\"Batch-cook on Sunday\"\u2014the ideal diet you often see on social media, right? But honestly, isn't making several dishes ahead every weekend hard to keep up?<\/p>\n
I've challenged myself many times and given up. Standing in the kitchen for 2\u20133 hours on a day off, packing containers, lining them up in the fridge. Then around Wednesday, getting anxious\u2014\"is this still okay to eat?\"\u2014and ending up tossing it. You've surely had that experience at least once.<\/p>\n
So what I'd like to propose is\"make-ahead side dishes you don't make ahead,\" using dried vegetables<\/strong>\u2014that way of thinking. Rehydrate just the amount you need, when you need it. It doesn't take up fridge space, and there's no worry about ingredients spoiling.<\/p>\n Speaking from the standpoint of Agriture, which produces dried vegetables in Kyoto, I think this is the most effortless way to bring vegetables to the table.<\/p>\n What you will learn from this article<\/strong><\/p>\n Weekdays are busy with work, so you want to relax at least on your days off. That's a natural feeling. Standing in the kitchen for 2\u20133 hours for make-ahead cooking is pretty tough unless you love cooking.<\/p>\n Seeing posts like \"#10 make-ahead dishes\" on social media, you think it's impressive on one hand\u2014but on the other, you feel it's impossible for you.<\/p>\n The weakness of make-ahead cooking is that it consumes a lot of fridge space. Make five dishes and the containers take over the fridge shelves, leaving no room for other ingredients.<\/p>\n With a small fridge for living alone, there are plenty of people who go over capacity with make-ahead dishes alone.<\/p>\n Refrigerated make-ahead dishes are generally good for about 3\u20134 days. Making Friday's portion on Sunday inevitably lets the taste drop off.<\/p>\n Timidly taking a bite while wondering \"is this still okay to eat?\" cuts the enjoyment of a meal in half.<\/p>\n Dried vegetables are \"the vegetable itself as a stock ingredient.\" Take out just the amount you want to use, when you want, and rehydrate it in hot water or water.<\/p>\n There's no need to do all the prep on Sunday, so you can use your day off for yourself.<\/p>\n Dried vegetables are fine at room temperature. Keep them in the pantry or a kitchen drawer, and the fridge is fully available for other ingredients.<\/p>\n Dried vegetables have a best-before date of six months to a year. You're free from the pressure of \"I have to use it up this week.\"<\/p>\n Not having any guilt even if you don't use it all up is quite a relief mentally, too.<\/p>\n According to Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries data, food loss from households is about 2.47 million tons a year. Much of it is leftover vegetables.<\/p>\n With dried vegetables, you take out just the amount you use, so you hardly waste any ingredients. It's an environmentally friendly choice too.<\/p>\n You naturally build up stock while using it for everyday cooking. This is an advantage unique to dried vegetables. With the so-called \"rolling stock\" idea, you can erase the boundary between everyday and emergency.<\/p>\n Time required: 15 min rehydration + 5 min dressing<\/strong><\/p>\n Ingredients (2\u20133 servings)<\/strong> Preparation<\/strong> The crunchy texture is addictive. It's an all-rounder that works as a side for rice or a snack with drinks.<\/p>\n Time required: 5 min to rehydrate + 3 min to toss<\/strong><\/p>\n Ingredients (2 servings)<\/strong> Preparation<\/strong> With fresh spinach you have to boil it, remove the bitterness, and so on, which takes time. With dried spinach, those steps aren't needed. That alone saves a huge amount of time.<\/p>\n Time required: 10 min<\/strong><\/p>\n Ingredients (2\u20133 servings)<\/strong> Preparation<\/strong> You can eat it as is, or use it as a pasta sauce. The next day, adding curry roux to turn it into curry is another option we recommend.<\/p>\n Time required: 15 min to rehydrate + 5 min to stir-fry<\/strong><\/p>\n Ingredients (3 servings)<\/strong> Preparation<\/strong> Fresh burdock is a bundle of work\u2014washing off the dirt, shaving it into slivers, removing the bitterness. With dried burdock, you just rehydrate and stir-fry, so the hurdle for making kinpira drops all at once.<\/p>\n Time required: 10 min to rehydrate + 30 min to marinate<\/strong><\/p>\n Ingredients (3\u20134 servings)<\/strong> Preparation<\/strong> It keeps for a week in the fridge, so it's handy to make a little extra of just this one.<\/p>\n A common failure with dried vegetables is over-rehydrating them until they go soggy. Leafy greens in particular need care.