Yesterday was a rough day, I lost a cousin who had MS and our beagle Jake. We were given 2 turkeys (frozen) and I cooked them both, cooked the carcasses for 2 days. I canned the meat in broth, and canned the leftover broth, dehydrated the bones and put them in the blender for bone meal for our garden. The chickens got the bits that I didn’t can, so every bit was used, nothing was wasted. Many Blessings!
I was just about to look up your tomato dehydrating video! Darn it I only have one tray for my dehydrator that would work for liquidy stuff! Also, I’ve been using my castor oil on just about everything! I put it on the poison ivy that I have on my ankle with the bad knee that puffs up (my ankle socks, rub on it and irritate it )and it didn’t itch this morning! It actually healed the scratching marks overnight!!!! I am amazed! I have tried everything on this section! I got poison ivy last month on both legs up and down, and the part on the left ankle would not go away for some reason. Castor oil is now going to be my best friend for life!!!
Hi Heidi, in Norway a company imports frozen avocados 🥑. I have tried it just once and no more. The taste was awful. I try to use less my freezer. Electricity prices have increased a lot, but also for being more independent (self-sufficient). Thank you for sharing your experience with dehydrated avocados. Have an excellent week ❤😊❤
Last year, when my tomato crop came in, my husband was in a hospital 75 miles from home, so I was there with him. That left our son to take care of the tomato crop, so I had him dehydrate them since he doesn’t know how to can. I’m so glad I did! I don’t like to can tomatoes in the first place. And, I like the dehydrated ones so much, that is how I plan to do it from now on.
I love dehydrated tomatoes and will not be wasting time doing much of the traditional canning of them anymore. It's so easy to mix up what ever you want to make just by adding water and your spices and herbs but I also like adding a bit of olive oil to them for added texture and flavor of traditional sauce. When I make anything with peppers it's the same. But for hot peppers I don't even have to use the dehydrator. I just throw them whole, into a mesh bag every time I pick some and they dry out beautifully. Same concept as if you are sewing them together on a ristra. It's a lazy Gardner ristra lol. When they are dry I just put them all in a jar. Usually winter time is when I realize oh yeah that bag of peppers is still hanging out in the kitchen and I guess I should put them up. Lol. They are so good in and on so many things. I have done it with paprika and sweet peppers too, but only the little ones not big ones like bells or aj Avjarski
Oh I can't hardly wait for next year!!! I'm 7 weeks out from my brain surgery and can't hardly wait for next season's garden!!! (I just couldn't this year) Thanks for all the dehydrating info girl!!! So glad to be back.
Peel and pit your avocado before freezing. To me it tends to change the consistency when being used afterwards. Just my opinion. Thank you for sharing the tomato dehydration method. I will be trying this. ❤️🇨🇦
I have frozen avocado I threw the whole thing in the freezer. It worked great for guacamole and in smoothies. It does have shorter life span because it's fresh.
I love dehydrating tomatoes, it saves in so many ways!! I can dehydrate them in small batches as i get them, so it saves wasted tomatoes that might have gone bad. It saves space like you said I just air locked about 12 large tomatoes into a 24 ounce recycled pickle jar that would have been canned into 6 pint pint jars (48oz total). sooo much Time it saves, 5 minutes to chunk them up into the blender and pour them out onto the silicone sheet, turn on the dyhydrater.. as opposed to getting acid burns up to my elbows and 4,5 or more hours of preparing and processing and watching over the waterbath ... heating up my kitchen...wearing me out.. not to mention all the time thinking preparing and stressing about how to carve out a half a day from my other work to hyper focus on a few pints of tomatoes.. no thanks :) And it saves waste and because you can make exactly how much sauce you need.. my grandson (15) loves pizza so I make up some crust dough in the fridge, so he can mix up a little sauce and press out and bake his own fresh pizza in little more than 30 minutes and experiment with fresh wholesome ingredients anytime he has a hankerin'...
I also love to chunk up a few to dehydrate to throw into my stews and casseroles as well. I like the last of the year mess best for that because i make a nice mix of all stages and types of tomatoes, green, orange, red, and purple I love the flavor of the mix.. a balance of sweet , savory and tart
Now I live where it's humid. Even after sealing jars my dehydrated stuff molded 2 years ago. Never had that problem before. I dry until everything is hard. BTW, I used your detergent recipe to wash my cargo trailer that had turned green, and my pick up. They've never liked so good!
When I have a brick I can't get out of a jar I put hot water in, let stand a while, shake vigorously. Not ideal but I don't have to discard it. It won't loosen all of it, you'll need to do it several times, so keep in fridge between.
Last winter i had a bumper crop of sweet peppers. I dehydrated them and all summer i have been crumbling them up in my salad for occasional intense sweet pepper taste
I freeze avocados also as some have mentioned. I think the flavor is fine but it does change the texture a bit - for me, it is much thicker, but taste is fine, for me
I've been dehydrating lots from my garden, lately. I only started dehydrating last summer, and i really like having an additional way to preserve food.
My daughter is on the keto diet to control her seizures. Avocados are a huge staple for her diet and they freeze very, very well. I like to take the avocado remove the skin and pit place in a plastic bag and coarsely smash it. I then spread it out flat in the bag and freeze it in the bag flat and I'm able to break off pieces to defrost on a whim to feed her smaller portions and not have to open up a whole avocado. It's amazing. For my infant, I puree the avocado and freeze it in silicone ice cube trays to have ready made baby food for her, also avocado cubes for my smoothies. 😍 I was looking forward to seeing how they turned out for you in the dehydrator, bummer the taste is off, everything else about it looks incredible!! I wonder if it took on any flavors from the accompanying drying foods... 🤔I wonder, if you dehydrated the avocado along side citrus, would liven up the flavor 🤔🤔 I'll have to try a tray... Thanks Heidi!!
