What are you DEHYDRATING today?

[Farmfresh]

More hot peppers for hubby today! This time jalapenos.

 

[moxies_chickennuggets]

Valmom, I can't think of any reason that you couldn't dry the ginger. I would slice it thin first. However, if you want to keep it more like fresh then just peel it and cover it with alcohol - I use vodka or light rum as they don't interfere with the taste. Others use sherry, but I didn't like the result when I tried that. I buy a year's worth of ginger at a time (when I visit my favorite Indian grocery in California - 59 cents a pound!), and put it all up in alcohol; it gets a little darker over time, but still has the same flavor and texture as fresh. There was a recent discussion here somewhere about growing ginger; don't remember where though, sorry.

Found it! http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=9781

I bought some ginger roots....took them home....put them in nice pots of new potting soil. Nothing. I checked on them eventually....the insides of the root were gone, only leaving the skins. pffft. A shame to waste that expensive ginger root.

 

[moxies_chickennuggets]

Okay...I am trying the "auto as dehydrator" option. Sounded like a good idea. DH brings home coffee grounds from work, and I was just using them in the compost. But I read on here...maybe...that coffee grounds help with cutworm prevention...or distraction. So, I am drying them all up..will store the dried ones till next spring..toss a handful around some plants ...and see what happens!! Oh, I have Nissan Frontier with shell on back. I put a large screen in there, with some polyester cloth over it to dry with. We'll see how that works too. :/

 

[ORChick]

Mushrooms! I got button mushroom *seconds* for 99c/lb (as opposed to 2.99 for the *firsts*); they are just fine, though perhaps not quite so pristine white. Bought what they had, about 2 lbs, and they are drying now.

 

[Wifezilla]

I am loving my used NESCO dehydrator. So far I have dried sweet 100 tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, yellow plum tomatoes, and recently, I have been drying grapes. We don't eat a lot of raisins, but I have quite a few mead and country wine recipes that call for a handful of raisins. It will be nice having raisins from my own grapes on hand.

 

[Farmfresh]

Mushrooms! I got button mushroom *seconds* for 99c/lb (as opposed to 2.99 for the *firsts*); they are just fine, though perhaps not quite so pristine white. Bought what they had, about 2 lbs, and they are drying now.

I LOVE doing that!

 

[Emerald]

I picked up 50lbs of potatoes(5lb bags 1 buck) and 4lbs of baby bella mushrooms(8oz one buck) last week at the 10 for $10 11th free sale and have been drying shredded potatoes for hash browns(our favorite way to have potatoes). I may do some slices later this week.
I have a Harvest maid with 5 trays at the moment(someone borrowed my spare with the other 5 trays and I don't think I ever get it back ) so am doing 5lbs a day with one tray just for the mushrooms.
two bags of the potatoes were free... I did buy $40 worth of the sale items and got 4 items free. I should have gotten more potatoes.. boychild will eat two of the bags by the end of the week!

 

[ORChick]

We are heading off for a long-ish vacation in a couple of days (visiting the in-laws in Germany) so everything that looks like it might not last the time we are gone is either in the dehydrator or the freezer or going into the last few meals before we leave. At the moment, in the dehydrator, are a couple of peaches and a few plums, a head of celery, 2 sweet, and 1 hot pepper, and stalks from the chard leaves that will be part of tonight's meal . Already done are a couple of pounds of mushrooms, and the peel from several lemons. To go in are clippings from the marjoram plants, as well as anything else in the refrigerator veg. drawer (I haven't looked yet); will do that tomorrow.

 

[ORChick]

Oh, almost forgot (well ... actually ... DID forget ) there is also a tray of halved cherry tomatoes in there. The big tomatoes will mostly be ripe while we are away , but the little ones are feeding us well right now, and the dried ones will be nice when we get back. The big ones will feed our neighbours, which is also a good thing ..... I think .

 

[VickiLynn]

I just unloaded tomatoes, and reloaded more tomatoes. And there's still a mountain of tomatoes on the counter, and I don't even want to think about all the ripe ones waiting to be picked! I think I'll can some tomorrow, since the dehydrator can't keep up anymore. I planted oxhearts this year. I really like them - hardly any seeds or juice - very meaty and very prolific!