<\/p>\n The trick is to set a timer and pull them out while they're still a little firm. They absorb more water during cooking, so at the rehydration stage aim for about 80% as a guide.<\/p>\n The umami components of the vegetables dissolve into the soaking water of dried vegetables. The soaking water from burdock and mushrooms in particular is good enough to use as stock on its own. We recommend using it as the liquid for miso soup and other soups.<\/p>\n \"Aren't dried vegetables more expensive than fresh?\" is a question we hear often. It's true that per-gram they can feel pricey, but the picture changes when you think in total terms.<\/p>\n Once you subtract the food waste, in many cases the actual cost of dried vegetables comes out lower.<\/p>\n On the other hand, people who genuinely enjoy cooking on their days off, or who have a large family that can eat through big batches, may find the traditional meal-prep style suits them better.<\/p>\n We slowly dry domestically grown vegetables sourced mainly around Kyoto at low temperatures. Drying quickly at high heat tends to make vegetables dry and papery, but low-temperature drying keeps the flavor and texture firmly intact when rehydrated.<\/p>\n Precisely because it's something you eat every day as a meal-prep staple, having nothing extra added matters. Agriture's dried vegetables are just vegetables. That's exactly why they turn out plenty delicious even with simple seasoning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meal prep not sticking isn't because your willpower is weak. It's simply that the system didn't fit your life.<\/p>\n A \"just rehydrate\" stock using dried vegetables offers these benefits.<\/p>\n \"I want to cook properly for myself, but I don't want to push too hard\"\u2014this is a new stocking habit we'd love people like that to try.<\/p>\n Once rehydrated and cooked, the guide is 3\u20134 days refrigerated, the same as regular side dishes. That said, the benefit of dried vegetables is that you don't have to make them ahead. Rehydrating and cooking just before you eat is the most delicious way to enjoy them.<\/p>\n Some water-soluble vitamins like vitamin C decrease, but minerals such as dietary fiber, iron, and calcium remain largely intact. Drying also raises the nutrient density per unit of weight, so you can take in nutrients efficiently even in small amounts.<\/p>\n They're easy to use. Dried vegetables have little in the way of strong flavor, so mixed into miso soup or curry, even picky children often eat them without noticing. Choosing finely cut dried vegetables makes them even easier to use.<\/p>\n The per-gram price is higher than fresh vegetables, but with almost zero food waste, the actual cost often ends up the same or lower. For people living alone who tend to waste vegetables in particular, it can end up being the more cost-effective choice.<\/p>\n If you're starting out, we recommend the four types \"daikon, carrot, spinach, and burdock.\" With these four, you can cover a wide range\u2014miso soup, namul, kinpira, salads. Once you're used to it, adding lotus root and cabbage is a good move.<\/p>\n Dried vegetables rehydrated in water can be eaten as a salad as they are. That said, unlike the crisp texture of fresh vegetables, they come out a little softer and moister. Tossing them with dressing or sesame oil makes a delicious salad that plays to that texture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n Sustainable initiatives<\/a> \/ Commercial dried vegetables<\/a> \/ Product lineup<\/a> \/ Ways to Improve Lemon's Shelf Life! The Complete Version of Storage Techniques to Make It Last<\/a> \/ Meal-benefit plans that even small offices of 10 or fewer people can start<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u4e7e\u71e5\u91ce\u83dc\u3067\u4f5c\u308b\u5e38\u5099\u83dc5\u9078\uff5c\u4f5c\u308a\u7f6e\u304d\u30bc\u30ed\u30fb\u4f7f\u3046\u5206\u3060\u3051\u623b\u3059\u65b0\u3057\u3044\u30b9\u30c8\u30c3\u30af\u7fd2\u6163 \u300c\u65e5\u66dc\u65e5\u306b\u307e\u3068\u3081\u3066\u4f5c\u308a\u7f6e\u304d\u300d\u2014\u2014SN […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"swell_btn_cv_data":"","footnotes":"","ssp_meta_description":"\u300c\u65e5\u66dc\u65e5\u306b\u307e\u3068\u3081\u3066\u4f5c\u308a\u7f6e\u304d\u300d\u2014\u2014SNS\u3067\u3088\u304f\u898b\u304b\u3051\u308b\u7406\u60f3\u306e\u98df\u751f\u6d3b\u3067\u3059\u3088\u306d\u3002\u3067\u3082\u6b63\u76f4\u306a\u3068\u3053\u308d\u3001\u6bce\u9031\u672b\u306b\u4f55\u54c1\u3082\u4f5c\u308a\u7f6e\u304d\u3059\u308b\u306e\u3063\u3066\u3001\u7d9a\u304b\u306a\u304f\u306a\u3044\u3067\u3059\u304b\uff1f \u79c1\u3082\u4f55\u5ea6\u3082\u30c1\u30e3\u30ec\u30f3\u30b8\u3057\u3066\u306f\u632b\u6298\u3057\u3066\u304d\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3002","ssp_meta_keyword":"\u4e7e\u71e5\u91ce\u83dc\u3067\u4f5c\u308b\u5e38\u5099\u83dc5\u9078","ssp_meta_canonical":"","ssp_meta_robots":"","ssp_meta_title":""},"categories":[39,2,27],"tags":[72],"vegetable":[],"class_list":["post-1867","sustainable","type-sustainable","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sustainability","category-dry-vegetable","category-veg-insufficient","tag-dried-vegetables"],"acf":{"summary":"\u4e7e\u71e5\u91ce\u83dc\u3067\u4f5c\u308b\u5e38\u5099\u83dc\u306f\u3001\u5f93\u6765\u306e\u4f5c\u308a\u7f6e\u304d\u304c\u62b1\u3048\u308b\u300c\u51b7\u8535\u5eab\u30b9\u30da\u30fc\u30b9\u5727\u8feb\u300d\u300c3\u65e5\u3067\u5473\u304c\u843d\u3061\u308b\u300d\u300c\u4f11\u65e5\u306e\u6642\u9593\u6d88\u8cbb\u300d\u3068\u3044\u3046\u8ab2\u984c\u3092\u89e3\u6c7a\u3057\u307e\u3059\u3002\u5e38\u6e29\u4fdd\u5b586\u304b\u6708\u301c1\u5e74\u3067\u98df\u6750\u30ed\u30b9\u307b\u307c\u30bc\u30ed\u3001\u5fc5\u8981\u306a\u5206\u3060\u3051\u623b\u3059\u65b0\u3057\u3044\u30b9\u30c8\u30c3\u30af\u7fd2\u6163\u3092\u63d0\u6848\u3002\u4e7e\u71e5\u5927\u6839\u306e\u306f\u308a\u306f\u308a\u6f2c\u3051\u3084\u3054\u307c\u3046\u306e\u304d\u3093\u3074\u3089\u306a\u3069\u3001\u623b\u3057\u6642\u9593\u8fbc\u307f\u30675\u301c30\u5206\u3067\u4f5c\u308c\u308b\u5373\u5e2d\u5e38\u5099\u83dc5\u9078\u3092\u7d39\u4ecb\u3057\u307e\u3059\u3002","product":1113},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/agriture.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sustainable\/1867","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/agriture.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sustainable"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/agriture.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/sustainable"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agriture.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agriture.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1867"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/agriture.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sustainable\/1867\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4403,"href":"https:\/\/agriture.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sustainable\/1867\/revisions\/4403"}],"acf:post":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agriture.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/1113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/agriture.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agriture.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1867"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agriture.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1867"},{"taxonomy":"vegetable","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agriture.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vegetable?post=1867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
Three reasons make-ahead cooking doesn't stick<\/h2>\n
You don't want to spend your day off cooking<\/h3>\n
The fridge fills up with containers<\/h3>\n
From day 3 on, both taste and quality drop<\/h3>\n
Five things stocking dried vegetables solves<\/h2>\n
No need to batch-cook<\/h3>\n
They don't use up fridge space<\/h3>\n
\n\n
\n \nStorage method<\/th>\n Fridge use<\/th>\n Storage period<\/th>\n Space<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n Conventional make-ahead cooking<\/td>\n Needed (large)<\/td>\n 3\u20134 days<\/td>\n 5\u20136 containers' worth<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Cut vegetables<\/td>\n Needed (medium)<\/td>\n 2\u20133 days<\/td>\n 2\u20133 bags' worth<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Frozen vegetables<\/td>\n Needed (freezer)<\/td>\n 1\u20132 months<\/td>\n 3\u20134 bags' worth<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Dried vegetables<\/td>\n Not needed<\/td>\n Half a year to a year<\/td>\n 1\u20132 bags' worth<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n You're not chased by best-before dates<\/h3>\n
Near-zero food loss<\/h3>\n
It also serves as disaster stockpiling<\/h3>\n
Five make-ahead side-dish recipes made with dried vegetables<\/h2>\n
Recipe 1: Instant harihari pickles of dried daikon<\/h3>\n
\n– Dried daikon: 15g
\n– Soy sauce: 1 tbsp
\n– Vinegar: 1 tbsp
\n– Sugar: 1 tsp
\n– Sesame oil: 1\/2 tsp
\n– Red chili (sliced): a little<\/p>\n
\n1. Rehydrate the dried daikon in water for 15 minutes
\n2. Squeeze out the water thoroughly
\n3. Mix all the seasonings together and toss
\n4. Let it sit for about 10 minutes to absorb the flavor, and it's done<\/p>\nRecipe 2: Korean-Style Namul with Dried Spinach<\/h3>\n
