Dehydrate Cauliflower: How to make Dehydrated Cauliflower Rice

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Make your food last longer. Dehydrate cauliflower and how to make dehydrated cauliflower rice to preserve your harvest.

cauliflower head that is sitting on a farmhouse table about to be dehydrated

Keeping fresh cauliflower isn’t going to last long. Dehydrating is a great way to preserve your cauliflower for many months to come. If this is your first time dehydrating food, know that it is much easier and cost effective than canning.

If preserving food is something you want to get better at, then starting with dried vegetables is the easy way to start. Dehydration is great because you can preserve food in small amounts or large amounts.

It’s not like canning where you need a huge amount of produce before it becomes worth preserving. There have been many times where I have had extra fresh veggies that we won’t be able to eat before they go bad.

I quickly get them in my dehydrator and they are preserved for months or even years.

Cauliflower nutrition: Does dehydration take away some of the nutrition?

dehydrated cauliflower on a dehydrator tray

Cauliflower is a nutrient rich vegetable that is a good choice for dehydrating. Cauliflower is rich in vitamin c, protein, thiamine, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, vitamin K, antioxidants. Cauliflower is rich in fiber which makes it easier to digest.

This may be why some people choose this low carb vegetable as a swap for rice or pizza crust! An excellent way to preserve the nutritional value of your cauliflower is to dehydrate it.

Any type of food preservation will reduce some of the nutrition, but because there is very little heating involved, the dehydrated cauliflower will maintain a large amount of the nutrition. That being said, Any preserved food will lose some nutrition over time.

What variety can I use to dehydrate cauliflower?

Before I was a gardener, I had no idea that there were more varieties of cauliflower that the white ones that I would see at the store.

Not only are there white cauliflower heads, there are Orange, purple, an roman cauliflower heads. Because the color or variety doesn’t change how you would dehydrate the cauliflower, you can use any variety and dehydrate it in the same way.

Just make sure to pick a clean head that isn’t moldy.

How to prepare your cauliflower to be dehydrated

woman wearing a purple L.L.bean shirt with long blond hair slicing up a cauliflower head on a wooden cutting board using a cutco knife on a granite countertop
  1. Soak your firm heads of cauliflower in cold water (wash cauliflower)
  2. Make sure it is peak quality by removing any blemishes and leaves
  3. Cut off the stem leaving the small cauliflower florets (the stem dehydrates differently than the florets)
  4. Slice the cauliflower into thin slices making sure to do your best to make even slices. Remember: thick slices will take longer do dehydrate, so thinner is better.
  5. Blanch

How to blanch cauliflower

stainless steel pot on a gas stove boiling water with a large plastic bowl with ice water next to the pot on a granite countertop

This method of pre-treatment will make it easier to dehydrate cauliflower with better results. When blanched, dehydrated cauliflower will have a better texture and color.

Get a medium to large pot (depends on how much cauliflower you plan on dehydrating). Fill with hot water and put on the stove to boil.

Next to the pot on you counter put a bowl of cold water with ice in it. Once your pot of water is boiling then put a few scoops of your cauliflower into the pot, don’t overcrowd the pot.

Leave in the pot for 1-2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the blanched cauliflower and immediately put into the bowl of ice water to cool.

This ends the heating process of the cauliflower and retains more nutrients.

IMPORTANT. After the cauliflower has cooled. scoop it onto a towel or paper towel and pat dry. This will lower the dehydration time of your cauliflower significantly.

womans had drying the blanched cauliflower with a red and white stripped towel on a granite countertop

How to dehydrate cauliflower using a food dehydrator

Dehydrating food in a dehydrator over the oven is the best way (in my opinion) to dehydrate food. If you don’t have a dehydrator, try finding one used on Facebook market place or they go on sale for black Friday.

If you aren’t sure if you are going to like dehydrating food then don’t go out and buy an expensive dehydrator. There are some inexpensive new ones out there too.

Honestly you will save money buy buying a dehydrator over using your oven. You have to dehydrate for HOURS and to have an oven running that long can get expensive.

Prepare the dehydrator trays

sliced cauliflower florets in a single layer on a dehydrator tray

Line the dehydrator trays with the blanched cauliflower, making sure that the pieces are in a single layer as best as you can. Put the large pieces on the rack.

The smaller pieces will fall through the cracks of the wire rack. My dehydrator came with a plastic tray that can hold smaller pieces. If your dehydrator doesn’t have solid trays, don’t worry, you can also use parchment paper on top of the wire rack.

Dehydrate cauliflower

Slide your trays into the dehydrator and set the temperature to 125 degrees Fahrenheit. Set the timer for 6 hours. I usually start with 6 hours and check on it.

You can add more time if it needs longer to dehydrate. It could take up to 12 hours depending on how big of cauliflower pieces you have.

How do you know when it is done?

When you dehydrate cauliflower, it will shrink down to a smaller size. When the dried cauliflower is done it will have a leathery, somewhat crispy texture.

How to dehydrate cauliflower with an oven

It is a good idea to be home when using this technique. Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Line your sheet with the sliced cauliflower. Turn your oven to the lowest setting.

If your oven doesn’t go below 150 degrees Fahrenheit then your cauliflower will likely burn before it becomes dehydrated. Leave the oven door open during the dehydrating process to promote good air circulation.

Check at 6 hours and determine if you need to add time.

How to make dehydrated cauliflower rice

dehydrated cauliflower rice in a small glass jar on a wooden cutting board

Once you dehydrate cauliflower then let it cool. Put the dried cauliflower into a food processor, blender, or coffee grinder. Pulse until you have small pieces.

The end produce is cauliflower rice. To cook your dehydrated cauliflower rice add it to some boiling water and cook for 5-15 minutes until soft.

Season your “rice” and use as a side. You can also take your rehydrated cauliflower rice and sauté it in olive oil or butter for a crispier taste.

How to store your dried cauliflower

dehydrated cauliflower rice in a glass jar with a moisture absorber inside it.

After your dehydrated cauliflower cools it is best to store it in an airtight container such as glass containers like mason jars or mylar bags.

If you want to get even more storage out of your food, then you can put a moisture absorber packet in the airtight container. Make sure to store the dry cauliflower in a dry place and a cool place out of direct sunlight.

Light or warmth will cause your food to rot sooner than it normally would. Another long term storage option is to put your dehydrated cauliflower into a plastic freezer container and store in the freezer.

That will take up precious freezer space, so that is something to consider.

Condition the dehydrated cauliflower.

Before you store your dehydrated cauliflower or cauliflower rice for months or years you need to condition it first. What does it mean to condition dehydrated food?

It simply means that you check on your cauliflower pieces for signs of mold or beads of moisture. Every day for about 7-14 days, take your jar or air tight container and shake it around a little.

Then check if there is ANY moisture. If you see moisture then you will need to continue to dehydrate your cauliflower some more.

If the cauliflower passes the test and you don’t see any moisture for 7-14 days, then it is properly dry and you can put it in storage.

How to use your dehydrated cauliflower or cauliflower rice

  • rice substitute
  • cauliflower mash
  • soup (add to any soup for added nutrition)
  • pizza (cauliflower pizza crust)
  • eat as a healthy snack
  • sauté with soy sauce
  • make as a side dish with butter and salt

I have had so much fun dehydrating my food over the years. I love preserving food for snacks, soups, and to use when my husband and I to go on backpacking trips! What do you use you use your dehydrated food for?

Other Dehydration Recipes

Dehydrated broccoli

Dehydrated garlic powder

Dehydrated apple chips

Dehydrated rosemary

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