No average person can afford a freeze dryer. Homesteader you tubers get them free. The rest of us are sol, I wish they would all quit doing shows on them.
@@cluckieschickens I think (hope) freeze dryers follow the same pattern of early camcorder, video cassette recorders, and DVD players. They started out overly expensive and only people with large disposable incomes could afford them. The early adopters funded the industry until the technology was affordable for most people. We're still in the early adoption phase. There was only one manufacturer for the home market for years, now there are four or five. Hopefully with competition the quality will go up and the prices will go down. Unfortunately, how much disposable income we have seems to fluctuate every 4 years or so.
Harvest Right has a layaway option and that is how I was able to afford mine. They ship it once you pay it off at your own pace. It took me a year and a half but it was well worth it!
Sarah, in case you never heard of it, another great thing to use onion skins for: if you’re making hard boiled eggs and you don’t want to confuse them in the fridge with your raw, in shell eggs, just put some of the skins in the water when you cook your eggs, and it turns the shells a light “brownish” color, and you won’t confuse them anymore , even if stored side by side.
I'm saving up for my freeze dryer. Hopefully I can get it just in time for harvest this year! I'll definitely be using your link. 💜 Loved the "to die for" shirt, Sarah!
Sarah, your funnel idea is fantastic! Adapt, improvise and overcome! As Clint Eastwood would say. 😉 There is nothing weird with ingenuity!🤩😍 LOVE your little jar vacuum sealer!!!
Kevin, you have the cream of the crop when you got Sarah !! You two work so well together! Thanks for sharing this video and getting folks interested in freeze drying and dehydrating foods for preservation. Stay safe up there and keep up the great job. Fred.
Onions are great in a FD. Some I chop, others I dice. They are great for when you don't have any in a pinch. I love my Freeze Dryer. Great for saving leftovers too. Mostly since I am single, and you know how hard it is to cook for one. LOL.
Indeed, cooking for 1 can b a challenge. I tend to cook as I did with all my kids & extended family at home. But I've had to freeze the extra. Problem is freezer burn can happen
@@rebeccaplumlee9601 But having a freeze dryer, you don't get freezer burn. The neat thing about left overs, if you use boiling water, then it is usually rehydrated just in time for you to eat before it gets cold.
Thank you for doing these videos. I just have to say, as someone who has watched many videos, I've never seen or gotten the impression that you guys are wasteful. I've seen you guys repurpose many things to save money. Making your own onion powder is amazing! No additives. You guys make great content that is knowledgeable and very useful.
I put all my trimmings in my compost so even though I am not reusing them for other cooking I feel if I am turning them back into dirt that I am using on my gardens, I don't think it is wasting it at all. I am sure if Sara was not keeping the scraps she would be giving them to the pigs or chickens, again not a waste.
So happy to see you doing cooking and preserving videos in your new kitchen! I love buying the big packages of mushrooms and making mushroom powder with them. I use it as a seasoning in lots of things. Great umami boost.
1 year at the Harvesters Food drop I received 10# mushrooms. I hand chopped & dried in my oven. Then my friends who thought it was too much work, gave me there Harvester shares! After dried, I broke pieces very small & put some in a used creamer shaker. Great to add to soups, stews & sauces. Good on pizzas. I froze most. Lasted a couple years. I bet freeze dried would b superior
Great video, thank you! I haven’t done onions in my FD yet, but I can’t wait to. By the way, your new kitchen is simply stunning, I bet it’s a dream to cook in it! Well done
I can almost smell the freshly freeze dried onions from here 😂 Homemade onion powder sounds great. I like to use powder when I want the flavor but not necessarily wanting onion on something. Still getting snow here in west central Minnesota. As long as we don't get enough to close the airports I'll be leaving in a few days for 2 whole weeks in sunny southern Arizona!
Great video! We purchased a freeze dryer in July with the intention of preserving food but ended up in the freeze dried candy business. We have not preserved much food yet but I am looking forward to the upcoming garden season.
I'm not ready for a freeze dryer at this time, but I do enjoy dehydrating onions. I caramelize them f9rst in the slow cooker and then dehydrate them. They are so good and very versatile!