I make deodorant in a tiny jar with coconutoil, a teaspoon of baking soda, and a few drops of essential oil, (organic, not the chemical stuff), if I am not in the mood for the coconut smell. It works for days! You only have to be careful with clothing. You can get oil stains where you put the deodorant in clothing with the oil, if you use it right before wearing it. I use it before I go to sleep, and don't have a problem with that anymore. Thank you, Heidi! Have a beautiful week! Much love! ❤
Freezing avocados and guacamole here for years. Freeze Drying avocado and guac and powdering it taste was amazing only done it for a yr but still amazing taste.
Heidi, I love learning from your years of experience, trial and error, as well as your many successes. Thank you for sharing g your knowledge and wisdom with us all ❤ 🤍 💙
Heidi, I especially like the idea of dehydrating tomatoes over canning. I shall definitely try that! Thanks so much for all the videos you share & the wisdom you impart on us! We are very fortunate! Shalom!
@@RainCountryHomestead I'd read many places say dehydrated slices wouldn't keep, and its wrong to tell ppl that, as long as its dehydrated completely and vac sealed in jars it DOES keep...Ppl get lied to Heidi, I know YOU don't lie!!!💗
Yes, there are a lot of false rumors going around about dehydrated foods of various kinds not keeping, I am not sure where they are getting this but they should really look further before passing it on
Hi Heidi. I freeze avocados after mashing them up as I use it on toast. I’m going to try dehydrating the mashed avocados after thawing and see how it tastes. I get Florida avocados from a farm in Homestead and they’re delicious.😊. Thank you for all of your wonderful videos.
Thanks Heidi for the details on the avocados!! I’ve heard you can keep them whole in cold water in the fridge & they last a loooong time!! I do love putting little dehydrated zucchini chunks on salads & such! Dehydrated peppers are a staple in quite a few meals around here and yessss barely take up any room! 🙌 Excited to get to tomato season and start dehydrating like crazy! By the way your skin is just extra glowing today! Just lovely! ☺️ Blessings!
@@hoosierpioneer Yes!! I actually keep all my fruit unwashed in sealed mason jars in the fridge and just wash as needed and they last 5x longer so I can buy bigger bulk! I'm out of avocados right now but need to try the water storage!! I heard its amazing!! Blessings!!
@@hoosierpioneer Yes correct. No water and not rinsed! Just raw in sealed jars. I do take the greens off of strawberries but still unwashed. I have organic blueberries in a jar in the fridge right now about a month old and still great! Let me know how it goes!! ☺️
Rain, Avacado frezzes extremely well I have some store bought thats JUST Avacado, and they thaw out amazingly. Nice thing is you can take out just the amount you need, zip the bag back up and stick it back in the Freezer. Side note: They Avacado is deseeded, and cut into small chunks
Thank you Heidi for experimenting with the Avocado. My hopes were high until you got to the taste, bummer. I will try the freezing method as well. That zucchini looked beautiful, I'm on my 2nd round of zucchini and planted butternut squash and pie pumpkins as i plan in dehydrating them. Thank you for all the work you do, to share what you live. Missouri Wrightchk
Hi Heidi!! I just love your Monday this N Thats. Heidi, I have been dehydrating tomatoes too. Love doing these. Thank you for making these video's and encouraging us to do so. I was wondering how the avocado would turn out dehydrating it. Thank you for your experimenting with the avocado.🤣🤣🤣Yup use it after shaving with alcohol.🤣🤣🤣🤣those pits will be burning. I just love the look when you said that, Heidi. Love your sense of humor.
Absolutely Lovin your vids Heidi Reminding me of things I’ve known for decades but let slip by the wayside and reinvigorating my umf to get back on it! Thank you 🤗
This is great! I've gotten so many ideas for new things to try - too late for this year, but definitely can spend the winter watching more in-depth videos about them & deciding which things to try next year.
Thank you Heidi! I still enjoy chunky spaghetti sauce but love the dehydrated to thicken. And, yes, in soups it adds a well-rounded flavor.😋 I'm so happy you're enjoying cucs. I got mine in late but they're getting there! Blessings always! 💜
I know you're trying to make freezer space but we have had success freezing avocado mashed with lemon juice. I would be curious if it were dehydrated mashed with lemon juice if it would retain its flavor better. Might be worth a try. We sure miss getting good avocado cheaply when we lived in South Florida. The big green ones for $0.50 each at a you pick grove. These were so good and very large. Sucks buying ones these days so expensive and not even sure they'll ripen up properly.
I just do not like paying the money for or using any kind of packs myself but for those who do not like vacuum sealing or would prefer to powder their tomatoes, then that is an option
We tried freeze drying cubed avocado pieces this year. I thought it turned out mediocre, but some family members thought the guacamole I made from it was great. I would probably not do it again.
Really good points about the advantages of dehydrating! Azure offers a spray deodorant called Pure and Natural Crystal Mist for $5.09. It works for odor and mine lasts forever as I only use it when I am going to be around other people. I generally don't have an issue with lots of odor but it's nice to have a backup. I agree--we were made to sweat, so I try not to interfere with that bodily process. 😅
have you evertried making condiments (ketchup BBQ sauce) from your dehydrated goods ? particularly fermented condiments? just curious.. I may try a small batch today... also have you ever tried dehydrating roasted tomatoes, peppers etc, for the extra flavor punch?... may try this too today... Zucchinni is coming in nicely, 8 big ones already ! I will freeze a small bag of shreded and dehydrate all i can process this week for dried dices and some Z powder :) Thanks for sharing !! this is an oldie but a goodie :) I will email my questions as well Blessings !!
I accidentally froze a couple of avocados in a part of the fridge where things freeze. They were hard as a rock. I moved them to thaw out in a different area of the fridge for a couple of days and I couldn't tell any difference from unfrozen avocados. I don't know if it would work thawing them out at room temperature.
Forgive me for asking a question on another subject. Watched your video on honey fermented garlic. Do I need to use special fermenting lids or just a regular lid. I didn’t know if letting air in is a problem.
Great this n that! Please let us know how you freeze your avocado when you do it. My friend was told you can do it whole but when she thawed it out, it tasted horrible. Another person made guacamole and put it is freezer bags and it tasted fine.
