This is a great recipe for ice cream lovers; it will be a good recipe for the first batch of fresh peaches. It is also a good recipe for the family get together, or just a lazy hot summer afternoon. I am a peach fan, and when I have a recipe that calls for the fresh juicy peach, you will see it on this website! I hope that you enjoy this wonderful peach recipe.
I didn't have any fresh peaches, so I used canned peaches. I used three cans of peaches, and it was the perfect amount of peaches for the recipe. This is one of those recipes that you can change up, and add any fruit that you want. Enjoy! Frozen Peach Ice Cream Surprise Recipe: 1 ½ Cups of crushed/crumbs vanilla wafers, divided 2 ½ Cups sliced fresh peaches, or frozen peaches if they are out of season. Fresh peaches work the very best! ½ Cup sugar 1 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice ½ Tablespoon of a really good vanilla bean paste 1 Cup of softened Blue Bell Home-made Vanilla ice-cream if it is available, if not use a very good store brand in your area. If you have your own ice cream make you can make your own vanilla ice cream and use it if you prefer. This is an easy to make recipe, so we are using a store bought ice cream. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the chocolate chips and whisk until smooth. Add the heavy cream and whisk until smooth. Add the vanilla and whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. First you will spread half of the vanilla wafer crumbs in the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch baking dish. In a food processor or a blender you will add the peaches, sugar, lemon juice and the vanilla bean paste. You will run the blender or food processor for about a minute. You will stop the blender at least once to scrape down the sides to make sure you get all of the peaches and sugar blended until it is a smooth texture. You will then pour the peach and sugar mixture into a large bowl, and gently fold in ice-cream. Once ice-cream has been folded into the mixture, divide this mixture among the bottom of each cup. Then, roll out the pie dough about a 1/4 inch thick and cut into equal sized circles. Place one circle on top of each cup. You will then pour over crust and sprinkle any remaining cookie crumbs on top of the peach dessert. You will then cover with plastic wrap and freeze for about eight hours until good and frozen. When you are ready to serve this peach dessert you will then remove it from the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before serving. You should be able to get about 8 servings from this dessert, and there should be eight happy people after trying this easy to make peach dessert.
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Wouldn't it be great to always have some bananas and strawberries on hand for smoothies. At least those are the staples for most of my smoothies. Freezing strawberries is easier than you might think. You can freeze strawberries whole, sliced, and crushed. For smoothies, I like to freeze the fruit whole. By having some frozen fruit on hand, you can always have the basic smoothie necessities ready for that surprise guest or late night snack. After all, who wants to have to run to the store to pick up some berries and bananas when you're in the mood for a smoothie now! I have been enjoying making smoothies for my son and myself every morning for breakfast. We can both get our nutritional needs for the day with a balanced breakfast that is easy to prepare and makes enough for leftovers. Smoothies are a great way to get healthy fruits, vegetables, and protein into your diet. My husband and I have been making smoothies for my son and myself every morning for breakfast. The other night, I was craving a smoothie, but didn't want to get out the blender. It was late, and I was tired. My husband was asleep. I had the perfect solution for a quick and easy smoothie. The best time to buy strawberries is summer. Choose strawberries that are dark red, firm, and fully ripe. Discard any strawberries with mold, damage, or discoloration. Prepare Strawberries
Crushed or Sliced Strawberries
Freezing strawberries does not sterilize them, but the cold prevents microorganism growth which is the cause for food spoilage. Properly frozen strawberries will contain most of their taste and nutritional value. Freezing Strawberries & Nutrition When strawberries are frozen they are considered a concentrated or ‘concentrated’ fruit. This is because the juice is water-soluble, so it is easily extracted during the freezing process. Other vegetables cannot be frozen, but you can freeze broccoli. Freezing it would enable you to have this delicious vegetable on the table long after the season has ended.
