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Farm Kitchen:  What are you drying?  |
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saram
True Blue Farmgirl
521 Posts
Sara
Biggs
CA
USA
521 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 21 2020 : 12:23:00 PM
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| Sara how did the spaghetti squash turn out? |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
7108 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
7108 Posts |
Posted - Jan 21 2020 : 12:43:49 PM
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Sara I haven't gotten to it yet. Maybe next week. One thing about spaghetti squash you have time before it has to be done.
Sara~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
FarmGirl of the Month Sept 2015. & Feb 2019
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
7108 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
7108 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2020 : 08:01:11 AM
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Raining all day today so I brought my dehydrator into my kitchen. Have the two huge spaghetti squash in the oven to dry later today. Don't want to deal with them again for a very long time. They are a chore to cut up and to get the seeds out.
Sara~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
FarmGirl of the Month Sept 2015. & Feb 2019
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4313 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4313 Posts |
Posted - Jan 29 2020 : 03:06:12 AM
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yicks that does not sound like fun to do Sara. Hope it was worth your effort.
Farming in WI
Michele
FGOTM June2019
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
7108 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
7108 Posts |
Posted - Jan 29 2020 : 04:49:55 AM
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Michelle it wasn't any fun but the first batch came out at 2 a.m. this morning and second batch went in. I was up for a glass of ice water and let Annie out. One batch still in fridge. The spaghetti squash was easy to peel off the parchment paper. Required putting new parchment paper on trays. Looks like since it took close to 20 hrs to dry the parchment paper became brittle. Will let you how I like it the first time I re-hydrate and cook some.
The next time if there is ever a next time I will do as Lisa said she did pumpkins and the like. Drop them on concrete. May not be pretty but gets the job done quicker and easier. Added bonus to doing the spaghetti squash my little worm farm got the stringy stuff in the middle without the seeds and found out Annie likes plain spaghetti squash.
Sara~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
FarmGirl of the Month Sept 2015. & Feb 2019
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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saram
True Blue Farmgirl
521 Posts
Sara
Biggs
CA
USA
521 Posts |
Posted - Jan 29 2020 : 07:47:34 AM
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| I love the pumpkin smashing idea! Just last night I was hammering two butcher knives together trying to cut a winter squash in half. I couldn’t even extract the first knife from the squash without risk of injury! |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
7108 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
7108 Posts |
Posted - Jan 29 2020 : 08:16:14 AM
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Sara I know what you mean about doing harm to life and limb. I use a hard rubber headed meat tenderizer to hammer a large butcher knife into the pumpkin/squash. Come to think of it that's not pretty either. Smashing the pumpkin/squash is looking better and better.
Sara~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
FarmGirl of the Month Sept 2015. & Feb 2019
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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StitchinWitch
True Blue Farmgirl
2381 Posts
Judith
Galt
CA
USA
2381 Posts |
Posted - Jan 29 2020 : 12:35:40 PM
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I usually wait until some man happens by and ask them to cut the winter squash but I like Sara's method of hitting the knife with a hammer or such. I have a squash on my counter that has been waiting for a while so I may try it tonight.
Judith
7932
Happiness is Homemade |
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saram
True Blue Farmgirl
521 Posts
Sara
Biggs
CA
USA
521 Posts |
Posted - Feb 21 2020 : 11:03:46 PM
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One tray of sage from the garden (one herb that over winters here) and a tray of homemade noodles.
Next day, six trays of mushrooms which made two quarts dried. |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
7108 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
7108 Posts |
Posted - Feb 22 2020 : 03:56:10 AM
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Sara, drying noodles is something I haven't done - maybe it's because I have never made any. Did it take long?
One of the things I like about drying is how it reduces produce down so you can store more in less space.
Sara~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
FarmGirl of the Month Sept 2015. & Feb 2019
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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saram
True Blue Farmgirl
521 Posts
Sara
Biggs
CA
USA
521 Posts |
Posted - Feb 23 2020 : 12:05:09 PM
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I am not a proficient noodle maker, but I plan to work on mastering them. The batch I made was mostly used fresh for a recipe that day. The rest was left in kinda messy clumps on my pastry board, so they didn’t dry evenly. That’s why I added them to the dehydrator. They only needed about an hour or so.
Next time I make noodles I will do two things differently to speed up the job and make it less frustrating for me: 1) refrigerate the dough at least an hour before rolling. It handled much better when very cold. And 2) take the time to dust cut noodles and hang them separately so they don’t stick together.
Despite the learning curve, I was very happy with the results! |
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danyel
True Blue Farmgirl
350 Posts
Danyel
Robertsdale
PA
USA
350 Posts |
Posted - Feb 24 2020 : 06:46:43 AM
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Sara, I have question about noodle drying, I make an egg noodle- flour-salt- egg- and sometimes I add a broth. Can those be dried for later? Since nothing is cooked how would it keep? What is your recipe?
Blessings
Danyel
Farmgirl sister 4202 |
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saram
True Blue Farmgirl
521 Posts
Sara
Biggs
CA
USA
521 Posts |
Posted - Mar 01 2020 : 12:22:26 AM
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Oh gosh Danyel! I am not a noodle pro! Let’s hope someone steps in to help us out on that one!
I would be hesitant to keep the broth noodles for long. But I know that egg noodles are a common thing, you can buy them at the store. Do you think they do something to preserve them? That’s a really good question!
My recipe was the same as yours: eggs mixed into flour and a little salt. |
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4313 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4313 Posts |
Posted - Mar 01 2020 : 03:41:16 AM
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When i make noodles, with eggs and flour, I dry them on the counter on a towel, and turn them so they do dry out, and if I don't use them I put them in the freezer. They are fragile, but they keep that way. Homemade noodles taste so good.
