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Dehydrate English Cucumbers + Cucumber Powder

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Who thought that dehydrating cucumber could elevate it into a snack, a food storage staple, and a powder for creating culinary delights? Learn how to dehydrate English cucumbers for snacking, seasoning, and food preservation!

English cucumber sliced, a jar of cucumber powder, and dehydrated cucumbers on a wooden serving tray

Raise your hand if you’ve never done anything more with cucumbers than slice them to put on a salad or to dip in ranch dressing! Or, perhaps you’ve used cucumber slices to help alleviate those under-eye bags from too little sleep.

Perhaps you’ve branched out and created awesome refrigerator pickles, or even canned your own to stock your pantry?

Well, it’s time to expand your horizons with what a cucumber can accomplish! Ready to start?

But wait, why would you dehydrate English Cucumbers? Aren’t they too fancy for that?

What’s the Difference Between a Regular Cucumber and an English Cucumber?

An English Cucumber versus a regular cucumber,

  • Has thinner skin (thus you’ll almost always find it wrapped in plastic instead of waxed to protect it from knicks and cuts)
  • Has smaller, fewer seeds (thus is less bitter)
  • Is longer and thinner with ridges instead of bumps
  • Has a sweeter flavor
  • Do not need to be peeled
  • Tends to be more expensive
  • Its perfect for making cucumber chips!
Difference between regular and English cucumbers for dehydrating

Otherwise, they are the same – and you can dehydrate English cucumbers just like you dehydrate cucumbers.

Is a Cucumber a Fruit or Vegetable

I’m not sure this is on a controversial scale of the Tomato: Fruit or Vegetable, however, the cucumber falls under the same heading.

Botanically, cucumbers are a fruit, but we eat them as if they were a vegetable.

And as far as dehydrating goes, we treat them accordingly.

► TIP: These instructions can be used for all varieties of cucumbers. You might want to test if you like them peeled or not.

How to Dehydrate Cucumbers

While the instructions here are for English cucumbers (regular cucumbers, too), this method works on dehydrating zucchini as well!

Step 1: Wash cucumbers in warm water.

english cucumbers on cutting board ready to be sliced

If you have a vegetable brush, you can use it to gently clean the skin. You can peel if you’d like.

Step 2: Cut into even slices

If you have awesome knife skills, using a knife is just fine. But you can see by these examples, that the thickness can vary, even when you’re trying to be careful in cutting.

Example of the correct size to cut cucumbers for dehydrating - 1/4"
Using a cutting glove with slicing cucumbers on an OXO mandoline

Instead, I prefer to use a mandoline (but be sure to use the cutting glove!!! The one that is pictured failed, so I found a better glove that is more protective!). I can dial up and down to the thickness that I want with is OXO Mandoline.

Cucumber slices in different thicknesses

As a final product, I do prefer the 1/4″ cucumber slice best. The 1/8″ can taste a bit like paper for some folks.

At this point, you can use any variety of seasoning options you’d like. There are ideas further down the post.

Step 3: Dehydrate at 125°F/52°C

You can place the slices fairly close together as these will shrink quickly

Dry between 6-10 hours, depending on the thickness of your slices (thinner slices require less time)

Fresh cucumber vs dehydrated on Excalibur dehydrator tray

Step 4: Test Dehydrated Cucumbers

  1. Remove a piece from 2 or 3 places in your dehydrator.
  2. Allow pieces to cool.
  3. Check for crispness. There should be no bend, and you should be able to easily break pieces.

Step 5: Condition Cucumbers

Conditioning is the act of dehydrating something, allowing it to cool, storing it in a jar, and allowing the humidity level to ‘level’ out per se.

  1. Put your dehydrated product in a glass jar with a lid and some extra space.
  2. Shake it every day for a week.
  3. If you see any condensation, you’ll need to put it back into your dehydrator to dry more or store it in your fridge.

Your goal is about 20% for fruits, and 10% for veg. You can use a humidity strip to test that before you start, but with conditioning, it allows all fruit or veg in the jar to come to the same humidity level in the group as a whole.

