Bok choy is one of my favorite vegetables, so when I stumbled upon an amazing deal the last time I went grocery shopping, I may have leaped for joy. And of course I had to try to dehydrate some for later use!
Surprisingly, I couldn’t find much on how to dehydrate this wonder vegetable, so I was on my own figuring this one out. I was happy with the results, so let me walk you through what I did, so you can dehydrate your own bok choy too!
Why Dehydrate Bok Choy?
Having dehydrated bok choy on hand is an easy way to add this delicious vegetable to soups, stir frys, and in what ever else your heart desires. I’m excited to be able to add a little bit to some soup whenever I need a quick lunch at home!
Another reason dehydrated bok choy is great, is because it takes up so much less space. A large one can be dehydrated down to a pint size jar, leaving more space in your refrigerator and keeping it for a longer time.
Have I convinced you to try this yet? Let’s get started!
Get Your Supplies Ready:
For this you will need-
- A food dehydrator & trays
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- A Large Bowl
- A Large Pot
- Colander or Salad Spinner
- A Clean Cloth or Paper Towels
- One Large Bok Choy
Dehydrating Bok Choy
- Start by cutting the root part off the bottom of your bok choy.
*Don’t forget to save those scrapes and reduce waste! Click here to read that post.
- Pull apart all of the sections and wash thoroughly.
- Chop into small pieces. Keep in mind how you intend to use it and that the larger the pieces, the longer it will take to dry.
- Get a large bowl out and fill it about 2/3 of the way full with cold water and ice. We are going to blanch* the bok choy. Set this aside.
*Blanching vegetables before preserving them by freezing, canning, or dehydrating can preserve their flavor, color and texture. It’s not necessary for safety but does make a difference in the finale results.1
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in the bok choy, and allow the water to return to a boil.
- Boil for 1 minute. Drain, and immediately transfer to the ice water that you’ve prepared.
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- Remove as much of the excess water as possible using a colander or salad spinner. And pat dry with a clean cloth or a paper towels.
- Spread the bok choy onto the dehydrator trays in a single layer.
- Dehydrate between 122°-125°F for 6-8 hours.
- Once dry, it should should be dry, brittle, and easily snap when bent.
Do not be alarmed at how thin it turns out! Bok choy is about 95% water and the dehydrating process removes that water. They still re-hydrate well and tastes great!
- Once the this has cooled, store in a air tight container for a shelf life for up to one year.
You can store these just like dehydrated leeks, click here for more information!
How to Re-Hydrate and Use Dried Bok Choy
- You can throw the dry bok choy into soups while the soup is cooking and it will be ready to eat in just a few minutes.
- If you want to use your bok choy in other recipes, simply re-hydrate by placing the amount you want in a bowl, and pour hot water over them. Let it soak and it will be ready in about 5-10 minutes.
Don’t Forget to Save and Print this Recipe for Later!
Dehydrated Bok Choy
Equipment
- Dehydrator Trays
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Large Bowl
- Large Pot
- Colander or Salad Spinner
- A Clean Cloth or Paper Towels
Materials
- 1 Large Bok Choy
Instructions
- Start by cutting the root part off the bottom of your bok choy.
- Pull apart all of the sections and wash thoroughly.
- Chop into small pieces. Keep in mind how you intend to use it and that the larger the pieces, the longer it will take to dry.
- Get a large bowl out and fill it about 2/3 of the way full with cold water and ice. We are going to blanch* the bok choy. Set this aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in the bok choy, and allow the water to return to a boil.
- Boil for 1 minute. Drain, and immediately transfer to the ice water that you've prepared.
- Remove as much of the excess water as possible using a colander or salad spinner. And pat dry with a clean cloth or a paper towels.
- Spread the bok choy onto the dehydrator trays in a single layer.
- Dehydrate between 122°-125°F for 6-8 hours.
- Once dry, it should should be dry, brittle, and easily snap when bent.
- Once the bok choy is has cooled, store in a air tight container for a shelf life for up to one year.
- To Re-Hydrate: Simply add to cooking soup or re-hydrate in a bowl of hot water for 5- 10 minutes.
Notes
I’m very excited about this, I think they turned out great! I love having dried veggies on hand, they are such an easy way to add flavor and variety to my meals. Not to mention how many times I’ve run out of an ingredient just to find that I had some dehydrated!
Let’s talk, what is your favorite thing to dehydrate? Leave your comments below!
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