How to Dehydrate Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a nutritious form of carbohydrates. They are low in sodium, fat and cholesterol, but high in fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Potassium and Manganese.^[1] For a healthy alternative to potato chips, you can dehydrate sweet potatoes into chips using your oven or a dehydrator.

Steps

Dehydrating Sweet Potatoes in a Dehydrator

1. Purchase a dehydrator. One sweet potato can fill up a small dehydrator; on the other hand, it may take two to four potatoes to fill a large dehydrator.
   
   
   
2. Wash the skin of your sweet potato. You don’t need to peel it, unless desired, since the peel is filled with nutrients.
   
   
   
3. Grab a sharp knife or a mandolin slicer. The mandolin slicer is ideal for even dehydration, because you can set it to slice the potatoes at the same width. Set your slicer to one-eighth inch (0.3cm).
   
   
   
4. Press the top of the sweet potato to the mandolin slicer and move in a downward motion, slicing in one-eighth inch rounds until you reach the end of your potato. Use the vegetable holder to ensure you don’t cut your hands on the sharp mandolin.
   
   
   
5. Soak the potatoes in a bowl of water for one hour. Change the water halfway through. This process will remove some of the starch from the potatoes and help them be crispier.
   
   
   
   • You can also blanche the sweet potato slices for two minutes in boiling water to make them bright and to preserve the nutrients.
6. Set the sweet potato slices on a towel and pat them. They should be thoroughly dry.
   
   
   
7. Drizzle approximately two tbsp. of melted coconut oil per potato. You can also use olive oil.
   
   
   
8. Sprinkle the chips with sea salt and other seasonings of your choice, like onion powder, chili pepper or cumin.^[2]
   
   
   
9. Set your dehydrator to 145 degrees Fahrenheit (63 Celsius). If your dehydrator is older, you may want to set it to 155 degrees (68 Celsius). Older models tend to run slightly cooler.
   
   
   
10. Place the slices in an even layer on the trays. Dehydrate them for 12 hours.^[3]
    
    
    
11. Remove them from the dehydrator and set them on a wire rack to cool. Store them in a sealable plastic bag.
    
    
    

Dehydrating Sweet Potatoes in an Oven

1. Wash your sweet potatoes with a peel scrubber. Use one potato per batch.
   
   
   
2. Slice your sweet potatoes with a mandolin slicer. Make them between one-sixteenth and one-eighth inch (0.15 to 0.3cm) thick.
   
   
   
3. Set them on some paper towels and sprinkle them with sea salt. Cover them with paper towels. Let them sit for 15 minutes.
   
   
   
   • If the paper towels soak through, replace them and blot them again to remove more moisture.
4. Preheat your oven to the lowest setting. to 145 degrees Fahrenheit (52 to 63 Celsius) is ideal.
   
   
   
5. Set a cooling rack over a baking tray to use as a makeshift dehydrator.
   
   
   
6. Coat the chips in a thin layer of olive oil or coconut oil. Sprinkle with more sea salt and other seasonings of your choice. Stack the chips in a single layer on the cooling rack.
   
   
   
7. Place the tray in the oven. Crack the door to the oven.
   
   
   
8. Dehydrate the sweet potatoes for 12 hours. Remove them and allow them to cool on the counter. Store them in an airtight plastic bag.^[4]
   
   
   
9. Finished.
   
   
   

Tips

• You can also shred the sweet potatoes if you want to use them in hash. Shred them and place them in a dehydrator tray for approximately 12 hours, in a similar process as dehydrating chips. Rehydrate them by soaking them in water before cooking.

Things You'll Need

• Sweet potatoes
• Mandolin slicer
• Potato scrubber
• Water
• Bowl
• Knife
• Sea salt
• Olive oil/coconut oil
• Spices
• Oven/dehydrator
• Baking sheet
• Cooling rack
• Paper towels

Sources and Citations

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