What Did You Dehydrate Today?

[murphysranch]

I've had an Excalibur for over 12 years and love putting up garden excess or clearance produce. The final product lasts for years. When I go to my local Kroger affiliate, I always scour for the $1 red net clearance bags.

Mushrooms are my fav along with bell peppers. Heck, when I was on SNAP and got free bulk produce from a local giveaway, I dehydrated lettuce and cabbage. That was a few years ago, and I'm just about done using it up.

 

[CLSranch]

I was on the Uline site to order extra gallon and half gallon jars when a pop-up caught my eye. It was for shrink wrap bands. They are the kind that a lot of commercial products use as a tamper preventative...or at least so you can tell if something has been tampered with.

I quick search later and it appears that they are air-tight. So - enquiring minds are curious if that would help keep dry goods dry longer. They are relatively inexpensive - 200 for about $10. It seems that a heat gun is required to create the shrinkage as a hair dryer doesn't get hot enough. (I'm curious if putting the jar in the oven would work) Heat gun price starts around the $20 range and can go much higher, but I think an inexpensive one would work well.

Sounds great. I can't see why it wouldn't work.

If you don't use the entire jar contents in one use, how do you reseal? Use another/new band?

After you break the seal it should be the only jar your eating on and it is already dehydrated, so the orginal lid should be quite sufficient. ehh just my opinion.

 

[Mini Horses]

Some things needed attention. So -- trays of red bell peppers, of plum tomatoes and some of onion....all in dehydrator. Talk about smell! But I put it upstairs, where I'm not. . Also chopped a gallon bag of peppers for freezer (that's 3rd one) and more to make some red pepper jelly! Still more in that box geesh....

 

[Mini Horses]

Those veggies all came out beautifully. Gonna refill. Great to store, cook with and I even snack on them sometimes! Saves jars & freezer space. This fall, I hope to get some apples to dry. Yum!

Grandma used to slice, thread on string and hang in the sun. This is so much easier.

 

[FarmerJamie]

Those veggies all came out beautifully. Gonna refill. Great to store, cook with and I even snack on them sometimes! Saves jars & freezer space. This fall, I hope to get some apples to dry. Yum!

Grandma used to slice, thread on string and hang in the sun. This is so much easier.

Pictures?

 

[Mini Horses]

Here ya go....plum tomatoes, onion & red bell peppers...only did a few of each

 

[FarmerJamie]

About 8 pounds of onions drying

 

[Mini Horses]

8# is a lot! I probably use that in a year but, wow that's a lot. If I make elderberry jelly, come get some!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Eight lbs is a lot - but I bought 50 lbs earlier this year. I got to the point that I didn't want to see or smell an onion for a very long time, lol. Lots of caramelized onions made up for it though!

 

[Mini Horses]

Some days we get "carried away" with a good buy, what we need and what we think we can do! I get home and go WHAT were you thinking!?!?