One of my favorite foods to shake this delightful green powder over is freshly sliced, organic, vine ripened summer tomatoes! Holy moly…the flavor is Amazing! My husband puts a healthy dose on every one of his savory, cooked vegan meals and loves it.
It’s pretty easy to make, especially if you have a dehydrator. You can also make it in your oven, the oven directions are at the end of the instructions below. If you’d like to get a dehydrator, you can buy one here and receive FREE Shipping!
Directions:
Wash, trim and dry one or two full bunches of celery.
Cut them into 1/4 inch slices and place them evenly on your dehydrator trays. If you have an Excalibur, it doesn’t need to be placed evenly. You can just put a sizable layer of celery on the mesh sheets or non-stick sheets. I like and use these non stick sheets which work great. By the way – Prep time can be cut in half by using a food processor to cut your celery.
Turn the dehydrator on to 105° or 110° F and let celery dry completely, it may take up to 18 hours or more. You want to make sure they’re completely dry. If there’s any moisture left in them, the powder will be clumpy and it will quickly become moldy.
When they’re done, grind them into a powder in a coffee grinder or high powered blender like a Vitamix.
Store in a tightly sealed container or an old spice jar.
To Dry or Dehydrate Celery in an Oven
(directions from http://www.ehow.com/how_4589078_dry-dehydrate-celery.html)
[Preheat your stove to 140° F.
Place the celery pieces onto a wire mesh tray. Place the wire mesh in the center rack of the stove.
Insert a wood stick or hot pad between the stove and the stove door. Keep the stove door open about 1 inch. Moisture needs to escape the stove.
Check the temperature of the stove using a thermometer. The internal temperature should remain 140° F.
Place a metal fan facing the inside of the oven. Blow air into the stove to increase air circulation.
Stir the celery every 30 minutes with a spatula. All surfaces of the celery need equal drying. Drying takes approximately 4 to 12 hours. Remove the celery when it is dry.
Place the dried celery into a glass Mason jar. Store the celery for future use.]
See my video below for step by step visual instructions on making celery powder in a dehydrator.
P.S. You can also use these instructions with beet green stems and chard stems for a unique salty flavor and vibrant splashes of color on your savory meals!