Mama Has a Brand New Toy

I am so excited about my newest kitchen toy,a food dehydrator!
I find it amazing that 15 lbs of frozen vegetables can be dehydrated
into filling a gallon size ziploc bag.I have dehydrated 3 bunches of
bananas,which fills the gallon size bag.

I don't have these items stored for long term storage yet.I want to
have quite a few items to long term store before I open my oxy absorbers.
I bought my oxy absorbers 3 years ago and the pills are still pink!

If you are able to buy a food dehydrator,I would recommend getting
one.The amount of food you can store,for long term storage,would
be worth the money.I would buy one now before the canning season
gets into full swing.

Ohh I love those. I havent had one in years! I so miss all my kitchen accessories.

I was telling my roommate recently we should get one of these. I just might go and price a few this weekend.
I love kitchen gadgets!

Congrats Mama, enjoy your new toy

reply to post by mblahnikluver


I would buy one NOW.I bought an excaliber dehydrator
and it cost me $150.00 with free shipping.When the growing
and canning season gets into full swing,I imagine the prices
will go up.
I bought frozen vegetables because you don't have to blanch
them first.You just lay them on the tray and put them in.
The bananas you have to spray with lemon juice before dehydrating.

reply to post by mamabeth


I know you love to make good food mama...
and this is not really part of your thread..bit off topic...
Pick a few morel mushrooms, and some of your favorite peppers/onions & a smal bit of garlic 3-4 cloves.. I use extremely mild jalepenos...
after dried, grind or food process them, get a shaker can.."I use a parmesian cheese can from a local pizza joint"

Fill it up, you can imagine the eyes of unsuspecting peeps on camp outs..."omg best eggs and meat I ever had"

But yeah your new toy is great fun....and can do lots more than it says on the instructions!

Also great for fire making "tender"

As for my most cherrished recipe....thin sliced salmon on a bed of sea salt...salmon jerky is better than sex!

reply to post by mamabeth


S & F MamaB.

Good for you! Besides it's survival prep use, with the costs of food going up like crazy it's a great way to lock in the cost against future price hikes and save money.

I predict MamaB is going to go on a dehydrating spree


Edit: that reminds me, I LOVE dehydrated pineapple! Yummmy as hell!

reply to post by mamabeth


I've been seriously toying with the idea of getting one of these too...along with a hand pumped water distiller as well.

Thing is, the prices for these things in the UK are a rip off. It's cheaper and you have more choice in the US, but here our options are limited.

I don't want to end up with cheap Chinese rubbish that'll break in a couple of weeks, but i don't want to be paying for it forever either!

Any suggestions for a good, well priced model to go for it the UK?

Store as much dried food as possible, before food prices go out of control.

Cheers.

reply to post by mamabeth


I have 2 of them and they are very useful.
I dehydrate some veggies and toss in a handful of rice for easy soup while in the bush.
Just ad water.
If you want to try something tasty dehydrate red,green,orange and red peppers.....its waaaaay better then any candy you buy and is good for you.
Its good for doing homemade jerky as well but be careful,if you don't do it properly you could get sick.

reply to post by mamabeth


Thanks for the post.

I have been toying with this idea for years. With the price of food about to sky rocket this is a good investment even if you do not garden. Buy veggies (or beg them) while they are in season and store for use all year.

reply to post by DrumsRfun


Thanks for that info about the jerky.
I am concentrating on fruits and vegetables.
I can pressure can meats.

I am adding this video for you all to watch.
This lady gives you a lot of information and
advice on using a dehydrator.

www.youtube.com...

reply to post by mamabeth


I just checked out the web site and they are selling for about $120 and up.

For two people with a garden and sheep and goats for meat, what would you recommend?

The starter unit (4 tray) for $120 (without timer) or the medium (9 tray) for $250 (without timer $220)

reply to post by mamabeth


Hey there mamabeth, congrats on your new toy!! Aren't they great? I've had one for years and have tried out all kinds of things. My fav is fresh strawberries..... just like candy when they are done!! Also, you can toss 'em in some oatmeal or over corn flakes....... omg.... is it strawberry season yet?? LOL

I'm with you on the meats though. Gotta pressure can those, imho, just for safety sake. Would love to make some jerky though, just to give it a go.

Anyhow, congrats again from one home preserver to another.... its amazing just how many things one can "put up" long term with a pressure canner, a dehydrator and a vacuum sealer!!

reply to post by crimvelvet


The one I bought is the economy 5 tray dehydrator.
This is what size you will need for a small family.
I would have liked to have gotten a bigger one,but,
money is tight.

reply to post by spikey


Why limit yourself to what you may find in the UK? When I know what I want I haunt eBay for good used or bought & sat in closet deals. I do comparisons to find the price range. For a popular seller (lots of listings) go under Advanced Search and check out Closed Listings (Auctions?), it will show how recent auctions closed, if the item sold and for how much. I set my spending limit to moderate/low price range because I know there will be the same item listed in 2-4 weeks for a good price. Either I 'win' one now or later, but I stick to being thrifty. I save a bundle shopping on eBay.