Clean The Broccoli There are simple and easy steps to follow when freezing broccoli. After picking the freshest broccoli you can find, rinse it under running water. To get rid of the insects hiding in the cluster of florets, soak the head in salted water for about half an hour. Then rinse it again with fresh water until all traces of salt has been removed. The squash should now be ready to cook. To prepare the florets, cut the stem off and scoop out the seeds. Then lay the florets flat on the cutting board and slice them into half-inch (1 cm) pieces. Gently shake the head to remove excess moisture. Cut off all the leaves, ends and tough parts before slicing the broccoli to your preferred size. What to do next: You can either eat the broccoli raw or steam it for a couple of minutes to make it softer. For the latter, heat up a pot or a pan and add a teaspoon of oil. Blanch The Broccoli Now, it is time to blanch the broccoli slices. Pour water in a large pot, put it under medium heat and bring it to a boil. Make sure you wait until the water is really boiling before dropping the florets inside. If you are blanching florets, scald it in water for about a minute. Stalks that has been peeled or sliced in halves must be blanched for about three minutes. Allowing it to boil longer than the allotted time would make the broccoli cooked, not blanched. It would turn mushy once you add it in dishes later on. When there is the time and other ingredients available, you can add spices to the water. Choose spices that have the same flavor profile as the dish you are making. You can add bay leaves, peppercorn, cloves, and salt to the water. Take the broccoli slices out of the pot and into a basin of cold water to discontinue the cooking process. If you don't use cold water, the remaining heat inside the broccoli would continue to cook its meat. Let the slices sit in the cold water for another three minutes. Once the three minutes is over, transfer the broccoli in a colander to get rid of the excess water. You can eat it just like this, or add it to a salad bowl or to a stir fry. By the way, the broccoli will continue to cook in the colander, so you can cut the cooking time to two or three minutes. Your Broccoli is Ready for the Freezer Now, you are ready to freeze them. You can use either a container or a freezer bag to freeze your broccoli. If you are going to use the latter, remove all excess air when packing them. Do not leave any head space-instead, fully pack the bag. Then, seal it tightly. You do not have to thaw the broccoli before cooking-just use it like it is fresh. Also take note that it has been partially cooked so make sure you do not overcook them. If you are cooking the broccoli for a long time like for 20 minutes or more, it is best to add a little bit of acidity like lemon or vinegar to the cooking water. This will keep the broccoli from turning gray when cooked for a long time. The author is a person who has a healthy regard for food and its life-sustaining properties. his recipe is very similar to the Frozen Key Lime Pie recipe that was posted several months ago. Your friends and family will beg you to make this dessert for every family get together. The main thing that sets this recipe apart from the previous recipe is that the filling is cooked for a few minutes, whereas the previous recipe requires no cooking of the filling. With the latest salmonella contamination of eggs, it is a good idea to cook eggs whenever possible. Heat, from cooking kills salmonella, so even if you make this recipe with eggs that happen to be contaminated, you will not get sick! This recipe is also safer for people with health conditions that make eating raw eggs dangerous. Pregnancy is one such condition that can be dangerous to a growing baby for the mother to consume uncooked eggs. So, here is a recipe with all of the flavor and absolutely no health risk!
For the crust:
3. For the filling, beat the egg yolks and sugar on high in a blender for 5 minutes, until thick. Add the sweetened condensed milk, lime zest, and lime juice. Turn the blender on low and blend for another 2 minutes, until all of the ingredients are well incorporated. 4. Pour the filling into the cooled graham cracker crust. Pour the filling into the crust and bake for an additional 8 minutes. 5. Remove the pie from the oven and allow to completely. Once cool, place the pie in the freezer for at least 2 hours. 6. For the topping, add the vanilla extract and the lime zest to the whipped topping, and stir until the whipped topping becomes light and fluffy, and the vanilla and lime zest are well incorporated. 6. Remove the pie from the freezer. The filling should be firm. Now add the 1/2 container of whipped topping to the top of the pie, and spread in an even layer. The topping should be a layer that just sits on the top of the pie. Lastly, decorate the top of the pie with slices of lime. Put the pie back into the freezer for at least 5 more hours, so that it will finish freezing before serving. 7. Remove the pie from the freezer 15 minutes before serving, to make it easier to cut. 8. Remove the key lime pie from the spring-form ring. Cut, sever, and enjoy! There you have it, only about 8 minutes longer than the first recipe, and absolutely no chance of food poisoning from salmonella! It is important to note that if you are going to eat any of the meat, you should cook it in a separate pan first, and then add it to your rice. The only reason I add it to the rice is to disguise the fact that it is rabbit. Over the past few years, wine slushies (frozen wine slush drinks) have been gaining huge popularity all across the country. The combination of wine, fruit flavors, sugar, and other sometimes exotic ingredients combine to create a tantalizing taste. However, when you freeze this concoction, that's when your tongue throws a party for your mouth. Freezing it, or making it in a blender, makes all the difference. Refreshing beyond description.