My husband has successfully dried garlic for powder using a food dryer, not a freeze dryer. We deem it too expensive to buy. If we were still young with a family at home, we would get lots of use out of one. We just can't justify the cost. We dry alot of fruits and veggies. Thanks Sarah. I do like the chopping gadget.
I do not have a freeze dryer but have never had a problem with my onions freezing in a blob in my freezer. Once I dice them I spread them out on a cookie sheet and let freeze then put into a freezer bag. Also, you can wrap your freezer bags in aluminum foil and the smell doesn’t permeate the freezer. Same goes when you have left over sliced onion in the refrigerator. Just wrap it in aluminum foil.
Question... Everyone talks about using the ends and the tops of their onions to make broth. What concerns me is the dirt that is still located in the root end of the onion. Doesn't it bother you that there may be dirt going into your broth?
Sarah, you are like having a good friend in the kitchen, thank you! I love having freeze dried dices onions! I found a dicing attachment for my kitchen aid through a resale site - wow, it dices LOADS of onions so fast it's crazy. A bit of easy clean up is worth it, too. A couple of tips I have learned ... putting onions in the fridge or 10 min in the freezer before slicing keeps the oils from making eyes weep. Also, put a piece of plastic wrap over your blender before putting on the lid will keep the precious powder from going up into the lid area. 🤗🙏
One of my favorite to freeze dry is rotisserie chicken and canned Rotel for chicken spaghetti. Having my homemade “cream of something” powder mix on hand makes cooking this dish so easy and fast. Mushrooms also are a wonderful thing to freeze dry.
Why would anyone criticize you for wasting food. You and Kevin are very frugal and I have never seen a video where you wasted anything. You ended up with diced onions, onion powder and onion for broth. Seems like a win, win, win situation to me. As for stacking the two funnels that was a clever idea. Being adaptable is a part of farm life. Also I love your new kitchen and I know you love having your freeze drier so handy.
You can also use the outer, yellow skin from the onions to make onion-tea. Ca 50 g/0,10 lb and 1 liter/0.25 gallon of water o let sit until you get a cold infusion. Sift and can stay fresh in the fridge up to 7 days. Spray the infusion on plants that easily get fungal attacks (like the curcubitas), preventively or when you see the pest, 1-2 times a week.
At $3,000 + I guess us poor folk will get by with our dehydrators.. They might not be so "Classy" but they get the job done for me. I've got 3 of them. I have made plenty of powered - Beef, Chicken, onions, garlic, broccoli, asparagus, carrots, etc...I find that the powdered stuff makes flavorful, nourishing soups and takes up a lot less space.
I guess I'm envious, freeze drying appears to be the optimal method to preserve a lot of things (ie. onions) but I can't afford one. I do dehydrate a lot of onions and peppers when I have a surplus or they're starting to get old.
Same here, just me so it wouldn't make sense. I love the no chemicals in my food ideas. Everything powder has anti caking crud in it. I do have 2 air fryer types, I think they both dehydrate. This year, my fruit trees and maybe blackberries are getting a try to see how it works. Might rig up a solar panel setup so zero cost as its absurd how much power is there days.
Thank you for the Saturday video 😁 I really enjoy watching you freeze dry food. I have been a dedicated follower of you for probably about 4 years. In the old homestead you wouldn't do a pantry tour because you said you didn't have a pantry. Can you please, please show us where you store your food? When you showed us the old homestead (when it was all cleaned out) I feel your shelving was a wonderful place to have your pantry why we never got a video 💔 One of the best parts of following homesteaders is seeing their pantry. Love you guys!! God bless
We don’t typically address this question, but I will. We have such a public presence that it puts us in a vulnerable position with the safety of our family and property. If we show almost a million people how much we have and where it is all located…we are that much more at risk. We don’t show our food storage, our freezer(s), our animal feed, etc for the safety of our family and property. Even by addressing this question, it implies that we have food storage and animal feed.
In today's world, it is the wise person who puts their family's safety first. I am sure there are plenty of other homestead pantries to be found on the world wide web. This old lady thinks you made the right choice! No worries. We still love you!
Morning, Sarah. Excellent video and THANKS from my family. 😆 I had to stop using onions in my cooking. The pain!!! So, my family has learned to live without it, but, I do hear them complaining on occasion, that it would be nice to have them in some food. I did go the route of separating my food from theirs and after a couple of years, I had enough of that! I did have onion powder for them to use, and it sat there and went to waste. I might give this a try and see if they like it better. I may every cook some and then have them for their use. Thanks again.