I did do it right after shooting this video, just stuck it whole in the freezer and it tasted good the next day but the texture once fully thawed was a bit off. However, it would have still been great for guacamole
I did try that once, the thing I did not like about it was how much water it made in the pan. I suppose some people must cook the zucchini first to get the moisture out
I use the zucchini raw hardly any liquid after baking . I use three types of cheese and add one egg to the ricotta cheese. After baking one hour let cool put in refrigerator for a day then cut into portion sizes flash freeze.
I didn't notice the brand of your dehydrator, I have a round one and don't know if there are silicone sheets for it... Its old, so I wouldn't mind buying a new one. I have lots of green tomatoes on the vine, but they're not turning red yet... Your method seems really easy and efficient! 💕
I am trying to dehydrate sliced lemons. They are sticky after 20 hours at 105•f I cut them 3/8 to 1/4”. They still are sticky. What is the best dryer that would be a little larger. I got a 100 dollar one at walmart. Love your channel. God is good all the time
I tried preserving my avocadoes once by a recommended method of jarring them whole in a glass jar fill of cold water. They looked perfect but when I tasted them, they were nasty. They tasted like the outside peeling... Extremely bitter. I may not have done it correctly. I know i washed them first but i can remember if i used purified water(from my Berkey) or just cold tap water... Maybe that was the problem.
I’ve heard that dehydration is difficult in my area bc of such high humidity. North Fla river swamp…are there steps one can take to compensate for humidity?
I'm in South Fla. Really humid here too. I haven't tried it yet but my plan is to do my dehydrating in the drier fall, winter, and early spring months. Since this is when I have to garden anyway it should work out. There are only a few things that I grow in the hottest months, mostly tropical, in winter I can grow everything else. I just purchased my dehydrator, so I'm excited to try it out. Good luck to you!
It can be very humid here but I have little issue with dehydrating with an electric dehydrator but to air dry anything is a waste of time as it never dries
I love learning about dehydrating from you, Heidi! Speaking of your off-flavored end product---- I can't seem to master drying carrots --they always end up tasting like soap. Some people blanche, some don't. I don't, because blanching adds so much extra work, and I guess I'd rather buy them from Mother Earth than adding such an involved extra step such as blanching. Any ideas on successfully dehydrating carrots? Thank you 🙂
@@CraftTeaLady Thank you! I do love color, but I love flavor more! I still can't figure out why my dehydrated carrots slightly taste like soap. (no reason for soap taste, there's no soap anywhere around) Maybe it's just me.....like some people think cilantro tastes like $%&*....maybe dehydrated carrots have the cilantro effect for me..... 🙂
@@CraftTeaLady One reason I do not blanch is not about the extra work, it is about the final product. I have not been happy with the few things I have tried such as snow peas or rhubarb. So much better just dehydrating or freezing in their fresh form and I have seen little difference in color
@@westwind161 have you ever had issue with the flavor of carrots in the past? I know cilantro is that way for many people it either tastes like cilantro or it tastes like soap.
Hey, Heidi! Thanks for all your videos. Question....when you make zucchini powder, do you blend the zucchini first like you do the tomatoes? Or do you dry the pieces and then powder? TIA!
I just wanted to let you know that I tried some neem oil spray but it did not kill the squash bugs I have. I got a spray and maybe that was it, it came ready to use. Can you just buy the oil?
Do you think you can dehydrate food in the back of your van in the summer or is it too hot? Just trying to come up with idea's for if the grid goes down. I was thinking that would help with the bugs.
Yes, that is one of the ways I covered in my Various Ways to Dehydrate video where I talk about many off grid ways including what we do: ua-cam.com/video/1SIYUAHAGPc/v-deo.html
I've found freezing Avacado's whole does not work. They defrost into total mush. If I peel chunk them up and freeze them that works for me. However, I mostly use these frozen in smoothies.
I did try it and while it was softer, it was not that bad. I had assumed the freezing would make them soft anyway meaning they would be good for guacamole or making a salad dressing from
It is a set of silicone covers of various sizes, they can be used as bowl or cup covers as well, in fact that is what they are actually made for but work perfect for putting over the end of a cut zucchini. The link tot he store is in the description box that offers a discounts. The store is called Coco Stripes
My blender or my coffee grinder that is dedicated only to food items. It all depends on the amount I am doing. Large amounts are best in the blender, small amounts in the grinder
@@jdbfortney As mentioned in the video, it will all depend on what you are making. I do not measure ratios, I simply add water to it as needed. Start with a small amount first so you can add one or the other until you get the consistency you desire.
The problem with that is to get a free product, you have to do a review on it, I am not willing to even do that because I have made a decision I am not going to promote a freeze dryer as there are plenty enough people doing that. My goal is to help people find less expensive ways to put up food and people have been drying foods for thousands of years without even an electric dehydrator let alone a freeze dryer
MY DEHYDRATED TOMATOES TURNED BLACK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRAY. I DEHYDRATED ON 115. WHY ARE THEY BLACK? THE TOP TRAY IN MY NESSCO IS PERFECT. IN FACT I ATE THAT LIKE CANDY. THE OTHER TRAYS TURNED BLACK. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO POST A PHOTO ON UA-cam COMMENTS.😢
I had this happen to me with a couple of batches this year. I thought I had burned them at first but they were not burnt, they tasted fine, just black. I believe it happens when the trays do not dry fast enough. case in point, the one on top was fine as it would naturally dry the fastest. For me it was because was starting them too late in the day then having to turn them off at night to keep from draining our solar battery bank. Then I turned them on the next day so this caused them to sit all night without drying. So I started making sure I tackled them as soon as I got up in the morning so they could run a straight cycle without stopping and they were fine. Took 12-14 hours for them to fully dry
Thank you for the comment. I started mine in the afternoon and ran continuously for 32 hours. Are they edible, or do I pitch them? This is the first time mine have turned black. Most of the whole tray is black. It's not to appealing. I did dehydrate them In the sun room which I do most stuff.
