Thursday, July 21, 2011

zucchini chips.


If you love your dehydrator as much as I do, you will want to keep using it all summer. We love kale chips and make them all the time. But you can also make snack 'chips' from other veggies too (beets!). Zucchini is in that 'overabundance always have too much of it' category. And honestly, it doesn't have much flavor on its own. But these chips? So good, so easy and you can make them all summer long.


It is basically the same as kale chips. You slice your zucchini very thinly with a knife or mandolin and put into a bowl. In a small bowl mix together 2 tsp of olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper, and any herb blend you like. I used a nice pinch of yellow curry powder and some dried cilantro from the garden. See what you like - smoky paprika, onion powder, fresh thyme...


Drizzle the mixture over the slices, tossing gently until completely coated. Lay the slices out on your dehydrator and dry until crispy. Be sure to rotate your trays so they dry evenly.


I like using the dehydrator because it doesn't heat up the house on hot days, and it also doesn't heat the food to a high temperature. You can do these in an oven on a baking sheet (or something that allows air to flow all around like a rack), just be sure to use the lowest temperature setting, open the door a bit if needed, and to turn them over midway.

The time they need to dehydrate will depend on the humidity where you are. Just let them go until crispy. They will stay crispy in an air tight container if they are really dry, but can get a little soft in a bag if there is much humidity or they were not dehydrated until fully dry. So best to just eat them right away! It is hard to stop anyway...

6 comments:

Nicole said...

ok... now im pretty sure you are reading my mind. I fired up my laptop to search for some ideas to use up my zucchini, and here you have a great idea! thanks again! :)

Kitty Mommy said...

I just loaded the dehydrator with kale, zucchini and yellow squash tossed in olive oil and rice wine vinegar and finished off with a dash of salt and garlic powder. The kitchen smells amazing!

Molly said...

mmmmm. these look delicious! now if only my zucchini will hurry up and grow. i've never had such a hard time growing it before!

Alissa @ Not Just Apples said...

fantastic - thanks for this recipe! i was just thinking about how best to make zucchini chips, and you've answered it :)

Anonymous said...

That looks yummy!
I was wondering if you wouldn't mind sharing what brand of dehydrator you are using? I have been wanting to buy one for a while but couldn't make up my mind. I would love to hear about your experience! Thanks :)

brthomas said...

Another way to spice up the zucchini snack chip recipes is to use liquid sauces as an overnight marinade or spread directly on the vegetable slices before dehydration.