If you are simply doing snack cucumbers with seasonings that will not be stored, the conditioning step is not necessary as you will be eating them within a few days.

If you plan on storing your slices, even seasoned, don’t skip this step.

How to Store Dehydrated Cucumbers

There are 3 ways you can store cucumbers

  1. Store in an airtight container of your choice. This is the best method as it is all that is needed. Cucumbers don’t store well for long-term storage, and storing dehydrated foods properly doesn’t require any extra absorbers!
  2. Store in a mason jar and use a vacuum sealer with the canning jar attachment to seal the jar.
  3. Store in a mason jar with an O2 absorber inside to help vacuum seal the jar from within. (not recommended).

This is how to store dried cucumber using a vacuum sealer and canning jar attachment. This happens to be part of my rosemary storage, but it works with cucumbers the same way. Need more recommendations for long-term storage?

How to Make Flavored Cucumber Chips

Samples of dehydrated, seasoned cucumber chips on wooden board

Flavored cucumber chips are awesome for lunchtime snacks, or to help the “salty-crunchy” cravings we get at night. We can indulge without the added saturated bad fats, overloaded carbs, and weird ingredients.

I find that cucumber that has been sliced between 1/4″ to 1/2″ for a great mouthfeel and crunch. The thinner slices work as well, but we’re looking for that satisfying crunch along with the flavor.

Lay your cucumber slices on the tray, then sprinkle with the seasoning of your choice, then dehydrate at 125F for 6-12 hours. Depending on the thickness of your seasoning, or the thickness of your slice, the times will vary. Use the timeline as a guide, and check on them often after six hours.
Here are some cucumber chip flavoring ideas you can use.

  • Salt
  • Pepper – a favorite of my guys
  • Ranch dressing (See the recipe below for a DIY version)
  • Barbecue powder
  • Cajun seasonings
  • Garlic powder
  • Onion powder
  • BBQ seasoning
  • Paprika
  • Balsamic vinegar powder — use sparingly! This can be an overwhelming flavor!
  • Cucumber salad — This reminds me of the fresh cucumber salads my grandmother used to make when I was growing up.  – soak your cucumbers in a little vinegar& water solution (I’m not a fan of the straight vinegar) for five minutes, then sprinkle with a little sugar and a little onion powder. This is a sweet and sour treat.
  • Salt & vinegar – mix in a 1:1 vinegar and water solution (you can omit the water if you like it super vinegary), and sprinkle with a little finely ground salt. Not much, because it goes a long way!

GET EVEN MORE IDEAS: Best Seasoning Ideas for Veggie Chips

How to Make Cucumber Powder

Place cucumber chips into a blender or a coffee grinder and pulse until smooth. You could even use the seasoned cucumber chips you’ve already made!

Cuisinart coffee grinder and Ninja blender making cucumber powder from dehydrated cucumbers

How to Store Cucumber Powder

Be sure to keep this powder in an airtight container not much larger than the amount of cucumber powder you have.

If you have a vacuum sealer, you can use any of the storage methods listed, above, for dehydrated cucumber.

If you would like to ensure that moisture isn’t an issue in your jar, you can place a desiccant packet into your jar, as well

Dehydrating Basics ebook on a tablet with a cup of coffee on a wooden background

How to Use Cucumber Powder

Cucumber powder is very easy to make, but the bigger issue is how would you ever use it?

For some, the texture of cucumber may be an issue. It’s watery and can water down a sauce easily. Thankfully, cucumber powder can replace grated cucumbers for flavor, without adding extra water or texture issues.

Fresh cucumber in measuring cup, dried cucumber, and cucumber powder with a fresh cucumber.

Use cucumber powder to add flavor to your favorite salad ranch-style dressing, or create a DIY version from scratch.

►Creamy English Cucumber Ranch Dressing Mix

You can multiply this mixture to make more for your pantry. Store in an airtight container.