@@K4Kale 32 hours is a very long time so I am wondering if yours are burned. Have you tasted them? I saved mine since they tasted fine, seemed to have a more roasted flavor. I do not like making a black sauce out of them but am going to add in small amounts to my non blackened tomato flakes. In fact did that recently when making a batch of ravioli and while they did make the sauce darker, it still tasted good
Yes, 32 hours is long, but they wouldn't dry up. And were black before they dried. How can they burn at 115? I'll just have to decide if I'm going to use them.
@@K4Kale It may or may not be burned but what I am finding with tomatoes is if you run them too long even at a low heat, they will turn black. I believe humidity may be a culprit but I always check mine after 10-12 hours now. If on a Nesco you need to rotate the trays and if they are dry enough to pull off in one pieces and flip, I do that as well. The main thing is they may often not seem dry because they are flexible but taking them out and letting them cool for a few minutes you may find they are far more dry that you realize. If it is very humid in your area, this can contribute to long drying time, I thinkt hat is also part of why I had issues with a couple of my batches because it does get humid here and the hotter it is, the more humid it gets so on those very hot days was when I had my batches turn black in both the Nesco AND in the Cosori but I had no issues at all with any of the others and they were fully dry at 115° in only 14 hours and less
I did freeze one in the skin and tried it the next day. The texture changed but not the flavor. I wonder though if the flavor would have changed if left in the freezer longer than a day
🥑🍅🧅🌿🍋 We love guacamole -breakfast lunch and dinner. What I do not like is the rapid OXIDATION. I tried everything to maintain the bright green color and fresh-made flavor beyond a day. Couldn’t do it. I don’t like the flavor or appearance of day-old guacamole. However my wonderful husband purchased a little container, called the 👉🏻Guac-Lock®. It’s a *game-changer* for guacamole lovers. I think he paid $10 for it a few years ago. I can make a small batch of guacamole and keep it bright green and fresh for up to 4 days. I tried other containers, this is the one that works. I had a slight learning curve with it first couple of times, but once I got the hang of it, I’m forever in love. It still blows my mine that I can have fresh guacamole every day. I put it on everything. So healthy. 👉🏻I don’t use overripe avocados. I prefer them to be firm, but not hard. The skin and seed should release with ease. Avocados that are starting to turn dark in spots should be eaten same day because they have already begun to deteriorate. The Guac-Lock® container *capacity* accommodates 4 regular-size avocados, plus traditional ingredients. The clear bowl is Tritan -same material as my Vitamix container. Dimensions: 4.5" x 6" (small). ❄️ Can *guacamole* be frozen. Yes! The texture changes ever so slightly, but the beautiful bright green color and fresh flavor is all there. it could just be the chopped vegetables releasing their water when defrosted. I do vacuum-seal mine. I pack portions in 1/2cup “Souper Cubes,” freeze it, then vacuum pack if I’m not going to use right away.
I don't blame you about turning down a freeze dryer. Dehydrated stuff is always best if our grid goes down
I like to dehydrate the sweet peppers. To me, they taste even sweeter when they are reconstituted.
It's the only way I like strawberries. Much more flavorful after drying
Yesterday was a rough day, I lost a cousin who had MS and our beagle Jake. We were given 2 turkeys (frozen) and I cooked them both, cooked the carcasses for 2 days. I canned the meat in broth, and canned the leftover broth, dehydrated the bones and put them in the blender for bone meal for our garden. The chickens got the bits that I didn’t can, so every bit was used, nothing was wasted. Many Blessings!
I am sorry for your losses but sounds like you also had a good gain as well. Bless you Deb!
I was just about to look up your tomato dehydrating video! Darn it I only have one tray for my dehydrator that would work for liquidy stuff!
Also, I’ve been using my castor oil on just about everything! I put it on the poison ivy that I have on my ankle with the bad knee that puffs up (my ankle socks, rub on it and irritate it )and it didn’t itch this morning! It actually healed the scratching marks overnight!!!! I am amazed! I have tried everything on this section!
I got poison ivy last month on both legs up and down, and the part on the left ankle would not go away for some reason. Castor oil is now going to be my best friend for life!!!
Hi Heidi, in Norway a company imports frozen avocados 🥑. I have tried it just once and no more. The taste was awful. I try to use less my freezer. Electricity prices have increased a lot, but also for being more independent (self-sufficient). Thank you for sharing your experience with dehydrated avocados. Have an excellent week ❤😊❤
Last year, when my tomato crop came in, my husband was in a hospital 75 miles from home, so I was there with him. That left our son to take care of the tomato crop, so I had him dehydrate them since he doesn’t know how to can. I’m so glad I did! I don’t like to can tomatoes in the first place. And, I like the dehydrated ones so much, that is how I plan to do it from now on.
Ty for that avocado experiment.
I love dehydrated tomatoes and will not be wasting time doing much of the traditional canning of them anymore. It's so easy to mix up what ever you want to make just by adding water and your spices and herbs but I also like adding a bit of olive oil to them for added texture and flavor of traditional sauce. When I make anything with peppers it's the same. But for hot peppers I don't even have to use the dehydrator. I just throw them whole, into a mesh bag every time I pick some and they dry out beautifully. Same concept as if you are sewing them together on a ristra. It's a lazy Gardner ristra lol. When they are dry I just put them all in a jar. Usually winter time is when I realize oh yeah that bag of peppers is still hanging out in the kitchen and I guess I should put them up. Lol. They are so good in and on so many things. I have done it with paprika and sweet peppers too, but only the little ones not big ones like bells or aj Avjarski
I have used that method for my hot peppers in the late fall once we start fires but this time of year it is far too humid and they would never dry
Excellent tips! Another display of God’s goodness! Thank you, Heidi❤
Good This~N~That video, thanks for sharing , God bless !
Oh I can't hardly wait for next year!!!
I'm 7 weeks out from my brain surgery and can't hardly wait for next season's garden!!! (I just couldn't this year)
Thanks for all the dehydrating info girl!!! So glad to be back.
Peel and pit your avocado before freezing. To me it tends to change the consistency when being used afterwards. Just my opinion.
