run through a food processor or a blender before running through the strainers.

We use all of them in soups but the powdered spinach is particularly good mixed with sour cream and used to top baked potatoes.


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## Immolatus (Feb 20, 2011)

> keeps a good portion of the nutrition.


Does it really? I dont see why it wouldnt, but is this a fact? The spinach sounds like a great idea, Im a big fan.


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## memrymaker (Dec 12, 2012)

Davarm said:


> I've dehydrated just about kind every garden green we've grown, including lettuce.
> 
> If you are going to powder them you need to cut any thicker veins out of the leaf before dehydrating. When the leaves are dry, crunch them up and and then using your fingers, rub them through a tea strainer or other sieve. What falls through is usually pretty much powder.
> 
> ...


YUM - That potato topping with the spinach sounds great! Now to get a dehydrator.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

memrymaker said:


> YUM - That potato topping with the spinach sounds great! Now to get a dehydrator.


I gave a big grocery bag of fresh spinach to my parents last week, my dad said they dehydrated it in their oven.

They have a dehydrator but guess they didn't want to get it out.


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## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

I get the bagged coleslaw mix cuz I'm the only one who eats it. Food city had a sale and I stocked up, freezer shelf half full. Now to just get a dehydrator.... I'll sneak that stuff into food my picky eaters love for extra veggie nutrition lol


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## gam46 (Jan 24, 2011)

Immolatus said:


> Does it really? I dont see why it wouldnt, but is this a fact? The spinach sounds like a great idea, Im a big fan.


"Dehydrated foods keep their nutritional value because the vitamins have not been cooked out in the initial process."

"Drying foods slowly with a home dehydrator is the best method to retain the most nutrients during drying (much healthier than commercial drying)."

These quotes are from http://allaboutfoodstorage.com.


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## Freyadog (Jan 27, 2010)

I can not stand cooked celery. But I do like raw celery. So I dehydrate celery and then grind into powder with a Mr. Coffee coffee bean grinder and add it into whatever that I want the taste of celery in.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

Bobbb said:


> A friend of my wife's dehydrates kale into powder form and then uses it in her cooking and even in her breakfast cereal (yuck!).


I have read smoothies recipes with kale in.

_*"Dehydrated foods keep their nutritional value because the vitamins have not been cooked out in the initial process*_

I read that canned foods lose more nutrients than dehydrated--another plus for dehydrating.


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## WWhermit (Mar 1, 2012)

Immolatus said:


> Does it really? I dont see why it wouldnt, but is this a fact? The spinach sounds like a great idea, Im a big fan.


The method of dehydration determines the amount of "damage" done to the product. Careful, controlled dehydration works the best, although Vitamin A and C are destroyed.

A basic article here:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/409547-do-dehydrated-foods-lose-their-nutritional-value/

Although I'm not big on Livestrong, it does cover the basics.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

Dehydrated lettuce powder??? Excuse me, I think I've wandered into an alternate universe.:eyebulge:


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