There are two ways you can go about making wine slushies. One is to find a good recipe, buy all of the ingredients and make it from scratch. The other way is to buy a dry wine slush mix that you just add your favorite wine (any kind of wine, even champagne) and water to. You just mix it up all together and freeze it. That's all there is to it. Let's explore option number one: Here are some recipes for wine slushies to make from scratch. WINE SLUSH RECIPE 1 (12 oz.) frozen orange juice 1 (48 oz.) Hawaiian punch Juice of 2 lemons 1/2 c. sugar 1 bottle wine Stir and freeze. Use 1/2 of 7-Up and 1/2 slush. WINE SLUSH RECIPE 2 c. sugar and 1 c. water, boiled, simmered 10 minutes and cooled 1 (12 oz.) orange juice concentrate 1 (12 oz.) lemonade concentrate 2 c. water 1/2 gallon Hearty Burgundy Mix and freeze. To serve: Make individual glasses. Fill glass half with frozen mixture and half 7-Up. CELEBRATION WINE SLUSH RECIPE 4 (6 oz.) cans frozen tangerine or orange juice concentrate 2 pt. pineapple sherbet 3 c. water Orange, lemon, or lime slices or wedges Dry white wine, champagne, rum, vodka, sparkling water or lemon-lime carbonated beverage, chilled Thaw concentrate slightly; stir sherbet to soften. Stir concentrate and water into sherbet. Freeze 5 hours. Spoon 2 tablespoons slush into glass; pour in choice of beverage. Garnish with fruit slice. makes 9 1/2 cups slush or about 60 to 75 servings. ******** These are all delicious frozen wine drinks, however, they are expensive because of all of the many different ingredients you have to buy. Plus, they require a trip to the store to buy all of the ingredients. Some recipes are also a hassle to make. This doesn't say much for convenience. Our next option is the dry wine slush mix. This option eliminates all of the negatives mentioned above. As a manufacturer of a dry wine slush mix myself, I can tell you that people are buying these mixes for a variety of reasons. First, they are super convenient. All you need is the mix and your favorite wine. You just add wine and water to the mix, and stir it up until the mix is thoroughly dissolved. Stick it in the freezer for 4 to 8 hours, or overnight. Take it out and use a spoon to stir it all up to the proper consistency and serve. No measuring out sugar, no slicing lemons or limes, no scooping sherbet, no simmering water and sugar on the stove, etc. You just stir up the wine and water with the mix and you're done. That's convenience. Convenience isn't all that wine slush mixes have to offer. No matter how convenient a product is, if it doesn't taste good - it's no good. The fact that millions of bags of wine slush mix are sold and enjoyed every year speaks for itself. If it didn't taste good, no one would buy it. It obviously tastes good. Very good. If you have any left over or if some melts, just stick it back in the freezer and it will be just as good next time. This is not always true with some of your "from scratch" recipes. It will stay frozen in your freezer for at least 9 months and taste like you made it last night. Before you make up a batch, it will stay in your cabinet just fine for a full year. Versatility comes into play here also. The mixes don't need any certain kind of wine. It takes on the profile of any kind of wine you use, even champagne. However, you may be surprised that many, many people buy it because you can use it for a non-alcoholic slush mix. You can use it with non-alcoholic wine, ginger ale, cranberry juice, pomegranate juice, apple juice, grape juice and sparkling juices. Moms love this for the kids. Another nice aspect of some of the wine slush mixes is that they also come in pretty, decorated gift bags. These make for wonderful hostess gifts, birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, etc. A bag or two of the wine slush mix with a bottle of wine makes for a perfect gift for any occasion. Some companies even have other wine related items such as wine charms, flattened, decorated wine bottles, wine dip mixes, and so forth that you can add to make an entire custom wine themed gift basket. Whether you choose option number one or the dry mixes, wine slushies are so delicious and here to stay. Enjoy! Everyone has heard of dehydrated fruits. It's the simplest and least-expensive way to store food for longer periods of time; it's something that's more affordable for families to do at home--if they can afford to spend the time preparing and dehydrating fruits for emergency food storage. But what of frozen fruits? To some people the term may be completely new, or sound familiar but unsure of the definition. Some may have even tried frozen food without even realizing they have. If you have had "astronaut ice cream" before, then you have tried freeze dried food.
