Dehydrated Sweet Potatoes

For my next outing I wanted to add a little more carbs to the trip so I have created some simple dehydrated sweet potatoes.  One site called it Sweet Potato Bark but it added cinnamon and sugar and a bunch of junk I don't need.  I wanted a more savory flavor with a hint of natural sweetness from the sweet potato.  Once created one could eat these as "chips" or smash them up and reconstitute them with some boiling water as a side dish.

For this little project you'll need a dehydrator or dehydrate in your oven at its lowest temperature

Making a Paste

 

I didn't want to waste a lot on this one so I only used one potato to experiment.  I was impressed how well it came out and its similar to a fruit roll up but crispier.  So, what you want to do is roughly chop up a potato and toss it in some water with a little salt and boil away.  Keep an eye on things until the sweet potato softens up real well and them remove from the burner.  Don't pour off the water just yet.

I pulled out my trusty ninja for the task but any blender or food processor should do just fine.  I scooped out the potatoes into the blender and pulsed it a few times and then drizzled some water in to make it into a paste.  You want the consistency similar to baby food so it can be spread well.  Mine was a little thick yet but still came out quite well.  It may take a little longer to dry though if it's too thick.

Dehydrate

I setup the dehydrator and cut out some parchment paper to fit the trays and spread the mixture as evenly as possible across the paper.  I then added a little salt and pepper to punch up the taste a bit.  Once complete just fire up the dehydrator.  I ran mine around 135 degrees for about 12 hours but time may vary depending on the equipment used and the humidity in the air.  If you're doing this in the oven you may have a temperature of around 150-170 degrees so it may take less time.  Keep it doing until it turns crispy or if you want more of a veggie leather, go with less time.

I admit this comes out a little weird and it's akin to eating salty candy as it tends to stick in my teeth.  That said, it's very tasty and extremely light so it will make a great snack or addition to my lunch on the trail.  I am thinking it may pair well with some roasted coconut flakes.  I'm sure there are other combinations of seasoning to try like cumin/chili powder for a more latin flair or you could still do the cinnamon but ditch the sugar for a breakfast type addition.

Next up I will be prepping a dehydrated dinner for my next trip in a couple weeks.