Disappearing Carrots: Dehydrator Porn :o)

[jansman]

I see tomatoes mentioned...I dry loads. I grow loads in the tunnel. Slice ‘em, dry ‘em and store in clean jars. Simples.

[jennyjj01]

I see tomatoes mentioned...I dry loads. I grow loads in the tunnel. Slice ‘em, dry ‘em and store in clean jars. Simples.

I've done a few tomatoes, but apart from whacking them in couscous I'm not sure how best to use them.

Since supermarket passata and tomato puree are so cheap, compared to fresh tomatoes, I might not bother too much buying and drying them.

Speaking of cheap, I've visited a few 'farm shops' this week expecting the fresh produce to be cheaper by the sackful. But apart from the pony carrots I've been bitterly disappointed. Heck, the farm shop today had veg from all over the world and the only truly local produce was spuds, and they were as dear as Tesco.

[jansman]

We are now in the ‘hungry gap’, the time our ancestors feared. Now we just import what cannot be grown here at this time of year. I drop dried tomatoes into pasta sauces, curries,etc. I also enjoy growing tomatoes.

[jennyjj01]

We are now in the ‘hungry gap’, the time our ancestors feared. Now we just import what cannot be grown here at this time of year. I drop dried tomatoes into pasta sauces, curries,etc. I also enjoy growing tomatoes.

Fascinating, now I've googled that. So.... It's the nature of 'farm shops' to stack the shelves with imports at this time of year,but as the year progresses into harvesting time, they'll have those sacks and piles of local scoff at knock down prices?
As a supermarket shopper, I'd lost touch with seasonal price variations, that the supermarkets aspire to smooth out.

[jansman]

Sadly, you will find that a lot of produce, even at farm shops, is imported year round. It’s cheaper, and business is about the Bottom Line.

[jennyjj01]

I just fell about laughing when I opened my dehydrator today:-

Celery: Vital ingredient of post apocalypse spag bol..... It's dehydrated water !

A whole and sizeable head of celery went into the dehydrator yesterday : What came out was a scant handful of tiny green spikes. It took me a while to even recognise them.

So I gently vac packed them thinking they would get crushed to dust, but those buggers are tough: Tore loads of holes in the bag and needed double bagging.

Anyhoow, as a test...
I'm currently rehydrating a teaspoonful with a few peas and a few grains of sweetcorn. They seem to have nicely restored, but the celery is still tiny.

[jansman]

It’s reckoned that celery takes more calories to chew than it has.

[Deeps]

I just fell about laughing when I opened my dehydrator today:-

Celery: Vital ingredient of post apocalypse spag bol..... It's dehydrated water !

A whole and sizeable head of celery went into the dehydrator yesterday : What came out was a scant handful of tiny green spikes. It took me a while to even recognise them.

So I gently vac packed them thinking they would get crushed to dust, but those buggers are tough: Tore loads of holes in the bag and needed double bagging.

Anyhoow, as a test...
I'm currently rehydrating a teaspoonful with a few peas and a few grains of sweetcorn. They seem to have nicely restored, but the celery is still tiny.

With sharp stuff I put a layer of kitchen roll between the two bags to add a bit of armour, especially if its stuff I'll be putting in a rucksack but I'd say it would apply to 'not' just sticking it away in a darkened container.

[jennyjj01]

Damn. Damn. Damn.

Remember me saying I was running my dehydrator in the shed, so as to mitigate the smell?
Well, I went to put some peppers in today and there was lots of mouse poo around it and Yuck, in the bottom 'drip tray' of it.

I always check before putting anything in. It was to be expected.

Now I have to decide what gets chucked out.... and what sort of traps to buy....

Still: A handy way to attract free protein in times of meat shortage

[pseudonym]

Could of been worse....... you could of had mouse jerky.