How to Dehydrate Squash Step by Step

Dehydrating veggies at home is one of the best ways to store them at room temperature for months on end and still keep them ready for quick and convenient use in recipes.

One of the best veggies you can possibly dehydrate out of all of them is squash. All different kinds of squash dry wonderfully, keep for up to a year, and taste delicious in all of your favorite dishes. This is good news for those of us who grow our own squash because most varieties tend to be very prolific, so you’ll have plenty to preserve.

In this article, I will give you step-by-step instructions on preserving your own bounty of squash at home. We will get straight into it below.

Kinds of Squash You Can Dehydrate at Home

Whether you like summer or winter squash, you’ll be happy to know that it’s possible to dehydrate nearly any kind under the sun.

Winter favorites like acorn, butternut, and spaghetti are a cinch, as are summer squashes like yellow crookneck and straightneck varieties, along with pattypan squashes and zucchini.

And don’t worry about the size and shape differences either; we’ll take care of that when we prep it for the dehydration process.

What You’ll Need

Squash: You can use any kind with this process, but it is important to pick out only the freshest, ripest fruit. Never try to dehydrate any old, spoiled, or damaged squash in order to save it. If you’ve got a good specimen that has a few damaged spots, they should be discarded.

Food Dehydrator or Oven: You can dehydrate your squash in a food dehydrator, which works best and easiest, or in your oven. Using an oven can be tricky depending on how low the temperature setting on yours can go, but it’s doable. I’ll give you instructions for both in the steps below.

Baking Sheet (if using oven): If you are using an oven for this recipe, you’ll need a baking sheet, preferably a large one that can hold all of your squash pieces for one batch.

Parchment Paper (if using oven): The baking sheet you plan on using with your oven for this recipe should be lined with parchment paper. Otherwise, your squash pieces will stick, and that can be disastrous.

Oven Thermometer (if using oven): Once again, if using an oven, you’ll need an oven thermometer. Even if yours has sophisticated temperature control and monitoring, that won’t be an option since we’ll be leaving the door cracked. An oven thermometer is the only way to get an instant and accurate read on the actual temperature inside during drying.

Knife: Depending on your variety of squash, a kitchen knife or paring knife will do the job of prepping it and cutting the pieces down to size.

Cutting Board: For cutting squash, naturally!

Pot or Saucepan: Used for blanching the squash pieces in boiling water. Blanching is important for maximizing quality during long storage.

Large Bowl: A large mixing bowl, be it glass, plastic, or steel, is used for preparing an ice bath that is the second part of the blanching process. You’ll transfer the hot squash pieces into this after you give them a quick dunk in boiling water.

Water: Both for boiling and for making the ice bath. Tap water is fine, but use filtered water if it’s convenient.

Ice: For chilling the water in the cooling bath for blanching. More ice is better as it produces colder water and a much quicker shock, which means better quality.

Slotted Spoon: For stirring the squash pieces in the boiling water and transferring them to the ice bath.

Airtight Storage Container: For storing the dried squash pieces. You can use a Mason jar, plastic food storage container, or anything else as long as it is super clean and airtight.

Okay, that is everything you need. We’ll go through the instructions step by step in the following section.

Instructions

Step 1: Wash produce. The first thing you need do is wash the squash thoroughly under running water. Give it a light scrub with a vegetable brush or clean kitchen rag. If you have a veggie wash that you like to use, now’s the time to use it. Shake off the water when you are done.

Step 2: Prep and cut into uniform chunks. Lay the squash down on your cutting board. Working carefully with your knife, remove all remaining greenery and the stem, if present. Trim off the tough ends and discard.

Now split the squash in half and use a spoon or your hands to scoop out any seeds or guts. Throw those away unless you want to dry the seeds separately or use them for some other purpose.

Now slice the squash into uniform chunks or pieces. Work carefully to keep all pieces about the same size and uniformly thick, about ¼”.

Step 3: Prepare ice water bath, bring water in pot to boil. Fill up your pot with enough water to cover all of the squash pieces, leaving enough room for displacement so it doesn’t overflow. Put this pot on the burner and turn up the heat to bring the water to a boil.

At the same time, fill up your mixing bowl with water, add lots of ice, and give it a good stir to chill it quickly. Set it near the pot on your countertop.

