Which vegetables can't be sun-dried? Be careful with bean sprouts, mizuna, and avocado

Oct 2, 2025by 小島怜

After three of my colleagues and I enjoyed our regular lunch meeting, we still had more to talk about, so we moved to a cafe. It was an airy Hawaiian cafe with an outdoor terrace.

Perhaps because the cafe's appearance, located on a wide street after turning off an alley, was so unassuming, neither my friends nor I knew of its existence. The high ceilings and gently rotating ceiling fans also created a pleasant atmosphere.

We were shown by a staff member to a table in the center of the cafe.

"Oh, has this place been here long?"

"Yeah, it's been here for a while, but I never had the courage to come in alone."

The friend who brought us here shrugged and laughed.

Without considering the capacity of our stomachs, we each ordered a plate of Hawaiian pancakes generously topped with whipped cream.

"So, tell me more about those dried vegetables you're so into."

"Really, really! You, who barely seems to do any housework, are into dried vegetables?"

"Any vegetable will do?"

I managed to hold back a burst of laughter at my friends' rapid-fire questions and took a sip of my tea.

"Hmm, it's not like just any vegetable can be dried, you know."

I remembered the advice message I received from my sister.

"Just because it's a vegetable doesn't mean you can dry anything. The following vegetables are 'handle with care' vegetables."

Below that message were listed the names of vegetables not suitable for drying.

"So, what are the 'NG vegetables'?"

My friends, whose lifestyles are the polar opposite of "domestic" (myself included), had their eyes sparkling. It goes without saying that I, who usually maintain a quiet demeanor and rarely burst into laughter, couldn't help but snort, startling my friends.

My sister's advice message went like this:

"The following vegetables are not suitable for drying! Be careful!

1. Bean sprouts - Danger level: ★★

Even for the strongest, handle with extreme care.

2. Mizuna - Danger level: ★★★

Who would even think of drying this?

3. Avocado - Danger level: ★★★★

Far too much oil to be suitable for drying!

Not suitable for drying = delicious when eaten fresh. Everything has its place.

My friends nodded repeatedly, seemingly very convinced.

"Everything has its place, huh... I feel a bit lighter."

"Me too! I'd been worrying about work, but a change of mindset is important."

"Exactly! I was thinking about changing jobs, but maybe I'll try a little harder."

My friends seemed to have taken my sister's advice on dried vegetables as an answer to their individual concerns.

"This is hopeless."

Will the day ever come when my friends make dried vegetables? I took a big bite of the freshly made, sweet-smelling pancake.

Chapter 9: The Definitive Guide to Preventing Mold in Dried Vegetables! 6 Professional Storage Techniques

Which vegetables are not suitable for drying?

While many vegetables can be enjoyed as dried vegetables, not all are suitable for drying. If they contain too much water or oil, or if their leaves are too thin and delicate, they can easily spoil during drying or lose their flavor. Attempting to dry them forcefully will result in poor appearance and taste, and their shelf life cannot be expected to improve.

Examples of vegetables unsuitable for drying

Bean sprouts
Have a very high water content, making them unsuitable for drying. Drying them results in a poor texture and they tend to lose their flavor. Bean sprouts are inexpensive and valued for their freshness, so they are not suitable for drying.

Mizuna
Because its leaves are thin and delicate, it quickly shrivels when dried, resulting in a dry and crumbly texture. Its charm lies in its vibrant color and crispness, so it's best eaten fresh or lightly cooked.

Avocado
Contains a very high amount of oil, which causes it to oxidize and blacken when dried, and its taste also deteriorates. It is a prime example of a food that is more delicious eaten fresh or as a paste than dried.

Differences from vegetables suitable for drying

Vegetables suitable for drying are those "whose sweetness and umami are concentrated by drying." For example, radishes and carrots become richer in flavor as their moisture is moderately removed, and mushrooms become more fragrant and can even be used for broth. Tomatoes and eggplants also contain a lot of water, but their umami components are enhanced by drying, making them popular choices.

On the other hand, when bean sprouts and mizuna lose moisture, their poor texture and weak flavor become more noticeable than their umami, and the high oil content of avocados works against them.

10 Ideal Vegetables for Drying! A Beginner's Guide to Choosing Without Failure

Enjoying dried vegetables where they are best suited

The fact that some vegetables cannot be dried means that "they are more delicious eaten as they are." There's no need to try and dry every vegetable; the key is to choose only those vegetables that gain new appeal through drying.

Daikon and carrots enhance their sweetness and umami when dried, while avocados and mizuna allow you to enjoy their original deliciousness when eaten fresh. Truly, vegetables also have their "right place." Understanding and utilizing their individual characteristics is the shortcut to enriching your dining table.