\n– Dried spinach: 10g
\n– Sesame oil: 1 tsp
\n– Chicken stock powder: 1\/2 tsp
\n– White sesame seeds: to taste
\n– Garlic paste: a little<\/p>\n
\n1. Rehydrate the dried spinach in hot water for 5 minutes
\n2. Squeeze out the water and toss with the seasonings
\n3. Sprinkle with white sesame seeds and it's done<\/p>\nRecipe 3: Dried Vegetable Mix Simmered in Consomm\u00e9<\/h3>\n
\n– Dried vegetable mix (carrot, cabbage, onion): 20g
\n– Bouillon cube: 1
\n– Water: 300 ml
\n– Salt and pepper: a little
\n– Olive oil: 1 tsp<\/p>\n
\n1. Put water, consomm\u00e9, and dried vegetables in a pot and heat
\n2. Once it boils, simmer over low heat for 5 minutes
\n3. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, then drizzle with olive oil<\/p>\nRecipe 4: Kinpira with Dried Burdock<\/h3>\n
\n– Dried burdock: 15g
\n– Dried carrot: 5g
\n– Soy sauce: 1 tbsp
\n– Mirin: 1 tbsp
\n– Sesame oil: 1\/2 tbsp
\n– White sesame seeds: to taste
\n– Red chili pepper: a little<\/p>\n
\n1. Rehydrate the dried burdock and carrot in water for 15 minutes
\n2. Heat sesame oil in a frying pan and stir-fry the drained vegetables
\n3. Add soy sauce and mirin and stir-fry until the liquid is gone
\n4. Add white sesame seeds and red chili pepper, and it's done<\/p>\nRecipe 5: Quick Pickles with Dried Vegetables<\/h3>\n
\n– Dried vegetable mix (daikon, carrot, lotus root): 20g
\n– Vinegar: 3 tbsp
\n– Sugar: 1 tbsp
\n– Salt: 1\/2 tsp
\n– Bay leaf: 1 leaf
\n– Black peppercorns: a little<\/p>\n
\n1. Rehydrate the dried vegetables in water for 10 minutes
\n2. Mix together the ingredients for the pickling liquid
\n3. Soak the drained vegetables in the pickling liquid
\n4. Leave for at least 30 minutes and it's done (leaving overnight makes it even better)<\/p>\nThe basic way to rehydrate dried vegetables<\/h2>\n
The Best Rehydration Method for Each Vegetable<\/h3>\n
\n\n
\n \nType of vegetable<\/th>\n Rehydration method<\/th>\n Time guide<\/th>\n Tips<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n Leafy greens (spinach, komatsuna)<\/td>\n Hot water<\/td>\n 3 to 5 minutes<\/td>\n Don't over-rehydrate. A little firmness at the core is fine<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Root vegetables (daikon, carrot)<\/td>\n Water<\/td>\n 15-20 min<\/td>\n Rehydrate slowly in plenty of water<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n burdock<\/td>\n Water<\/td>\n 15-20 min<\/td>\n Umami comes out into the soaking water, so don't throw it away<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n cabbage<\/td>\n Hot water or cold water<\/td>\n 5\u201310 min<\/td>\n Hot water saves time; cold water gives a crisp texture<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Mushrooms<\/td>\n Water<\/td>\n 20 to 30 minutes<\/td>\n Use the soaking water in place of stock<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n Tips for Preventing Over-Rehydration<\/h3>\n
Don't Throw Away the Soaking Water<\/h3>\n
Comparison with the Traditional Meal-Prep Style<\/h2>\n
Thinking in Terms of Total Cost<\/h3>\n
\n\n
\n \nItem<\/th>\n Conventional make-ahead cooking<\/th>\n Dried vegetable stock<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n Food cost\/week<\/td>\n About 1,500\u20132,000 yen<\/td>\n About 800\u20131,200 yen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Food waste rate<\/td>\n About 15\u201320%<\/td>\n Nearly 0%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Cooking time\/week<\/td>\n 2\u20133 hours<\/td>\n About 10 minutes each time<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Refrigerator space<\/td>\n Large<\/td>\n None<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Cost of storage containers<\/td>\n Initial investment required<\/td>\n Not needed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Mental burden<\/td>\n The \"I have to make it\" feeling<\/td>\n Easygoing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n Who a Dried Vegetable Stock Is Right For<\/h3>\n
\n
Why Agriture's Dried Vegetables Are Suited to Meal Prep<\/h2>\n
Finished with Low-Temperature Drying of Domestically Grown Vegetables<\/h3>\n
Additive-Free, So You Can Taste the Ingredient Itself<\/h3>\n
Summary<\/h2>\n
\n
FAQ<\/h2>\n
Q1: How long do side dishes made with dried vegetables keep?<\/h3>\n
Q2: Do dried vegetables have less nutrition than fresh ones?<\/h3>\n
Q3: Are they easy to use in households with children?<\/h3>\n
Q4: Are they cost-effective? How do they compare with fresh vegetables?<\/h3>\n
Q5: Are there recommended combinations?<\/h3>\n
Q6: Can I make a salad with rehydrated dried vegetables as they are?<\/h3>\n
Recommended reading<\/h3>\n\n\n\n