Thank you for sharing the tomato dehydration method. I will be trying this. ❤️🇨🇦
Love the idea of dehydrating tomatoes & zucchini to save space! Thank you for sharing so many great ideas. God bless.
You give me so many good ideas. I love the way you dehydrate tomatoes. 🙂
Also thank you for sharing your views on freeze dryer I was feeling the same. I like the thoughts of 4 cauliflowers in a quart jar😉
I have frozen avocado I threw the whole thing in the freezer. It worked great for guacamole and in smoothies. It does have shorter life span because it's fresh.
I love dehydrating tomatoes, it saves in so many ways!! I can dehydrate them in small batches as i get them, so it saves wasted tomatoes that might have gone bad. It saves space like you said I just air locked about 12 large tomatoes into a 24 ounce recycled pickle jar that would have been canned into 6 pint pint jars (48oz total). sooo much Time it saves, 5 minutes to chunk them up into the blender and pour them out onto the silicone sheet, turn on the dyhydrater.. as opposed to getting acid burns up to my elbows and 4,5 or more hours of preparing and processing and watching over the waterbath ... heating up my kitchen...wearing me out.. not to mention all the time thinking preparing and stressing about how to carve out a half a day from my other work to hyper focus on a few pints of tomatoes.. no thanks :) And it saves waste and because you can make exactly how much sauce you need.. my grandson (15) loves pizza so I make up some crust dough in the fridge, so he can mix up a little sauce and press out and bake his own fresh pizza in little more than 30 minutes and experiment with fresh wholesome ingredients anytime he has a hankerin'...
I also love to chunk up a few to dehydrate to throw into my stews and casseroles as well. I like the last of the year mess best for that because i make a nice mix of all stages and types of tomatoes, green, orange, red, and purple I love the flavor of the mix.. a balance of sweet , savory and tart
Now I live where it's humid. Even after sealing jars my dehydrated stuff molded 2 years ago. Never had that problem before. I dry until everything is hard.
BTW, I used your detergent recipe to wash my cargo trailer that had turned green, and my pick up. They've never liked so good!
When I have a brick I can't get out of a jar I put hot water in, let stand a while, shake vigorously. Not ideal but I don't have to discard it. It won't loosen all of it, you'll need to do it several times, so keep in fridge between.
Wow! Powerhouse of info today. Thank you very much 🙏🙏🙏
Thanks Heidi 😊 ❤❤
Last winter i had a bumper crop of sweet peppers. I dehydrated them and all summer i have been crumbling them up in my salad for occasional intense sweet pepper taste
Thank you for all the good advice and info. God bless.❤
I freeze avocados also as some have mentioned. I think the flavor is fine but it does change the texture a bit - for me, it is much thicker, but taste is fine, for me
I've been dehydrating lots from my garden, lately. I only started dehydrating last summer, and i really like having an additional way to preserve food.
Hi Heidi! You are such an inspiration thank you for sharing
My daughter is on the keto diet to control her seizures. Avocados are a huge staple for her diet and they freeze very, very well. I like to take the avocado remove the skin and pit place in a plastic bag and coarsely smash it. I then spread it out flat in the bag and freeze it in the bag flat and I'm able to break off pieces to defrost on a whim to feed her smaller portions and not have to open up a whole avocado. It's amazing. For my infant, I puree the avocado and freeze it in silicone ice cube trays to have ready made baby food for her, also avocado cubes for my smoothies. 😍 I was looking forward to seeing how they turned out for you in the dehydrator, bummer the taste is off, everything else about it looks incredible!! I wonder if it took on any flavors from the accompanying drying foods... 🤔I wonder, if you dehydrated the avocado along side citrus, would liven up the flavor 🤔🤔 I'll have to try a tray... Thanks Heidi!!
Thank you for all the great information!
I make deodorant in a tiny jar with coconutoil, a teaspoon of baking soda, and a few drops of essential oil, (organic, not the chemical stuff), if I am not in the mood for the coconut smell. It works for days! You only have to be careful with clothing. You can get oil stains where you put the deodorant in clothing with the oil, if you use it right before wearing it. I use it before I go to sleep, and don't have a problem with that anymore. Thank you, Heidi! Have a beautiful week! Much love! ❤
THANKS for sharing with us!!!!!. Video is very informative. I love your channel......
I have a question????? Do I need to put an oxygen absorber in the jar before sealing it up????? THANKS
If you are vacuum sealing, no, it is not necessary and I never use them.
@@RainCountryHomestead again THANKS for your help. I appreciate it so much.....
I dehydrate sweet peppers and use them in my hamburger soup
Freezing avocados and guacamole here for years.
Freeze Drying avocado and guac and powdering it taste was amazing only done it for a yr but still amazing taste.
Heidi, I love learning from your years of experience, trial and error, as well as your many successes. Thank you for sharing g your knowledge and wisdom with us all ❤ 🤍 💙
I want that recipe for cucumber kimchi. That is my favorite. Love the video.
Ty as always.
Heidi, I especially like the idea of dehydrating tomatoes over canning. I shall definitely try that! Thanks so much for all the videos you share & the wisdom you impart on us! We are very fortunate! Shalom!
Hello Heidi 🥰🥰
I dehydrate and can...I even have dehydrated watermelon from last year that is still very good despite the sugars!
O yes, the sugars would help keep it preserved, my point on high sugars is that they do not dry up crisp enough to powder, not that they do not keep.
@@RainCountryHomestead I'd read many places say dehydrated slices wouldn't keep, and its wrong to tell ppl that, as long as its dehydrated completely and vac sealed in jars it DOES keep...Ppl get lied to Heidi, I know YOU don't lie!!!💗
Yes, there are a lot of false rumors going around about dehydrated foods of various kinds not keeping, I am not sure where they are getting this but they should really look further before passing it on
Hi Heidi. I freeze avocados after mashing them up as I use it on toast. I’m going to try dehydrating the mashed avocados after thawing and see how it tastes. I get Florida avocados from a farm in Homestead and they’re delicious.😊. Thank you for all of your wonderful videos.
Thank you Heidi. Great information. Thank you all you do , I for one greatly appreciate it.