Hi I just followed your channel because Jamerrill Stewart was talking about your channel in her Massive Food Preservation Home Canning 380 Pounds video. I love checking out who my favorites follow themselves.
Please show doing some recipes in the freeze dryer I am really thinking about buying a medium one. Plus i live close to the...... "Harvest Right Factory" in Utah. Thanks Sara Oh.... do you use silicone on the bottom of your trays???
I LOVE YOUR SHIRT!!!!!!! And I love all of your videos ❤ sorry I'm late to watch but w my hubby in a nursing home my time is so divided. But I'm here and I love you guys so very much. Thank you for your videos and what you teach us
FYI......I learned by accidentally trying to get the jar sealer cap off that if you twist it like you're unscrewing a ring or lid it comes off easily...you save it from not popping the canning flat top off. Try it!
I did garlic in my FD with the liner. The liner now smells like garlic it doesnt matter how many times or how its washed. Can you do more freeze dryer videos please maybe with meals?! Thanks.
Try putting in a box of baking soda or fill a tray full of baking soda for 24- 72 hrs with the door closed and then see if that helps absorb the smell and gets rid of it ❤
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise. This video was not only informative but interesting and I’m excited to try freeze drying, God Bless
I was concerned that it would smell up the freeze dryer and the room if I put onions, garlic, etc in. Dehydrating REALLY does. Did you have issues with that?
Awesome! I love our Freeze dryer's , the best investment we did before I retired from the Army in 2011 and purchased 101 acres of land. I freeze dryer even chicken broth, most of our proteins, vegetable's and fruits are off our land. We do help out the local farmers market also. We Can lot's of different things including meat, just to have something different
Love your videos. Sara can you recommend a freeze dryer that is cheaper. I can’t afford one like you have. I just have a 40 x 100 garden but would like to try freeze drying.
When you purchase onions from the store and you want to save the outer skins for broths, etc. You need to wash the skins, to get the "sprays" off, BEFORE you add the skins to your liquid to make broth. You have nice videos!!
I just got my freeze dryer and I’ve heard so many people say you should blanch your veggies before freeze drying them. I’m confused! I don’t know what to do! What do you do,and why?
Thank you Sarah. I have watched all of your freeze-dried videos again along with other channels. I per ordered a freeze dryer and Monday I will finish up my order. I'm excited about the onions the most because I have dehydrated more onions than most who do that. I like the way they come out of the dryer and they powder nicely. Thank you for adding in about the taste and smell of the food taking on another's.
Cool interesting 🤔 it's the first time I seen this thanks for showing this. Some times you don't have to explain your self when some r so negative to you GOD BLESS you Nice lady
I love you darlin and I love my Jesus. I always like your tshirts however,......this one isnt good. Its trite and disrespectful. Dont like hearing Him reduced to a catchy phrase like this one. His death was our freedom. His death was His Fathers love for us through mercy shown. I call them as I see them. Been watching you for years. Love to both you and Kevin.
Put plastic wrap on top of your vitamix to keep dust down,between lid and container. I use the Rachel Ray way of chopping onions. It's faster than using your dicer.
Hi Sarah I was wondering about the flavor of the onions? If a lot of flavor goes out with the water do the onions taste weak or lacking flavor?. I remember your video on scrambled eggs and how good they were reconstituted. What would you say? Thanks guys great to see you! Wow, you youngest is married. Special hello to the girls Grace and Sam! God Bless!!
Great video! When you do grow your onion, keep the tops. I blend mine in my ninja with a small Amount of kosher salt and put in a cookie sheet(s) . Set oven to 170 and bake for half an hour and turn your oven off but leave the inside oven light on. Let sit for 24 hours or til completely dried. Break it up and blend it again. You can add more salt if desired. Makes a ton of onion salt instead of composting!! Love your videos!
Another great way to tell if your food is fully dry, is to use their weight. When the machine says that it's finished, take each tray out, and note it's weight in grams. Put back into the dryer, rearranging the trays bottom to top. Seal back up and add 2 more hours of dry time. When that finishes, weigh each tray again. If it's lost 1 gram or LESS of weight, you know that it's dry. If it lost more than 1 gram, then throw back in for another couple hours. Repeat until you get are no longer getting weight loss. Now you KNOW that your food is completely dry.
