March 21, 2020

Dehydrating Bok Choy

Joseph Parish

Bok Choy is a popular Chinese vegetable which is part of the cabbage family and is frequently called Chinese cabbage. The leaves of this plant are green and of a round shape while the stalk is thick and white.

Of interest is that the act of drying this vegetable dates back many centuries in China where the procedure was employed as a means of preserving the vegetables after the harvest season. The Chinese would hang the Bok Choy on their clothes lines to dry it.  Bok Choy is used in a variety of Asian dishes of which I shall describe one recipe at the end of this article. Dehydrated Bok Choy can keep for at least 6 months to a year if sealed in an air free container.

We purchased our Bok Choy in the Dover Delaware Produce Junction. To begin our process, we washed the vegetable well with fresh running water and soaked it for a short period of time in a water-vinegar solution, after which we again rinsed it well. You must clean the product well in order to remove any possible pesticides, and dirt. Bok Choy tends to accumulate sand within its leaves and stems. Next, we sliced it into two sections. The first is the green leaves and the second consists of the white stalks. All pieces were cut into small two-inch edible sections.

Wash well with vinegar and water and place in dehydrator at a temperature of 145 degrees for eight hours.  Bok Choy is an excellent vegetable to serve as it is high in antitoxins, calcium, and vitamin C. the Chinese vegetable is high in fiber and is a low-calorie food. If you wish to grow your own the plant does well in a host of weather conditions and can be grown anywhere in the world. Below is a useful recipe for using your dehydrated Box Choy.

This is a delightful one-pot soup Bok Choy, Kale and Spinach soup will please any family. It is a light, vegetarian soup that is full of vitamins. It is best served with a hard-homemade bread. It is packed with dehydrated vegetables: Bok choy, spinach and kale. Add to this assortment of vegetables some flavored herbs and diced bread. Cheese can be added to the soup.

Ingredients

1 dehydrated onion

1 tablespoon powdered butter

½ cup of dehydrated kale

1 cup of dehydrated Bok choy

1 cup of dehydrated spinach

1 teaspoon turmeric

2 chicken bouillon cubes

1 quart of water

Hard bread of choice

Mix the onions into a large with the butter added. Fry for fry two minutes, after which add the kale and place in a pre-heated oven for 3 minutes. Spoon in the reconstituted spinach, Bok Choy, and turmeric seasoning, while continuing to cook and stir for an additional minute. Now add the bullion and the water and cook on a medium heat for 20 minutes.

As the soup cooks slice the hard bread into cubes. Heat a small pan over a low heat and fry the cubes until crispy. Puree the soup with a blender and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve hot. This is a typical example of using assorted dehydrated foods to prepare a meal. They are simple, inexpensive, and fun to eat.