Wifezilla
Low-Carb Queen - RIP: 1963-2021
I have been experimenting with zucchini chips over the last week, I think I finally nailed it!
I tried baking them first and ended up with charred zucchini shaped charcoal.
Then I tried dehydrating them. They were ok, but there still seemed to be something missing. It wasn't until yesterday that the light bulb went off and I figured it out. The needed FAT!!
When you are eating something like zucchini or greens, without fat, the vitamins and nutrients in the food will not be absorbed unless you are also ingesting fat. Using a dip with the chips is one option, but I decided to try and fry the dried chips.
I took some lard and heated it up. I dropped in a few chips. They browned up in seconds. I put the sample chips on some paper towels for a bit and let them cool. They were DELICIOUS!!!
You have to work FAST or they will burn. The chips I fried had been seasoned before drying but there is no reason you can't wait until after frying to season.
For the drying step, I did notice that zucchini chips are crisp right after drying, seem to get limp for a couple of days but then crisp up again. I think people that try the dried chips eat them when they are in their limp stage and swear off making them again. After you fry them, they brown fast but are not that crisp right out of the grease. They crisp up after they sit for a bit on the paper towel and drain though.
If you have ever tried to make zucchini chips before and were disappointed, you might want to take a chance on frying the dehydrated chips in lard or bacon grease. Ours disappeared really really quick!!!
I tried baking them first and ended up with charred zucchini shaped charcoal.
Then I tried dehydrating them. They were ok, but there still seemed to be something missing. It wasn't until yesterday that the light bulb went off and I figured it out. The needed FAT!!
When you are eating something like zucchini or greens, without fat, the vitamins and nutrients in the food will not be absorbed unless you are also ingesting fat. Using a dip with the chips is one option, but I decided to try and fry the dried chips.
I took some lard and heated it up. I dropped in a few chips. They browned up in seconds. I put the sample chips on some paper towels for a bit and let them cool. They were DELICIOUS!!!
You have to work FAST or they will burn. The chips I fried had been seasoned before drying but there is no reason you can't wait until after frying to season.
For the drying step, I did notice that zucchini chips are crisp right after drying, seem to get limp for a couple of days but then crisp up again. I think people that try the dried chips eat them when they are in their limp stage and swear off making them again. After you fry them, they brown fast but are not that crisp right out of the grease. They crisp up after they sit for a bit on the paper towel and drain though.
If you have ever tried to make zucchini chips before and were disappointed, you might want to take a chance on frying the dehydrated chips in lard or bacon grease. Ours disappeared really really quick!!!
Must try that soon!