Love your videos! I always learn something ❤
Thanks Heidi for the details on the avocados!! I’ve heard you can keep them whole in cold water in the fridge & they last a loooong time!! I do love putting little dehydrated zucchini chunks on salads & such! Dehydrated peppers are a staple in quite a few meals around here and yessss barely take up any room! 🙌 Excited to get to tomato season and start dehydrating like crazy! By the way your skin is just extra glowing today! Just lovely! ☺️ Blessings!
I'm gonna try this with avocado!
@@hoosierpioneer Yes!! I actually keep all my fruit unwashed in sealed mason jars in the fridge and just wash as needed and they last 5x longer so I can buy bigger bulk! I'm out of avocados right now but need to try the water storage!! I heard its amazing!! Blessings!!
Will the closed mason jar work for vegs too? You don't put water in the jar right?
@@hoosierpioneer Yes correct. No water and not rinsed! Just raw in sealed jars. I do take the greens off of strawberries but still unwashed. I have organic blueberries in a jar in the fridge right now about a month old and still great! Let me know how it goes!! ☺️
By the way I forgot to answer the veggie question. I do have organic mini peppers in a jar for about a month too! 🙌
Rain, Avacado frezzes extremely well I have some store bought thats JUST Avacado, and they thaw out amazingly. Nice thing is you can take out just the amount you need, zip the bag back up and stick it back in the Freezer. Side note: They Avacado is deseeded, and cut into small chunks
I did try freezing one whole and ate it the next day to try it. It seemed good enough for anything one would want it blended
@@RainCountryHomestead on salads or in tacos removing the skin and cutting it up works for our needs.God bless you and yours Thank you for all you do.
Thank you Heidi for experimenting with the Avocado. My hopes were high until you got to the taste, bummer. I will try the freezing method as well. That zucchini looked beautiful, I'm on my 2nd round of zucchini and planted butternut squash and pie pumpkins as i plan in dehydrating them. Thank you for all the work you do, to share what you live. Missouri Wrightchk
We love dehydrating tomatoes too, we use them in egg bakes. Would love to see a video on how you use the zucchini flour. Great videos thank you 😊
I did link to a video on using the zucchini flour in making hamburger buns in the description box :)
Hi Heidi!! I just love your Monday this N Thats. Heidi, I have been dehydrating tomatoes too. Love doing these. Thank you for making these video's and encouraging us to do so. I was wondering how the avocado would turn out dehydrating it. Thank you for your experimenting with the avocado.🤣🤣🤣Yup use it after shaving with alcohol.🤣🤣🤣🤣those pits will be burning. I just love the look when you said that, Heidi. Love your sense of humor.
Absolutely Lovin your vids Heidi
Reminding me of things I’ve known for decades but let slip by the wayside and reinvigorating my umf to get back on it!
Thank you 🤗
This is great! I've gotten so many ideas for new things to try - too late for this year, but definitely can spend the winter watching more in-depth videos about them & deciding which things to try next year.
Thank you Heidi!
I still enjoy chunky spaghetti sauce but love the dehydrated to thicken. And, yes, in soups it adds a well-rounded flavor.😋
I'm so happy you're enjoying cucs. I got mine in late but they're getting there!
Blessings always! 💜
Tomatoes!❤
I have never heard of colloidal silver. I will look it up. Thank you
Here is a video that may help: ua-cam.com/video/SlHU9xjlHXo/v-deo.html
I freeze slices so that I can add to smoothies…
Small pieces
Great advice as always!!!
I'm definitely going to tell my daughter about the coconut oil as a natural deodorant 😮😮😊🤗🙏 Kendra
I know you're trying to make freezer space but we have had success freezing avocado mashed with lemon juice. I would be curious if it were dehydrated mashed with lemon juice if it would retain its flavor better. Might be worth a try. We sure miss getting good avocado cheaply when we lived in South Florida. The big green ones for $0.50 each at a you pick grove. These were so good and very large. Sucks buying ones these days so expensive and not even sure they'll ripen up properly.
i usually add decadent packets to my 'red' powder. if it does clump up, i freeze it for a few days. that helps for some reason
I just do not like paying the money for or using any kind of packs myself but for those who do not like vacuum sealing or would prefer to powder their tomatoes, then that is an option
Thank you for this video content!!! 🎉
We tried freeze drying cubed avocado pieces this year. I thought it turned out mediocre, but some family members thought the guacamole I made from it was great. I would probably not do it again.
My husband Daryl brought in 13 Zucchini 6 pickles yesterday.
Really good points about the advantages of dehydrating!
Azure offers a spray deodorant called Pure and Natural Crystal Mist for $5.09. It works for odor and mine lasts forever as I only use it when I am going to be around other people. I generally don't have an issue with lots of odor but it's nice to have a backup. I agree--we were made to sweat, so I try not to interfere with that bodily process. 😅
Hi there, so the deodorant works for smell? I’m currently using Lume and it works ok…thank you for the time!
Yes! Description on the website says, "eliminates body and foot odor." As far as I can tell it works for me! :)
have you evertried making condiments (ketchup BBQ sauce) from your dehydrated goods ? particularly fermented condiments? just curious.. I may try a small batch today... also have you ever tried dehydrating roasted tomatoes, peppers etc, for the extra flavor punch?... may try this too today... Zucchinni is coming in nicely, 8 big ones already ! I will freeze a small bag of shreded and dehydrate all i can process this week for dried dices and some Z powder :) Thanks for sharing !! this is an oldie but a goodie :) I will email my questions as well Blessings !!
I accidentally froze a couple of avocados in a part of the fridge where things freeze. They were hard as a rock. I moved them to thaw out in a different area of the fridge for a couple of days and I couldn't tell any difference from unfrozen avocados. I don't know if it would work thawing them out at room temperature.
I wonder if dipping/ soaking avocado in lime juice would help it out? I use lime juice as a deodorant 😉
Thank you for the video!
Forgive me for asking a question on another subject. Watched your video on honey fermented garlic. Do I need to use special fermenting lids or just a regular lid. I didn’t know if letting air in is a problem.