Step 4: Boil squash chunks for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to ice bath. Working carefully, drop your squash pieces into the boiling water. Let them boil for just 2 to 3 minutes, opting for 3 minutes for your heavier, denser squash varieties.

As soon as the time has elapsed, cut the heat, then use your slotted spoon to transfer the pieces as quickly as you can to the ice bath. Stir gently to chill the pieces as fast as possible.

Step 5: Remove squash pieces, drain, and pat dry. Give the squash about 60 seconds in the ice bath, then take it out of the water and drain it thoroughly. Dump it back out onto your cutting board and pat it dry gently with paper towels or clean kitchen towels.

Step 6: Place pieces on tray or baking sheet. Now load the squash pieces on the dehydrator trays or on your chosen baking sheet if you are using your oven. If you’re using an oven, don’t forget to line the baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whichever route you are going, keep the pieces in a single layer and allow space between them to maximize airflow. Those that are stacked or touching are unlikely to dehydrate properly, and that will promote spoilage for the whole batch!

Step 7: Set temp on dehydrator or oven. Set the temperature on your food dehydrator or oven to 135 degrees Fahrenheit (57 C). Any dehydrator should accommodate this, but most ovens cannot be set that low.

If your oven won’t go that low, set it as low as it can and keep the door cracked to let most of the heat out. Don’t forget to clip your oven thermometer inside so you can monitor the heat level. Open or close the door a little more until you can get the heat just right.

Step 8: Process squash until brittle. With your appliance preheated, load your trays or baking sheet and heat the squash until it is brittle.

• In dehydrator: Set at 135°F / 57°C, your squash pieces should be ready in 6 to 8 hours. You can set and forget your dehydrator, but check on the pieces around the 6-hour mark to see if they are done and then in 30-minute increments thereafter.
• In oven: Drying squash in the oven is a bit more involved because you’ll have to do more to control the heat by opening and closing the door as described. This process should take between 4 and 6 hours, but start checking on the pieces at around 3½ hours, then every 20 to 30 minutes thereafter until done.

Step 9: Test squash pieces for doneness. Fully dried squash is crisp and brittle, snapping cleanly rather than bending. When you think the squash is done, pull out a test piece and then, holding it on either end, try to snap it in half. It should break, not bend.

Step 10: Remove squash, set aside to cool. After you test a piece or two and have confirmed that the squash is fully dried, pull out your baking sheet or the dehydrator racks and set them aside on your stovetop or on a cooling rack to cool down completely.

You don’t want to store them until they are at room temperature; storing warm pieces will cause condensation, which will facilitate spoilage.

Step 11: Transfer to airtight container. Once the squash pieces have fully cooled down, grab your airtight storage container and use a kitchen glove or a clean spatula, spoon, or other utensil to transfer the pieces. Make sure you screw or latch the lid down tightly for a good, airtight seal.

Step 12: Store and finished! Store your finished squash in a cool, dry, dark place that’s protected from temperature fluctuations. Avoid exposing the squash to light, and keep the temperature below 50°F to maximize shelf life. Congratulations, you just made a batch of dehydrated squash yourself!

Shelf Life of Dried Squash

Depending on the ambient conditions and the quality of your storage container, your dehydrated squash will last anywhere from 3 to 6 months on average with very good quality, but it can last up to a year, perfectly, in ideal conditions.

For the very best results, if you’ve got a vacuum sealer or Mylar food storage bags, now is definitely the time to use them. Using one or the other in conjunction with a cool storage location will always give you about a year of shelf life, assuming the pieces were fully dried.

Rehydrating Squash Pieces the Right Way

If you want to incorporate your squash pieces into a recipe, you should rehydrate them first – unless you’re making a soup or stew. You can just add them as is in that case.

The trick is to use just enough boiling water to do the job. If you throw the squash into a huge quantity of boiling water, it will get too soft and soggy and start to disintegrate.

Use a baking dish or a large saucepan and try to keep your squash pieces in a single layer, though you can layer them if you need to, just don’t overdo it.

Next, pour enough boiling water over them to just cover, but no more: you’ll notice the squash plump up quickly as the water is absorbed. If all of the pieces aren’t evenly revived, add just a little more water incrementally until they are. Your rehydrated squash will have a much better texture and taste this way…