Dried Potatoes and Gratin Recipe

For my part, I can make a very good breakfast with nothing but French fries. I know I’ve heard that fried foods aren’t good for me, but I still enjoy a bowl of those “greasy” potatoes whenever I can.

I would like to pass on this dehydration recipe to site visitors as they easily get into the survival food topic. You can pack them with your food saver and store a few packets in your vehicle’s emergency food supply next to your bottled water. I’ve personally bought some of the commercial dehydrated versions and they really don’t taste too bad.

Depending on how you cut and dry your potatoes, you could use them for anything from frying to making scalloped potatoes. Here is the procedure I would recommend using.

Start by selecting firm potatoes, not overripe. He proceeds to peel them and wash them well. Take and slice your potatoes 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick. My wife’s food processor works great on this step. With it, I am guaranteed to get consistent cuts every time on every piece. If you like, you can also cut them as the 3/8-inch-thick cord type. Another one of my favorite slices are the shredded or diced cuts. It all comes down to how the dried potatoes will actually be used.

As a pretreatment for your potatoes, you’ll want to steam blanch them over hot water containing about 1 tsp. of sodium bisulfate for each cup of water used. Blanch them for about 4-6 minutes or until they turn translucent but still firm.

After this step, rinse them very well with a little cold water to remove any remaining starch. Their drying temperature should be around 160 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 to 2 hours or until they are completely set.

You can grate the slices to rehydrate later and use as hash browns. Now, as an added bonus, here’s a quick recipe to make one of my favorite dishes: Scalloped Potatoes.

Required Ingredients:

3 cups diced dehydrated potatoes (See above)

6 tablespoons of butter

3 tablespoons of flour

1 1/2 cups of milk

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Recipe preparation:

1. Place potatoes in a shallow baking dish.

2. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt 6 tablespoons of butter.

3. Take the butter and add the flour to it. Stir well to mix together.

4. Gradually add the milk.

5. Continue cooking and stirring continuously until a thick sauce forms.

6. Add cheese and stir until cheese melts.

7. Pour the sauce over the potatoes in the baking dish and mix gently.

8. Bake potatoes at 400° for 30 to 40 minutes. The final product should be golden brown in color.

There you have a perfect meal of potatoes au gratin. I could eat this myself as a main meal!

Copyright @ 2009 Joseph Parish

January 6, 2009