Preserving Your Harvest

[Sally PB]

The farm stand had "sauce" apples for $8/half bushel, and they looked great for drying. I bought the last two bags. I know what I'll be doing in a few days!

DH wants to give his coworkers some dried apples this year. He take some to work, and whenever he's shared them, they're a hit.

 

[karenerwin]

Hey came across a spinach and apple salad with a Vinaigrette

5 ounces fresh baby spinach
2 small apples, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1/3 cup dried cranberries
3 ounces crumbled cheese

Apple Cider Vinaigrette Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove, peeled and minced
Salt and black pepper to taste

This sounds good. Have you (or anyone else) tried it?

 

[Happy hen lover]

Hey all what's favorite way of putting up carrots? Choices are canning , freezing ( seal bags) . I don't want them mushy soggy.

 

[BReeder!]

I don't enjoy canned carrots. I find them bland and mushy. Blanch and freeze perhaps. They may still get soft though. Cool, moist storage is the recommended method I believe. A root cellar is great, but we don't all have one. A crisper drawer in the fridge is next best I feel.

 

[Sally PB]

Cool, moist storage is the recommended method I believe.

A friend said when he was "a boy on the farm," they buried them in damp sand. He said they kept all winter, if they didn't get eaten before then. They used wooden crates line with burlap bags.

 

[Sally PB]

Half a bushel of apples are drying in the dehydrator. As soon as they're done, I have another half to do. And if the farmstand has any more for sale like that ($8/half bu), I'll get some more.

I didn't get any peaches or melons to dry this year, so it's all apples. But I think in the winter, I won't mind.

 

[BReeder!]

A friend said when he was "a boy on the farm," they buried them in damp sand. He said they kept all winter, if they didn't get eaten before then. They used wooden crates line with burlap bags.

Any idea what zone this friend was in when they did this?

 

[BReeder!]

I didn't get any peaches or melons to dry this year

I have a cantaloupe on the counter. Any experience drying these in the past? I was thinking of just peeling and slicing around 3/8" thick and laying it on the racks in the dehydrator.
Is 3/8 too thin for melon? I know it shrinks a lot. Also, I'm not sure what temp or how long to dry them for.

 

[Sally PB]

Any idea what zone this friend was in when they did this?

Zone 5, here in Michigan. I think he said they had them down in their unheated basement. Not quite a cold cellar, but probably in the 50-55 degree range.

 

[Sally PB]

I have a cantaloupe on the counter. Any experience drying these in the past? I was thinking of just peeling and slicing around 3/8" thick and laying it on the racks in the dehydrator. Not sure what temp or how long though..

Cantaloupe is AWESOME! Here's what I do:

Cut it in half, stem to blossom, and scoop out the guts/seeds. Save that for the chickens, of course.

Lay the cut side down, and slice into 1" thick slices. Lay the slices on their side and trim off the rind. (I cut them that thick so that they don't fall apart when I pick them up after I cut off the rind.)

Cut into 3/8" thick slices and put on the dehydrator trays.

125-135 degrees, and roughly 12-16 hours to dry.

If you think of it, turn the pieces over about half way through.

Mine don't get to the crisp stage, they're more chewy. I store them in jars. When they're first done, I put them in a cupboard (out of direct light) for a couple weeks and monitor for any signs of mold. Then they go down to a tote in the basement.