When gathering food for emergency food storage, hiking, camping or other similar reasons, it is good to know the difference between these two types of prepared food storage. Not only will knowing the difference help you understand how they're made, but help you know why some processes will be better for the types of food you wish to store versus other types of food. Traditional food drying, or dehydration, has been around since ancient times for food preservation. Since the convenience of refrigerators weren't around, the sun, wind and air had to do the drying. By removing the majority of water, enzymes and microorganisms are inhibited, stopping or severely slowing their usual routine of spoiling food. Today, solar or electric food dryers can be bought for your personal home to provide more consistent results. With the cost of purchasing one, let alone the time it takes to prepare dehydrated food yourself, these reasons often steers people from that route. Fortunately, with improved technologies, the internet, and companies mass producing dehydrated fruits, consumers can buy dehydrated food at affordable prices--not to mention save countless hours of dehydrating food yourself. Freeze drying food has not been around too long, and when the concept was originally practiced, it wasn't used for food. During World War II, certain medical supplies were spoiling before arriving to their destinations. Scientists determined that by freezing the materials at a certain point then drying to remove the formed crystals, it would preserve its state without refrigeration. While the process had to be modified for the sake of preserving the texture of food when freeze-drying, a faster freezing process is done to prevent crystallization from breaking the cell-walls of food. Now understanding the big difference between the two methods of preserving food for emergency food storage, hiking or the many other reasons people buy dry food, which method is the best? As with almost all answers to broad questions, the answer is: "it depends." Each process has its advantages, and when used correctly, can give consumers looking to purchase food storage the best options available. Traditional dehydration is less expensive than freeze drying. Without the need of more expensive and sophisticated equipment, standard dehydration will produce preserved food at a cheaper price. Nevertheless, this process has more limitations, including the quality of some types of food's texture and taste. Most dehydrated fruits can have little to no seasonings or other ingredients. Once you rehydrate your food, usually more cooking can be required if it's a full meal you desire. That's why dehydration is better for simpler fruits such as snacks, fruits, grains, etc. Freeze drying, while more expensive, can open your world to many more possibilities for preserving food. Entire meals with full ingredients, seasoning, etc. can be frozen together. Additionally, only water is needed to prepare your meal again, reducing the need for preparation. Still, with a higher expense, freeze drying may not always be the best answer every time. The best result then for finding the right type of prepared food storage is finding preparers that use both methods. Many companies today prepare full pre-made meals for food storage, which include food that has been both dehydrated and frozen, depending on the type. This allows all servings of food, be they frozen meats, or dehydrated grains, suit you and your needs for food storage, camping, hiking, or whatever other reason you have for purchasing preserved fruits. With the increasing awareness of the need to improve diet and carefully watch the foods we eat and the food we give our family, it pays to educate ourselves on dehydrated fruit nutrition. dehydrated fruit can keep for long periods, it is easy to store, it is convenient to carry as a snack, and it can be quite economical.