(to use this as a seasoning on your cucumbers, omit the buttermilk powder)

To use mix wet:
Mix equal part of the mix with water to create a creamy cucumber ranch dressing for dipping veggies or topping your salads
 
To use mix dry:
Use dry to add a ranch dressing flavor to your favorite chicken or pork chop dredges, to popcorn, to oven-baked fries, to dehydrated vegetable chips, etc.

 

And to add a twist – how about omitting the salt and adding 1/2 half tsp. pickle powder instead!?

Or, to kick up the spice flavor a little, add 1 tsp of chili powder or jalepeno powder.

TIP: If you find that you just don’t use cucumber powder as much as you thought, you can easily add it to your ongoing jar of vegetable powder.

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English cucumber sliced, a jar of cucumber powder, and dehydrated cucumbers on a wooden serving tray

Dehydrate Cucumbers and Make Cucumber Powder

Learn to dehydrate cucumbers for snacks and for powder, plus get a great recipe for a shelf-stable DIY ranch dressing mix.
5 from 2 votes
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Course: Preserved Food
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Drying Time: 10 hours
Total Time: 10 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 9kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

How to Dehydrate Cucumbers

  • Wash cucumbers – you can soak them in a vinegar/water solution to help remove wax
  • Slice into 1/4" coins – they will shrink a lot
  • Add favorite seasoning if making cucumber chips
  • Dry at 125F / 52C for approximately 6-10+ hrs
  • Allow samples to cool – should snap/crush easily when dry
  • Condition if putting up for storage
  • Store in airtight containers

To Powder Cucumber

  • Place cucumber slices into your grinder of choice
  • Process into a fine powder
  • Dry powder in a warmed (but off) oven for 15-20 min
  • Store in an airtight container with desiccant if preferred

Darcy’s Tips

CREAMY ENGLISH CUCUMBER RANCH DRESSING MIX

To use mix wet:
Mix equal part of the mix with water to create a creamy cucumber ranch dressing for dipping veggies or topping your salads
 
To use mix dry:
Use dry to add a ranch dressing flavor to your favorite chicken or pork chop dredges, to popcorn, to oven-baked fries, to dehydrated vegetable chips, etc.
 
And to add a twist – how about omitting the salt and adding ½ half tsp. pickle powder instead!?
Or, to kick up the spice flavor a little, add 1 tsp of chili powder or jalapeno powder.

Nutrition

Calories: 9kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 102mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g

Nutritional information is an estimation only. Nutrient information for dehydrated foods is based on fresh. Use 1/4 of the servicing size for the same nutrient information. Thus 1 Cup of fresh fruit has the same sugars as 1/4 dried.

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Deydrate Cucumbers - fresh cucumber. cucumber powder and cucumber chips on wooden surface

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16 Comments

  1. Any substitute for the buttermilk powder in the ranch mix?

  2. can you dehydrate them in the oven?

    1. Yes – lowest possible temp and crack open the door. if yours doesn’t go below 200F – watch carefully so they don’t cook instead of dry.

  3. Avatar for Christine Christine says:

    Cucumber powder would male a great tzaziki sauce for gyros!

  4. Avatar for Cindy Green Cindy Green says:

    For the 1:1 vinegar water how do you use it? Spray it on the chips? Soak them in it?

  5. 5 stars
    What do you mean by “condition” when you say “condition if putting up for storage?” Thanks!

  6. Avatar for Mary Gatto Mary Gatto says:

    5 stars
    Thank you going to try these recipes.

  7. Have you ever rehydrated them for a salad. Someone told me they had and were good what.

    1. I did not enjoy them that way – they were flimsy and not crisp. They are better as snacks and powder to me

  8. Going to try cucumbers today. I( have no clue as to what variety they are as they are volunteers from another time. Think I will do plain chips so I can decide later if I want to make them into powder.

    1. A good way to do it, but season a couple so that you can have a fun snack along with it, too 😉

  9. Your creativity is so inspiring to expand my deep panty and recipes. My nutrition is improved in the process. thanks.

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