How to Dehydrate Mashed Potatoes – For Home or the Trail
Learn how to dehydrate mashed potatoes for use at home or on the trail.
Also Read: How to Make Dehydrated Potatoes, How to Store Dehydrated Food, Top Tips for Dehydrating Food
Dehydrated mashed potatoes are a great addition to your pantry. They re-hydrate very well and can be used at home in regular cooking or for making trail food. Think of them not only as a side dish, but also as an ingredient or thickener in other dishes.
Top Tips for Dehydrating Mashed Potatoes
Before I get to the full recipe, here are the key things to remember when dehydrating mashed potatoes:
- When boiling the potatoes to mash, over-cook them slightly so they’ll mash smoothly.
- Mash potatoes so they’re super smooth, use a little more liquid than usual.
- Do not add milk, butter or fat when mashing. Fat does not dehydrate and will cause dried food to go rancid (read more).
- Ensure the finished potatoes are crisp and brittle not just bendable.
How to Dehydrate Mashed Potatoes
How to Dehydrate Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1-3 lbs potatoes any variety
Instructions
- Wash and peel potatoes. You can leave the peel on, but pieces with peel will not re-hydrate as smoothly. Cut each potato into 4 pieces and place in pot. Cover potatoes with cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft and tender, 20 minutes. Do not under-cook.
- Drain potatoes, reserving the liquid.
- Begin mashing the potatoes with some of the reserved liquid (you could also use soup stock). Mash and add liquid as needed to make a very smooth mash. Make your mashed potatoes a little runnier than you normally would to get a nice smooth leather that will turn into a nice smooth powder.
- You can add spices or seasoning (garlic powder, salt, pepper, paprika, etc.) to the mash now or wait until the finished product. I prefer making plain mashed potatoes and seasoning when making the final recipe.
- Spread mash out on dehydrator trays lined with Paraflex sheets or parchment paper (not wax paper). Spread as thinly and evenly as possible.
- Dehydrate mashed potatoes at 135°F (58°C) until uniformly colored, dry and brittle throughout, approximately 8-10 hours. They are finished when the dried mash lifts off the liner and breaks with a distinct crisp. It should be crispy and breakable, not just bendable.
- Cool thoroughly before crumbling and storing.
- Crumble your leather into flakes or use a coffee grinder, blender or food processor to make a powder. The finer you process them, the quicker and smoother they will re-hydrate.
- Store in airtight containers in a cool, dry, dark place. Use within one year for best quality, although they will be safe for much longer. Vacuum seal if storing for over a year.
Notes
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Approximate Measures
2 1/2 lb raw potatoes = 2 cup dried mashed potatoes
Use 1/2 cup dried crumbled pieces per serving
How To Use Dehydrated Potato Flakes
To Re-hydrate at Home (per serving)
At home you have the luxury of having access to all the foods in your fridge and spice cupboard. Go ahead and make the mashed potatoes of your dreams! Add your favorite seasoning and be sure to add a little fat (butter, cheese, sour cream, yogurt, ghee, coconut cream, olive oil, etc.) for extra creaminess. A little colour and flavour from fresh or dried herbs like parsley, dill, chives, etc would be lovely too.
- Cover 1/2 cup potatoes with 1/2 cup boiling water and soak for 10 minutes.
- Place over heat and add butter, milk, grated cheese and seasoning to create your desired flavor and creaminess of mashed potatoes.
To Re-hydrate on the Trail (per serving)
On the trail, I rarely make side dishes like mashed potatoes, one pot meals are more of the norm. However, if you’d like to and you don’t have milk or butter, here’s how to make a side dish of mashed potatoes.
- Cover 1/2 cup potatoes with 2/3 cup boiling water and soak for 10 minutes.
- Place over heat and add 2 tsp powdered milk, 1 tsp cheese powder or grated Parmesan, dash salt, pepper, garlic powder and dried herbs.
- Add a little olive oil or a little extra hot water to reach desired creaminess.
Typically, I use dehydrated mashed potatoes in a full meal like potato, ham and peas. When assembling meals I use this general formula per serving:
- 1/2 cup starch (potatoes, rice, pasta)
- 1/4 cup veggies
- 1/4 cup meat/beans/soy
- seasoning/herbs/spice/sauce leathers
Mix 1 part dried food with 1 part boiling water. Let soak for 10-15 minutes. Heat, taste, adjust seasoning and liquid and continue cooking until desired consistency. Enjoy!
I’d love to hear if you make dehydrated mashed potatoes and how you use them. Are you making them for home or for the trail? Let me know, I’d love to hear about your plans. And, if you’re on social media, take a photo and tag #getgettys so I can see it and like it!
Getty Stewart is a Professional Home Economist, speaker, frequent media guest and writer dedicated to putting good food on tables and agendas. She is the author of several recipe books on enjoying and preserving fruit, Founder of Fruit Share, a mom and veggie gardener. Sign up to get articles by Getty delivered to your inbox. You’ll get recipes, practical tips and great food information like this.
Do you add anything to preserve the color?
Once cooked and mashed I haven’t found the need to do anything else to preserve the colour.