Preserving Your Harvest

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Also I put in the last gallon ziploc of frozen apples in the crockpot for hot cider, from last year so I will only have fresh apples left in the freezer.
I'm going to have to get canning my last frozen tomatoes and berries into jam because I'm running out of freezer space.
We got back our hog from the butcher, over 350 pounds of meat. It always makes me nervous worrying about power outages and losing our meat. It's happened twice. Once the freezer broke down and the other time the power was out for over a week and we needed the generator for the Dairy Barn to milk the cows....

 

[BReeder!]

Also I put in the last gallon ziploc of frozen apples in the crockpot for hot cider, from last year so I will only have fresh apples left in the freezer.
I'm going to have to get canning my last frozen tomatoes and berries into jam because I'm running out of freezer space.
We got back our hog from the butcher, over 350 pounds of meat. It always makes me nervous worrying about power outages and losing our meat. It's happened twice. Once the freezer broke down and the other time the power was out for over a week and we needed the generator for the Dairy Barn to milk the cows....

I wish I could raise a cow, pig, goats or sheep for meat and dairy. One day... when we actually have some land to fit such a thing on.

 

[WthrLady]

5 Dozen eggs in the dehydrator
8 dozen still on the kitchen counter
and another 6 dozen from this week in the barn

LOL. SO many eggs. (grateful, yes)

 

[Sally PB]

5 Dozen eggs in the dehydrator

What is the method for dehydrating eggs?

 

[WthrLady]

You scramble them and then you have two options:
1)cook them and then smash them into a fine crumble and place on your dehyrdating sheets at 145 for several hours until they are dry and crunchy, then powder them. These powdered eggs tend to be gritty when rehydrated so I don't use these for sit down to eat scrambled eggs, eggs. I use them in baked goods. But I feel better that being cooked to 165 first and then dehydrated and stored, the risk of salmonella is lower.
2) scramble, and pour liquid uncooked egg onto your lipped dehydrator sheets and dehydrate several hours at 145 until the sheets are dry and crispy. Powder. These are NOT gritty when rehydrated and can be used to make scrambled eating eggs or in baked goods. BUT these have never reached 165 degrees, so these, which I don't make any more, are not only sealed but stored air tight and in the refrigerator.

I use moisture packs in each method for storing. I vacuum seal my jars as well.

 

[Sally PB]

Thank you!

 

[BReeder!]

You scramble them and then you have two options:
1)cook them and then smash them into a fine crumble and place on your dehyrdating sheets at 145 for several hours until they are dry and crunchy, then powder them. These powdered eggs tend to be gritty when rehydrated so I don't use these for sit down to eat scrambled eggs, eggs. I use them in baked goods. But I feel better that being cooked to 165 first and then dehydrated and stored, the risk of salmonella is lower.
2) scramble, and pour liquid uncooked egg onto your lipped dehydrator sheets and dehydrate several hours at 145 until the sheets are dry and crispy. Powder. These are NOT gritty when rehydrated and can be used to make scrambled eating eggs or in baked goods. BUT these have never reached 165 degrees, so these, which I don't make any more, are not only sealed but stored air tight and in the refrigerator.

I use moisture packs in each method for storing. I vacuum seal my jars as well.

Have you ever tried to dehydrate at 165F? They'll reach the temp and dehydrate at the same time.
As I wrote this, I am not sure if my dehydrator gets up to 165F...

 

[Sally PB]

Have you ever tried to dehydrate at 165F? They'll reach the temp and dehydrate at the same time.
As I wrote this, I am not sure if my dehydrator gets up to 165F...

145 is as high as mine gets...

 

[WthrLady]

Have you ever tried to dehydrate at 165F? They'll reach the temp and dehydrate at the same time.
As I wrote this, I am not sure if my dehydrator gets up to 165F...

Mine does. But there's a difference between dehydrating and cooking. Overcooked eggs take on that sulphur smell and taste not many people want.

 

[WthrLady]

Eggs done.
Marshmallows in.
Squash tomorrow.