Gravy is traditionally made from the drippings of meats, caught in a pan during the cooking process. The fat and juices of the drippings are combined with a thickening agent such as flour or cornstarch to produce a thick sauce. When traditional gravy preparation is not possible, you can use gravy mixes or dehydrated gravy packets that contain a basic meat flavor, a thickening agent and seasonings. To make your own dehydrated gravy, you can use a food dehydrator.
Step 1
Place gravy in the refrigerator and allow to cool. Cooled gravy is easier to spread than hot gravy and by cooling, you can separate the fat that makes gravy difficult to dehydrate.
Step 2
Remove gravy from the refrigerator, scrape off any fat that has separated and risen to surface and discard.
Step 3
Spread the gravy in a thin layer on your food dehydrator's sauce rack. Sauce racks on a dehydrator are those that do not have holes, which would allow the gravy to drip through. Nonstick sauce racks are best because they prevent the gravy from adhering to the rack.
Step 4
Dehydrate the gravy for six to eight hours or until it forms a hard leather. Depending on the thickness of your gravy and your dehydrator, times may vary. Remove the gravy, set aside and allow to cool.
Step 5
Break the gravy into strips or chunks with your hands and place in a blender.
Step 6
Pulse or chop the gravy pieces in your blender until they form a powder. Store in sealed plastic bag in the freezer until you are ready to use. To use, combine gravy mix and hot water until texture is consistent.
Tips and Warnings
- Use fat-free gravy whenever possible. Fat-free gravy is not only healthy, but it is easier to dehydrate. Added fats tend to cause the gravy to hold moisture. If you don't have a dehydrator, you can make your own gravy mixes from readily available dry ingredients. Combine your favorite flavor of bouillon cube, flour and dehydrated butter flakes to make a convenient, customized gravy mix.
- Always store your dehydrated gravy in the freezer. Freezing helps preserve the flavor of the gravy mix and also prevents spoilage that may result from foods that are not fully dehydrated.
Things You'll Need
- Food dehydrator
- Blender
