What's in YOUR dehydrator? November 2009

mauimagic said:

I was looking for the December dehydrating thread and look what I found - we forgot to do Novembers!!

I was talking to DD today about how I was using the vegetables that I dehydrated and she thought that she might take some of mine home to use in her kitchen. I was so excited to hear that!! Am going to dehydrate an assortment just for her while she's back for the holidays!! Wish I could have my own dehydrator, but am very blessed to be able to borrow the cracked one from my friend - and it works just fine!! Aometimes blessings aren't perfect - but either am I and I still work!!

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Hey Mauimagic. You probably have easy access to lots of fresh fruit. Have you made any fruit leather (fruit roll-ups)? This is a favorite recipe I use for my granddaughter (who loves mangoes).

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/dry/dryingmangoleather.html

I use a lot of applesauce mixed with other fruits for making fruit roll-ups. I freeze fruit rolls and use them for snacking, or as a base for making a fruit sauce (when mixed with water or fruit juice).

You can also make vegetable leather: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/dry/veg_leathers.html

I make up packets of this mixture for soup.

Lentil Soup

1/2 c. lentils
1/4 c. dried carrots
1/4 c. dried onions
1/4 c. dried celery
2-inch square tomato leather

To make soup: Add 5 cups boiling water and simmer until vegetables are tender - about 40 minutes. Add any flavorings, seasonings, or spices you like.

What to do with fruit and vegetable leathers.
(Source: Mary Bell's Complete Dehydrator Cookbook)

-Break, or cut, tomato leather into pieces to use as chips with dips.

-Include a piece of vegetable leather in a sandwich, the way you would a lettuce leaf.

-Make cutouts by pressing cookie cutters into the leather when it is half-dried or just dry enough to hold its shape. Continue to dry the sheets. When finished, push out the shapes. Eat the cutouts as is or use them to decorate baked goods.

-Fruit and/or vegetable leathers make superb lightweight and nutritious snacks.