Fruit and vegetable powders are very talked-about amongst people who dry numerous meals. That intrigued me, so dehydrated pear sauce was the very first thing I made utilizing my new blender. I began with a quart of pear sauce that I did not can.
I haven’t got fruit leather-based trays for my dehydrator, so I used waxed paper and unfold it with a spoon. I attempted to maintain the thickness below 1 / 4 inch.
After a few day in my dehydrator, the feel was much like fruit leather-based.
It was pliable, and that is how folks make fruit roll-ups. To powder it, nonetheless, I wanted it drier. It was sticking to the wax paper, so I peeled it off and returned it for an additional day within the dehydrator.
It by no means acquired really crisp, nevertheless it acquired dry sufficient to interrupt into smaller items.
It solely took a couple of seconds within the blender, utilizing the tamper to push the items on high towards the blades.
One quart of pear sauce yielded a few pint dried. It is not like a real powder, it is moister than that and a bit of sticky. Extra like brown sugar however not.
Lastly, I vacuum sealed the jar with my little hand pump to guard it from pantry moths and humidity. (I do not belief ants both!)
I am considering this is able to be a improbable factor for hikers and campers. It could possibly be sealed in small-serving mylar baggage to hold. For myself, I’ll most likely rehydrate some simply to see what it is like, however since I’ve loads of pear sauce canned for serving proper out of the jar, I am going to largely use the powder for baking. It may be added on to baked-good batters with out reconstituting. I foresee myself utilizing it in desserts, muffins, cookies, pancakes, and so on. I like items of dried fruit for our granola and oatmeal, or for baking like my Better Than Fig Newton Bars and Fruit Cake Cookies.
Dehydrating versus canning. Which is best?
I feel the place we fall on this debate is dependent upon our preserving, cooking, and consuming habits. Canning lends itself properly to massive portions of an merchandise and is normally the primary approach I protect the harvest. Drying (and freezing) work properly for small portions that are not sufficient to can. Each dehydrating and canning take time and an influence supply, though I am fairly positive that my dehydrator makes use of much less electrical energy than my range, regardless that it takes longer. When vital, I’ve canned on a wooden cookstove and over a campfire. My dehydrator requires electrical energy, and whereas photo voltaic dehydrators do exist, I learn they do not work properly in humid climates like mine.
Dried meals undoubtedly use fewer jars for a similar recent portions and wish much less space for storing, that are each pluses. Additionally, they are often saved in mylar baggage, making them simpler to move than heavy, cumbersome jars. Then again, dried meals require some planning forward to arrange, whereas canned items are mainly prepared to make use of. Dried meals must be protected against potential pest and moisture injury. Canned items have the potential for a damaged seal and spoilage. When correctly saved, each have an excellent shelf life (see Grandpappy’s “Five Different Shelf Life Studies” for some stunning data).
Irrespective of our habits and preferences, I feel having each canned and dried available will increase meals safety and flexibility. Now, I’ve two types of dried fruits and veggies – items and powder. And which means much more choices.
Okay, you dwelling meals preservers on the market, your flip. Favourite strategies? What are they and why? Any concepts or tricks to share with the remainder of us? Something new you’ve got found? We need to know!