Just exactly what is dehydrated fruit? Fruit with a large proportion of the water content removed. The fruit retains a high nutritional value. The drying process can either be done naturally under the sun, or artificially through hot dryers or food dehydrators. In additional to equipping a kitchen with a quality cookware set, many also invest in a quality stainless steel food dehydrator and process their own fruits and nuts. In this article we will consider five of the most common and most popular dehydrated fruits. Educate yourself on these five and see how you can benefit from the nutritional value by working them into your weekly diet, for yourself and your family. dehydrated Apricots dehydrated apricots actually contain more nutritional value than fresh ones simply because the nutrient content is much higher. dehydrated apricots contain a high level of carotenes, good for lowering the risk of some cancers. This dehydrated fruit also is a good source of vitamin C, silicon, iron, phosphorous, calcium and potassium. dehydrated apricots are rich in iron and therefore helpful in the fight against anemia. They can also act as a gentle laxative and help avoid constipation. They even help with digestion. dehydrated Dates dehydrated dates are packed with nutrients which include phosphorous, magnesium, vitamin A, calcium, and potassium. They promote the existence of healthy bacteria in the intestines and they can help ease the problem of constipation, acting as a mild laxative. Dates are an excellent source of energy and they can provide a quick energy boost, being full of natural sugars. dehydrated dates have less calories than fresh dates and therefore can be included in a healthy snack for those wishing to maintain a healthy weight. dehydrated Figs dehydrated figs are rich in potassium and therefore help control blood pressure. They are also an excellent source of fibre and can be incorporated in a weight management regimen. Other minerals present in dehydrated figs are: manganese, iron, copper, potassium, calcium, zinc and selenium. Both copper and iron and important in the production of red blood cells in the body. dehydrated Plums - Prunes Prunes contain vitamins A and C, chromium, potassium and iron, lutein and fibre. In practical terms they help with healthy bowel movements, contribute to healthy hair and skin, help maintain proper blood sugar levels, provide energy, and the lutein even helps prevent eyesight failure. And here is something of interest to all those trying to lose weight: prunes are an appetite suppressor! Why? Prunes can help slow down the rate at which food leaves the stomach thereby giving the sensation that you are full. This can help in the fight against overeating. dehydrated Grapes - Raisins Raisins contain high levels of natural sugars, up to 72% of their weight. They are high in antioxidants - key factor in fighting cancer and heart disease. Why they can even contribute to healthy teeth and gums, fighting cavities and gum disease. Raisins also help prevent constipation, and as they are rich in iron, help with the fight against anemia. Motivation - Why Should I Bother?If a family has been used to snacking on crisps, candy bars, and the like, it will take a considerable effort and mental shift to get out of unhealthy eating habits. However, thinking of the end result can be a powerful motivation. dehydrated fruit has a high nutritional content and when combined with dehydrated nuts, it can provide a very healthy snack. As with anything, it can take time to make an adjustment. If a person had a habit of putting sugar in tea or coffee and then decides to go without sugar, these beverages will taste unpleasant in the beginning. If the person persists however over the course of a few weeks, the taste senses actually change and become accustomed to beverages without sugar. After a period of time, when that same person is mistakenly given a cup of tea or coffee with sugar, they almost spit it out as a reflex action because it tastes so sweet! So give yourself or your family a little time for the taste senses to adjust to your new healthy eating habits. It will pay rich dividends in an increased level of health, energy, and sense of well-being. Educate yourself on dehydrated fruit nutrition and start improving your diet today! Dehydrating any types of fruit and especially dehydrating bananas can be a very difficult task. Do you really want to have your oven on for 15 hours at a temperature of 130 Degrees Fahrenheit may dry them fine, but they just do not taste very nice? Unfortunately when dehydrating bananas they lose a lot of their flavour and you are often left with a faintly sweet, spongy feeling disc of fruit. But those bananas which have been dehydrated commercially are beautifully crunchy and taste great. However, the way they are produced is not good for those who are extremely conscience about what they eat as they are deep fried. What happens is that the slices of banana are deep fried in coconut oil and then dipped into sugar water to provide that glistening sheen to them. The poor bananas get no chance to redeem themselves and are loaded with a lot of saturated fats and sugar.Churros Mexican churros are basically long strips of dough that are deep fried. They are dipped in sugar water and are served with a chocolate dip. So as you can see producing dehydrated bananas takes more than just using high temperatures and lots of patience