Farming in WI
Michele
FGOTM June2019
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saram
True Blue Farmgirl
521 Posts
Sara
Biggs
CA
USA
521 Posts |
Posted - Mar 01 2020 : 11:03:02 AM
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I did a little bit of research and found the following at https://www.livestrong.com/
“Iowa State University Extension and Outreach suggests using a food dehydrator if you make pasta with eggs in it. They recommend storing the dried egg pasta in airtight bags in the freezer — but according to Fine Cooking magazine, when the water is removed from egg pasta by drying the pasta, it's unlikely to become contaminated with bacteria.“
“That's because drying food has been the go-to method of preserving food for centuries, Fine Cooking says. In meats, drying methods usually use salt. But when it's so dry that you get that snap, it's dry enough to ward off the bacteria, and thus, safe to store at room temperature”
So the recommendation here is that you dry it very well and you can store it on the shelf in airtight containers for up to six months.
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saram
True Blue Farmgirl
521 Posts
Sara
Biggs
CA
USA
521 Posts |
Posted - Mar 02 2020 : 11:27:41 AM
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One bunch of parsley.
I’m organizing all my kitchen cabinets and when I got to the one holding my various dried veggies I decided to challenge myself to use them, so I’d know whether they were worth my time, and if I’d be happy to have them in the event of a food shortage. So I now have a pot of dried vegetable soup simmering on the stove, made with dried pumpkin, onion, mushrooms, cabbage, and green bean powder. I’d love to inspire all of you to invent a recipe from the dehydrated shelf and share it here too, or to share how you are using dried ingredients. Your ideas usually end up sparking a new favorite thing for my kitchen! |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
7108 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
7108 Posts |
Posted - Mar 02 2020 : 3:04:30 PM
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Sara I haven't been as brave as you to do a whole pot of dried veg soup. I add one or two at a time and see how I like it. I have made veg broth with mostly dried veggies. Let us know how your recipe turns out.
Sara~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
FarmGirl of the Month Sept 2015. & Feb 2019
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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saram
True Blue Farmgirl
521 Posts
Sara
Biggs
CA
USA
521 Posts |
Posted - Mar 03 2020 : 09:16:41 AM
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Here’s the honest truth: it was not good. It was bland and mushy, but I saved the broth which could still be used as a starter for a better idea.
What I did get from it though was that the pumpkin came out exceptionally well! It was actually the one thing I was wondering about, if I should just eliminate it from my cupboard. Instead, I will consider doing more of it in the future. So not really a loss at all. |
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saram
True Blue Farmgirl
521 Posts
Sara
Biggs
CA
USA
521 Posts |
Posted - Mar 07 2020 : 7:59:42 PM
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| 8 or 9 onions, just to have some on hand in case. |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
7108 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
7108 Posts |
Posted - Mar 08 2020 : 04:31:13 AM
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Sara thanks for letting us know how your soup turned out. Now we know to mix fresh and dried veggies for soup. Good to know the pumpkin was okay. Now I can put my dried pumpkin in chili.
Having dried onions on hand is a good idea. They're good in sour cream dip. I dried Vidalia onions one year and ended up eating it like candy - they were that sweet. |
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saram
True Blue Farmgirl
521 Posts
Sara
Biggs
CA
USA
521 Posts |
Posted - Mar 09 2020 : 10:00:19 AM
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Pumpkin in your chili sounds awesome! I still have a couple little sugar pie pumpkins that are starting to get soft, I guess I should cut them up and put them in the dehydrator.
I was mostly impressed with how well the pumpkin retained their texture. The flavor was great too. You are right about mixing fresh and dried veggies. I suppose my soup was edible, but texture is so important in eating food.
I have a pin for making homemade dry onion soup mix which I plan to try soon. That is a staple in my pantry and I’d love to be able to make my own. |
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saram
True Blue Farmgirl
521 Posts
Sara
Biggs
CA
USA
521 Posts |
Posted - Mar 20 2020 : 08:39:10 AM
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| I cut up two small, withery pumpkins to dry. Since I had more empty trays I sliced some Serrano’s that were beginning to yellow. Then, with one more tray to fill, I laid out the duck eggshells from the other day to fill it. I found a pin which claims that dried, ground up eggshells can be used in the garden like diatomaceous earth to kill insects. I’ve already ground about a cup of them. |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
7108 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
7108 Posts |
Posted - Mar 20 2020 : 08:53:17 AM
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Sara thanks for the tip about egg shells in the garden. Love the way you fill every dehydrator tray.
Next week I hope to dry carrots to have on hand for muffins.
Sara~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
FarmGirl of the Month Sept 2015. & Feb 2019
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4313 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4313 Posts |
Posted - Mar 20 2020 : 1:37:09 PM
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Hopefully we are finally going to turn the corner from cold weather to warming up soon. Today was only in the twenties. But i want to get going on drying some older blueberries I have in the freezer. I would prefer to put the dehydrator out on the porch to dry them. But will see. First I have to get them thawed. Happy Drying Everyone.
Farming in WI
Michele
FGOTM June2019
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
7108 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
7108 Posts |
Posted - Mar 20 2020 : 1:45:02 PM
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Michele I know you can use the extra room in your freezer. Dried blueberries will so handy in your pantry.
Sara~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
FarmGirl of the Month Sept 2015. & Feb 2019
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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Farm Kitchen: What are you drying? |
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What are you drying?
