Pulverize Freeze-Dried Veggies For Instant, Flavor-Bursting Powders

From crunchy fresh carrots to tenderly cooked summer squash, any food that grows from the ground is good in our book. Although whole veggies are nutritious, filling, and versatile, there's something to be said for freeze-dried vegetables. Freeze-drying vegetables can extend their typically short shelf life while retaining a whopping 90% of their nutrients. While freeze-dried veggies are often used for camping trips or as stockpiled food in case of emergency, one creative way to use them is by pulverizing them into flavor-bursting powders.

Because freeze-fried veggies retain their taste, grinding them down to a fine powder can add flavor and depth to a wide range of dishes without the prep work that comes with peeling, seasoning, and cooking whole vegetables. The best part? Any vegetable can be freeze-dried, so your options are never limited. All you have to do is take your desired amount of veggie powder and add it to your favorite recipes to imbue them with earthy, umami, or even sweet layers of flavor, depending on which vegetable you use. Did we mention freeze-dried vegetables can last nearly a decade? Long live veggie powders!

Adding ground freeze-dried veggies to your favorite recipes is easy; the tricky part is freeze-drying and pulverizing them. But don't fret; there are tips and tricks that can make the process cooler than a cucumber.

Let's start with freeze-drying. If you own one already, you're set, but proper freeze-drying machines can be a bit bulky and expensive. Luckily, there are ways to freeze dry vegetables without them. The easiest and most accessible way to freeze dry vegetables is to cut them into small pieces, line them on a flat tray, and let them sit in the freezer for up to three weeks. Fully freeze-dried vegetables should have a crisp, dry texture that is brittle and breaks easily when handled. Another option is to source dry ice from a local supermarket or an ice distribution company, cut your favorite veggies, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag, and let them sit in a cooler with the dry ice for 24 hours. Et voila — fast freeze-dried veggies!

Pulverizing the vegetables is a low-stress process. The easiest way to pulverize the veggies is by transferring them to a food processor or blender and giving them a few pulses until they are finely ground. If you don't have those tools on hand, transfer the veggies to a sealable bag and use a rolling pin to crush them. No rolling pin? Simply crush up the bagged veggies with your hand.

Now that you have a batch of pulverized freeze-dried veggies, you'll need some fun ideas for using them. Luckily, this savory (sometimes sweet) powder can enhance just about any dish.

Add vegetable powder to soups, stews, and stocks to incorporate delicious and nutritious veggies into dishes without changing the texture. Need to dip some bread into that veggie-tinted stew? Knead the remaining vegetable powder into bread dough for color and flavor — zucchini breadsticks, anyone? For something light, mix the vegetable powder into nourishing grain bowls to elevate the dish's flavor profile with nuance and subtlety.

Select a handful of your favorite veggies for pulverizing and combine them to make a seasoning blend or incorporate them into other spice blends to enhance the flavor of your favorite herbs and spices. Love butter? Churn freeze-dried veggie powder into a stick of butter to give it a dash of vibrant flavor and an aesthetic pop of color.

Don't limit yourself; there's really nothing you can't do with ground freeze-dried veggies. With this little kitchen hack, you'll never let another vegetable go to waste.