The site Craigslist is a buy/sell that is mighty handy but I don't know if there is a UK version.

eBay has a Craigslist wanna-be site called Kijiji. Both sites allow sellers to post/sell for free, with few exceptions (renting/buying housing & employment ads). Both sites strive to be very localized.

reply to post by mamabeth


If you are not aware of them, there is a catalog/ on line website I recommend. I bought a lot of plants from them at my last house in New England and plan to do the same here in NC.

It is worth looking at the site just for the ideas, the care guides and planting zones.. I was unaware that a lot of these plants were even available or could be grown in my area.

This is just a sample:

Agave (Agave americana) "....Agave nectar are sold in food stores. It is a natural sweetener..."

Edible Bamboo

Saffron Crocus - Crocus sativus - valuable spice and color agent.

Franeaux Hardy Rosemary survived 0 degrees F with some winter injury - protected area (Virgina)

Horseradish

Sweet Bay Laurel - Laural nobilis - traditional bay leaf

Tea Camelia - Camelia Sinensis - "The profuse flowering dense round evergreen camelia (sinensis) whose leaves are used for green and black tea. "

Thai Ginger - Alpinia galanga -".. a popular spice in Asia and is used in many Thai dishes. This ginger is easy to grow..."

Cascade Hops - "..a quarter pounds of hops are used for a 31-gallon barrel of beer..."


Edible landscaping: www.ediblelandscaping.com...

reply to post by MyMindIsMyOwn

I'm with you on the meats though. Gotta pressure can those, imho, just for safety sake. Would love to make some jerky though, just to give it a go.

For jerky you might consider rabbit, goat or perhaps deer meat. All have very little to no fat. It is the fat that goes rancid so lean cuts are a must.

reply to post by crimvelvet


Thanks Crimvelvet.... I'm always looking for good sources of plants/seeds that are not GMO. There's a great seed catalog out as well from CT, ComstockFerre Seeds that is all heirloom/non GMO as well. Have had great success with their seeds in the past and since they are heirloom/non-GMO, you can save the seeds to replant next season.

ComstockFerre Seeds

Sorry to go off topic.

reply to post by crimvelvet


Great ideas there. Never thought of rabbit before... I bet that would go nicely into jerky....and well I love venison. It just kinda scares me a little...need to get over that. Took me a long time to try pressure canning simply because I bought into the horror stories of blowing up the canner and hosing down the kitchen with the contents, that is until I ran into a stellar deal on local raised pork and didn't have any more room in the freezer! It was so simple I just about kicked myself for not trying it sooner!

reply to post by mamabeth
Mamabeth, as a useful and handy accessory to your dehydrator I recommend getting a seal-a-meal so you can vacuum pack all your goodies; I have both and use them a lot. Most Wal-marts carry a selection of units and supplies for them.

Since it is generally cheaper to buy most things in bulk, I measure out the portion size I normally use and then pack them for storage; it also helps to reduce freezer burn on frozen meats and veggies.

Have fun!

seeker

reply to post by MyMindIsMyOwn

...There's a great seed catalog out as well from CT, ComstockFerre Seeds that is all heirloom/non GMO as well. Have had great success with their seeds in the past...

Thank you

I wish more people would realize food; raising and preserving it; is going to be VERY important within a couple of years.

I have been shopping at a farmers market where I am most Sundays and have just raised sheep and goats since I moved south from New England. It is tough to do both a garden and raise animals with just me. (Hubby is not really interested)

Given what is around the corner in 2012 when the Food “Safety” Modernization Act hits farmers and farmers markets, gardens and meat animals like sheep, goats and chickens are going to be a must if you want to eat well. That is why your Food Dehydrator is now so important.

I post the background on the Ag Cartel take over of the food supply HERE (Actually it outlines the politics behind the next decades SHTF - FOOD is at the bottom.)

Farm References
FOOD SAFETY:
John Munsell's Comment in this article is the best description of the food safety problem I have seen: www.marlerblog.com...

Why the Tester amendment is scam: www.activistpost.com...

Why Home Gardens maybe at risk too: www.examiner.com...

Fairly good general analysis. (The points covered by the above two articles he got wrong) www.forbes.com...


Background and History
www.opednews.com...
1996rFeedom to farm Act: archive.corporatewatch.org...

www.smirkingchimp.com...
www.smirkingchimp.com...
www.smirkingchimp.com...