No need for pickling tops, I do not even own any and have never used them and I have been fermenting various things for about 25 years
People can always powder the flakes a little at a time
Great this n that! Please let us know how you freeze your avocado when you do it. My friend was told you can do it whole but when she thawed it out, it tasted horrible. Another person made guacamole and put it is freezer bags and it tasted fine.
I did do it right after shooting this video, just stuck it whole in the freezer and it tasted good the next day but the texture once fully thawed was a bit off. However, it would have still been great for guacamole
@@RainCountryHomestead Thanks for the info! I will pass it on to my friend.
I’ve made zucchini lasagna 6 9x12 pans out of my garden so far.
I did try that once, the thing I did not like about it was how much water it made in the pan. I suppose some people must cook the zucchini first to get the moisture out
I use the zucchini raw hardly any liquid after baking . I use three types of cheese and add one egg to the ricotta cheese. After baking one hour let cool put in refrigerator for a day then cut into portion sizes flash freeze.
I didn't notice the brand of your dehydrator, I have a round one and don't know if there are silicone sheets for it... Its old, so I wouldn't mind buying a new one.
I have lots of green tomatoes on the vine, but they're not turning red yet...
Your method seems really easy and efficient! 💕
This is my dehydrator: amzn.to/3OBKnNs
Thanks so much 💕
Hi Heidi 👋🏻
I wonder if putting lemon or lime juice on the avocado first would help protect the flavor.
I think it would help.
I am trying to dehydrate sliced lemons. They are sticky after 20 hours at 105•f
I cut them 3/8 to 1/4”. They still are sticky. What is the best dryer that would be a little larger. I got a 100 dollar one at walmart. Love your channel. God is good all the time
There are many fruits that will remain sticky after being fully dried due tot he sugars in them, even in lemon
I tried preserving my avocadoes once by a recommended method of jarring them whole in a glass jar fill of cold water. They looked perfect but when I tasted them, they were nasty. They tasted like the outside peeling... Extremely bitter. I may not have done it correctly. I know i washed them first but i can remember if i used purified water(from my Berkey) or just cold tap water... Maybe that was the problem.
I’ve heard that dehydration is difficult in my area bc of such high humidity. North Fla river swamp…are there steps one can take to compensate for humidity?
I'm in South Fla. Really humid here too. I haven't tried it yet but my plan is to do my dehydrating in the drier fall, winter, and early spring months. Since this is when I have to garden anyway it should work out. There are only a few things that I grow in the hottest months, mostly tropical, in winter I can grow everything else. I just purchased my dehydrator, so I'm excited to try it out. Good luck to you!
It can be very humid here but I have little issue with dehydrating with an electric dehydrator but to air dry anything is a waste of time as it never dries
I love learning about dehydrating from you, Heidi! Speaking of your off-flavored end product---- I can't seem to master drying carrots --they always end up tasting like soap. Some people blanche, some don't. I don't, because blanching adds so much extra work, and I guess I'd rather buy them from Mother Earth than adding such an involved extra step such as blanching. Any ideas on successfully dehydrating carrots? Thank you 🙂
I have dried them without blanching and they were great in soups. I agree, blanching is extra work that in most cases is highly unnecessary
Blanching is extra work, but the color stays so much more vibrant and true.
@@CraftTeaLady Thank you! I do love color, but I love flavor more! I still can't figure out why my dehydrated carrots slightly taste like soap. (no reason for soap taste, there's no soap anywhere around) Maybe it's just me.....like some people think cilantro tastes like $%&*....maybe dehydrated carrots have the cilantro effect for me..... 🙂
@@CraftTeaLady One reason I do not blanch is not about the extra work, it is about the final product. I have not been happy with the few things I have tried such as snow peas or rhubarb. So much better just dehydrating or freezing in their fresh form and I have seen little difference in color
@@westwind161 have you ever had issue with the flavor of carrots in the past? I know cilantro is that way for many people it either tastes like cilantro or it tastes like soap.
Hey, Heidi! Thanks for all your videos. Question....when you make zucchini powder, do you blend the zucchini first like you do the tomatoes? Or do you dry the pieces and then powder? TIA!
I powder the dried pieces
Hi!
What was on the end of that zucchini!
How do you make Colloidal silver ?
I think I explain it here: ua-cam.com/video/SlHU9xjlHXo/v-deo.html
12:15 do you have any experience with muscadine grape leaves. They grow pretty wild and are free.
They do not grow here but one should be able to use them the same as any other grape leaf
I have used natural deodorant but doesn't work for me.
I might try the coconut oil
I just wanted to let you know that I tried some neem oil spray but it did not kill the squash bugs I have. I got a spray and maybe that was it, it came ready to use. Can you just buy the oil?
Yes, you can buy just the oil like I showed in that video
Do you think you can dehydrate food in the back of your van in the summer or is it too hot? Just trying to come up with idea's for if the grid goes down. I was thinking that would help with the bugs.
Yes, that is one of the ways I covered in my Various Ways to Dehydrate video where I talk about many off grid ways including what we do: ua-cam.com/video/1SIYUAHAGPc/v-deo.html
Ok. I just did another batchnof tomatoes. They ate like fruit roll ups. Not crunchy. Do i need to dehydrate longer?
Are they thick and/or still warm? Higher sugar content in the tomatoes can also cause them to be more like fruit leather than turning crispy
Hi Heidi. Where do you get the brown dehydrating matts pls?
They are linked in the description box as promised :)
Can rhubarb be used as a substitute for lemon juice?
Probably could be added as a powder or juice pressed from the stalks
I've found freezing Avacado's whole does not work. They defrost into total mush. If I peel chunk them up and freeze them that works for me. However, I mostly use these frozen in smoothies.
I did try it and while it was softer, it was not that bad. I had assumed the freezing would make them soft anyway meaning they would be good for guacamole or making a salad dressing from
What was that cover that you had over that big zucchini and where did you get from
It is a set of silicone covers of various sizes, they can be used as bowl or cup covers as well, in fact that is what they are actually made for but work perfect for putting over the end of a cut zucchini. The link tot he store is in the description box that offers a discounts. The store is called Coco Stripes
Heidi, what do you use to powder your dehydrated foods?