and surely there is a much healthier way of cooking them that does not involve us using fat. Well hopefully the recipe shown below will produce the ideal dehydrated banana without removing any of the fruit's flavour and nutrients. Firstly cut the bananas into equal sized slices and place them on a mesh sheet. Now soak them in some fresh lemon juice for about 5 minutes (however, any citrus juice will do so if you want use any time of unsweented juice that you like). Finally, the fall off the bone baked chicken, you can use any kind of chicken you like. For this recipe, I use chicken thighs because they have a lot of fat in them and when they are baked, they will get nice and crispy on the outside. To dehydrate them place them in an oven set at 125 Degrees Fahrenheit for 18 hours and take them out of oven as soon as they have become pliable and are not crunchy. Remember the ones that you purchase in stores which are crunchy are dehydrated by deep frying them rather than actually drying them. The best way to store kelp chips is to spread them out on a cookie sheet and put them in a low oven (200 or 250 degrees F) and let them dry out. Once they are crispy they are ready to eat or store in an airtight container. Now that you have dehydrated your own bananas why not try using them in alternative ways for example add them to your banana bread to produce a pleasant zing taste your recipe. Or why don't you just throw them in to your next bowl of porridge or oatmeal in the morning to add a pleasant crunch and some natural sweetness, why not add some honey as well. But as you can see making a sweet alternative healthy snack for yourself is simple and won't taste like bits of bricks. Camping has always been one of the most popular and most fun outdoor activities. It is something that people of all ages enjoy, and you can even take the whole family. Camping could be anything from packing up dozens of bags to spend the entire summer in Alaska, or simply putting up your tent in the backyard and sleeping out for one night. No matter what kind of camping you want to enjoy, there is always one thing that must not be forgotten - food. Camping will definitely not be the same if you forget to bring that most important thing of all. Choosing which foods to bring to your camping trip is much easier now than it was several years ago. Today, there are several dehydrated fruits to choose from. You now have less problems when it comes to packing your food, thinking about whether your food will spoil before you reach your destination, and other things of that nature. You can now eat fresh food from your own refrigerator, instead of eating canned food or other stuff that you are not so familiar with. Instead of packing the food containers in your own house, you can also choose to buy them where you pack your belongings in the moving company truck. Dehydrated fruits also has less odor than regular food. This characteristic will prove helpful when you take out your food containers and set them on the grass. The ants and other picnic pests will have a much harder time tracking down your food because of the less intense odor. Although they do not smell as much as do regular food, dehydrated fruits are not entirely tasteless. There are some people, though, who complain about the lack in flavor of dehydrated fruits. Another good point about dehydrated fruits is that they are more compact and lightweight. This is excellent if you are going on a long hike before you reach your camping grounds. Your shoulders will be eased of the burden of carrying unnecessary weight. In addition, you can put your dehydrated fruits in smaller containers. They might even be small enough to fit in your belt packs. There are many benefits to eating fruits, vegetables and other foods containing fiber. The increased fiber intake can be attributed to the slowing of your blood glucose levels. This, in turn, helps you to feel full. As a result, you are less likely to eat a lot of food. Dehydrated fruits also last much longer than regular food. When you are camping in the woods, there will be no electricity, and putting the leftover foods in the refrigerator is not an option. But with dehydrated fruits, all you have to do is put them in airtight containers and they will last much longer. Just make sure that moisture does not seep in as this will cause spoilage. Before leaving for your trip, here are a couple of reminders about dehydrated fruits: (1) make sure you put your food in a conveniently shaped container that you can use for different purposes, and (2) try to avail of self-heating packages if you want to have warm fruits. Now you have everything you need to know about dehydrated fruits, and you're all set for your next camping trip. Food Dehydrating is the process of removing water from fruits, vegetables or meats to prevent spoilage by bacteria, mold or yeast as water is the necessary ingredient for their survival. Because it eliminates the water, dehydrating food produces a food product that is light weight, safe and easy to store. Many different methods of dehydration have been employed over the years including air drying, smoking, wind drying or sun drying. While these methods are effective, they are not the most efficient. Cooking Granny believes the most efficient way to dehydrate foods is the electric food dehydrator. Let's explore five compelling reasons for dehydrating with a electric food dehydrator.
