What are you DEHYDRATING today?

[FarmerDenise]

Farmfresh, I love drying herbs in the house. It does make it smell so good.

I am dehydrating more gypsy peppers. I have two dehydrators filled and one more to go. And you wouldn't even know I already picked so many peppers, when you look at the plants.

Ldychef2k, we are in zine 9 and start all our onion and garlic in November. We usually try to plant just before a full moon. It's supposed to affect the plants blooming, which you don't want for onions or garlic. Thanks for bringing up leeks, it's been years since I grew any and I love them. I should plant some also.

This is such a busy time of year for us, whew! need a wiping the brow smiley here

 

[Ldychef2k]

When the flood in the yard drains away, I might think of doing them, then. We never get any big rain down here south of Fresno, and I think we have close to an inch today. All my beautiful little turnips, beets, lettuce, cabbage and fennel are probably not going to survive. It might not be too late to try again, though, once it dries out.

I have moved my Excalibur into my home office and it is heating the space very nicely! Still haven't turned on the heater. But I do love the electric blanket.

 

[FarmerDenise]

Here's a pic of my pepper dehydrating process

 

[Ldychef2k]

That needs to be submitted for photo of the day !

 

[FarmerDenise]

Thanks, I will. I just love the colors of the Gypsy peppers, they almost glow. They look nice in a cooked dish too, which is just one more reason I like to have plenty on hand.

 

[ORChick]

Onions! A friend gave me a number of onions from her garden that are too damaged to store, so I cut the bad bits off, and chopped the good bits into pieces. They are in the dehydrator outside on the covered deck drying now - not in the house; never in the house!. (I also was given some garlic, shallots, and apples, as well as several decorative squash for Fall decorations

 

[FarmerDenise]

Parsley. I managed to free up one of the dehydrators and filled it with italian flat leaved parsley. Even though we have parsley available in the winter, it is nice to have some dried in the house for those days you just don't want to go outside.

 

[delia_peterson]

I have my dehydrator. How do you store your dehydrated foods? Do you store them in single servings? or just measure out what you need and reseal? Thank you!

 

[Ldychef2k]

I store mine in ziplocks. Much of my dehydrating is of on sale bags of frozen veggies, until my garden comes in. I do one ziplock for each bag of veggies. I tried to use my foodsaver, but the bags kept puncturing. Even with peas and beans that have rounded edges...I think the bags are getting cheaper. I am looking at a PumpNSeal so that I can store in everyday jars under vacuum.

 

[delia_peterson]

So you can open and get what you need out and then reseal? I will do some for long term storage, but am wondering also about using for this winter.