My blender or my coffee grinder that is dedicated only to food items. It all depends on the amount I am doing. Large amounts are best in the blender, small amounts in the grinder
Would you mind showing the link to your vid on thyroid?
2018 video: ua-cam.com/video/toj7Sh4vNGY/v-deo.html
2022 video: ua-cam.com/video/JNHM0ug8f6c/v-deo.html
How are Patrick's socks by Darn Tough doing?
Still holding up great as are mine
What's the re-hydrating the tomatoes???
Please clarify your question
@@RainCountryHomestead what is the ratio of water to dyhydrated tomatoes? 1part water to 1 part tomato??? I appreciate the info.
@@jdbfortney As mentioned in the video, it will all depend on what you are making. I do not measure ratios, I simply add water to it as needed. Start with a small amount first so you can add one or the other until you get the consistency you desire.
What kind of tomato 🍅 you grow
Mostly purples and black Brandywines,
Where would I order the vopper to make colloidal copper pl
^ copper
Though we do not sell the silver, Patrick does make the copper rods and we sell those
@@RainCountryHomestead is there a link pls? Thank you@
I did the same with avo, horrible taste. I peel the avo, sprinkle with lemon juice, cut in 4, freezer well. Only good for guacamole. South Africa.
Would have been cool if you accepted the freeze dryer and then later gifted it.
The problem with that is to get a free product, you have to do a review on it, I am not willing to even do that because I have made a decision I am not going to promote a freeze dryer as there are plenty enough people doing that. My goal is to help people find less expensive ways to put up food and people have been drying foods for thousands of years without even an electric dehydrator let alone a freeze dryer
@@RainCountryHomestead oh good point. I only dehydrate for that very reason. Freeze dryers are so expensive.
MY DEHYDRATED TOMATOES TURNED BLACK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRAY. I DEHYDRATED ON 115. WHY ARE THEY BLACK? THE TOP TRAY IN MY NESSCO IS PERFECT. IN FACT I ATE THAT LIKE CANDY. THE OTHER TRAYS TURNED BLACK. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO POST A PHOTO ON UA-cam COMMENTS.😢
I had this happen to me with a couple of batches this year. I thought I had burned them at first but they were not burnt, they tasted fine, just black. I believe it happens when the trays do not dry fast enough. case in point, the one on top was fine as it would naturally dry the fastest. For me it was because was starting them too late in the day then having to turn them off at night to keep from draining our solar battery bank. Then I turned them on the next day so this caused them to sit all night without drying. So I started making sure I tackled them as soon as I got up in the morning so they could run a straight cycle without stopping and they were fine. Took 12-14 hours for them to fully dry
Thank you for the comment.
I started mine in the afternoon and ran continuously for 32 hours.
Are they edible, or do I pitch them?
This is the first time mine have turned black. Most of the whole tray is black. It's not to appealing. I did dehydrate them In the sun room which I do most stuff.
@@K4Kale 32 hours is a very long time so I am wondering if yours are burned. Have you tasted them? I saved mine since they tasted fine, seemed to have a more roasted flavor. I do not like making a black sauce out of them but am going to add in small amounts to my non blackened tomato flakes. In fact did that recently when making a batch of ravioli and while they did make the sauce darker, it still tasted good
Yes, 32 hours is long, but they wouldn't dry up. And were black before they dried. How can they burn at 115? I'll just have to decide if I'm going to use them.
@@K4Kale It may or may not be burned but what I am finding with tomatoes is if you run them too long even at a low heat, they will turn black. I believe humidity may be a culprit but I always check mine after 10-12 hours now. If on a Nesco you need to rotate the trays and if they are dry enough to pull off in one pieces and flip, I do that as well. The main thing is they may often not seem dry because they are flexible but taking them out and letting them cool for a few minutes you may find they are far more dry that you realize. If it is very humid in your area, this can contribute to long drying time, I thinkt hat is also part of why I had issues with a couple of my batches because it does get humid here and the hotter it is, the more humid it gets so on those very hot days was when I had my batches turn black in both the Nesco AND in the Cosori but I had no issues at all with any of the others and they were fully dry at 115° in only 14 hours and less
I dehydrated some cucumbers and they taste awful
I didn't like frozen avocados😢!
I did freeze one in the skin and tried it the next day. The texture changed but not the flavor. I wonder though if the flavor would have changed if left in the freezer longer than a day
🥑🍅🧅🌿🍋 We love guacamole -breakfast lunch and dinner. What I do not like is the rapid OXIDATION. I tried everything to maintain the bright green color and fresh-made flavor beyond a day. Couldn’t do it. I don’t like the flavor or appearance of day-old guacamole.
However my wonderful husband purchased a little container, called the 👉🏻Guac-Lock®. It’s a *game-changer* for guacamole lovers. I think he paid $10 for it a few years ago. I can make a small batch of guacamole and keep it bright green and fresh for up to 4 days. I tried other containers, this is the one that works. I had a slight learning curve with it first couple of times, but once I got the hang of it, I’m forever in love.
It still blows my mine that I can have fresh guacamole every day. I put it on everything. So healthy. 👉🏻I don’t use overripe avocados. I prefer them to be firm, but not hard. The skin and seed should release with ease. Avocados that are starting to turn dark in spots should be eaten same day because they have already begun to deteriorate.
The Guac-Lock® container *capacity* accommodates 4 regular-size avocados, plus traditional ingredients. The clear bowl is Tritan -same material as my Vitamix container. Dimensions: 4.5" x 6" (small).
❄️ Can *guacamole* be frozen. Yes! The texture changes ever so slightly, but the beautiful bright green color and fresh flavor is all there. it could just be the chopped vegetables releasing their water when defrosted. I do vacuum-seal mine. I pack portions in 1/2cup “Souper Cubes,” freeze it, then vacuum pack if I’m not going to use right away.