1. Dehydrating food is a money saver. One of Cooking Granny's favorite dehydrated foods is Greek yogurt. A 4-6 ounce, name brand yogurt is going to cost approximately sixty cents on sale and one dollar or more if it's not on sale. With a food dehydrator Cooking Granny can easily make a 4 ounce cup of yogurt for thirty-five cents. She simply adds the fruit or sweetener of her choice and she has fresh yogurt tailored to her tastes with no additives or preservatives. She uses plain Greek yogurt for her starter culture so her yogurt is a delicious, creamy texture. If you enjoy jerky imagine the money that can be saved by using a dehydrator and making your own. Another favorite is pet treats. Cooking Granny's dogs enjoy chicken or turkey treats that have been dried in the dehydrator after being cooked. For her boyz, Ollie and Buddy, she also dehydrates sweet potatoes or yams and apple slices and offers them as treats, or she makes dog cookies using rice flour, blueberries and oat flour. 2. Dehydrating food is all about the food freshness factor; a food dehydrator increases the food freshness factor considerably. By dehydrating her own food Cooking Granny is able to control everything that goes on her table and provide good food without any preservatives. With a dehydrator she can purchase fruits and vegetables at their peak, dehydrate, and store for months. In the middle of winter when she needs some bell peppers or corn for a stew, she can take them out of the pantry and drop them in the stew and they will rehydrate just like the fresh vegetable. Nutrients are preserved with dehydration and flavors are intensified. Try dehydrating a basket of strawberries; the smell in your house is incredible and the taste is amazing. 3. Dehydrating food encourages healthy eating habits in children. By serving healthy food and offering healthy food choices at a young age children can form healthy eating habits for life. (P. Kendall, Ph.D. and C. Puck, 9/96, Revised 12/06)¹ Small children can experience the fun of making their own fruit roll-ups with their favorite fruit or learning how to make dried banana chips or raisins in a food dehydrator. Of course, there is Cooking Granny's personal favorite, homemade yogurt, with each child adding their favorite fruit to their yogurt. Plus, think of the fun you can have with your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews or even the neighbor's children as you help them learn a fun and rewarding skill. 4. Dehydrating is great for the abundance of a backyard garden. Cooking Granny can hear some of you out there saying, wait, I don't have a garden. Well not to worry, Cooking Granny is certain that there is a farmers market with extras just waiting to be dehydrated. For those with gardens, the question arises about how to use all of the rewards of our gardening efforts. With a food dehydrator, that question does not even need to come up. There is a long list of fruits and vegetables that can be easily dehydrated. One of Cooking Granny's favorites is tomatoes. They can be dehydrated into tomato leather. It sounds crazy, but it is so tasty and the tomato leather can be blended into a powder for soups, sauces and seasoning. Cooking Granny recommends purchasing a dehydrating recipe book such as "Preserve It Naturally" by Excalibur or "Food Drying with an Attitude" by Mary T. Bell. 5. Lastly, Cooking Granny believes that dehydrated pet treats are a safer treat to feed our pets. She has mentioned dehydrated pet treats previously but now she wants to take the opportunity to further explore the topic. Our pets are such an important part of our lives; what we feed them is as critical to their health and well-being as it is to ours. There are a lot of great recipes available and Cooking Granny recommends that you dehydrate your pet treats even if they are baked first. This will remove the moisture and give a good crunch. Any treats not used in 2 days should be frozen with small batches removed as needed. Treats left out without preservatives will spoil and it is not visibly evident at first. As the old saying goes, better safe than sorry, is so true, especially when it is our pets. In conclusion, if you don't have a food dehydrator there is no time like the present and Cooking Granny believes everyone needs their own dehydrator. Many different sizes and styles are available. One of the great things that Cooking Granny has learned in her food dehydrating activities is that it is a great activity that allows you to learn as you practice. Enjoy your dehydrated vegetables! |
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