Good Grief - people will complain about anything. I use all vegetable scraps in my compost pile. But if you don't cook or compost - throwing them away is fine.
Thank you for your education! I bought a FD and started in Jan. About the 5th batch I have the dreaded vacuum error. Frustrated! Just haven’t had time to call!
how I wish Australia was more inclined to homesteading practices it would mean our supplies would be a lot easier to source and cheaper to buy. I would love to freeze dry goods, unfortunately though there is only one company who does domestic freeze dryers here and they import the harvest right from the US, but at $10,000 for the medium size, it is out of a comfortable price range for most of us.
I've been using onion skins soaked in my gallon plant watering jug for fertilizer, I've noticed some change in house plants. I also use banana, egg shells, carrots
I ordered a medium Pro thru your affiliate link. I hope you receive commission. I saw u freezing your red roasted peppers. Have u done roasted tomatoes? If possible, I'd rather freeze dry then can.
I have been watching you freeze dry since you got your dryer -- I really want to get one but at almost 76 y/o I wonder if it would be worth it - - - I could leave it in my will to my DIL, but I know well she would never use it. Decisions, decisions. Also very jealous of how clean your kitchen is all the time.
Buy it for you. We enjoy making long term storage meals, veggies for soups, and more. Things store longer and take up less space. Maybe grandchildren would like it. I have mine help me garden, pick, slice, prep. Something is bound to stick with them.
I’m in a similar situation. Pushing 73, on a limited budget, live alone in a small mobile home with very little space for large items. Have considered seeing if my 2 daughters would be willing to go in with me on a “community FD” but unfortunately they aren’t interested in preserving other than using their freezers. My son & DIL probably would but they live half way across the country. So I just watch the videos and wish. I do still get some ideas from the recipes.
@@ruthhilsdorf3210 I have worked at putting back months and months worth of food - very fortunate that space isn't a problem IF it is ok to put FD in basement. Plenty of shelving to store the food after FD -- just wondering if the cost would be worth it if by statistics - I probably have about less than 15 years left. You did (perhaps by accident) suggest something that may help --- 2 of my neighbors are also widows - and at least 3 others within the development -- wonder if we could get together and and split to cost of bags, jars produce etc. Wish people were more friendly so I would feel more free to ask what they thought.
Yes, sharing with neighbors is a good alternative if possible. I’m in an rv park so we all have very limited space. I have a small closet for a pantry, apartment size fridge & freezer. All my neighbors are the same or actually are in rvs with even less space. But I do what I can with the space I have.
Love your t-shirts! What a way to share your faith! I and my family are believers! ☺❤ I really want one of these but have to talk my husband into this. This is our first garden year so he doesn't think it is so worth it yet. I would love it for onion powder and garlic powder making as well as freeze drying so many more foods. I think your funnels are genius!
Could you do a video about dehydrating onions and other vegetables and herbs? I am disabled and I can't afford a freeze dryer but I do have a dehydrator. I'm just not sure how to use it and how to store dehydrated foods properly. I am learning so much watching your channel and I'd love more recipes for foods you and Kevin are eating. You two are looking great!
We have owned our freeze dryer for well over a year and have kept it going almost non-stop. We have at least 3ys stock of persevered foods processed now. Meats, veggies, juices, soups, etc. We had every intention of making this give us a return on investment when we purchased it, and boy has it. We chose the medium, the same as the one featured here, but we wish we had ponyed up for the large since we use it continuously. The only rest it gets is during the defrost stage. We have 2 sets of Harvest Right trays and one set that I fabricated from some stainless steel sheet metal that I had in my iron pile. That way, we always have loaded trays of frozen food ready for rotation in the freeze dryer. There is a learning curve, but like anything else worthwhile, it's rewarding to discover the tricks and surprises.
Yes and yes! The smell will stay for a while. Clean it with vinegar. Don’t freeze dry onions or the such with things you don’t want to taste like onions. It’s also not a set it and forget it machine. It’s very picky!
Your idea for using the onion peels in broth is good and I've done that after washing very well but my favorite things to do is to put the root part in potting mix in container and it grow a sort of green onion and then the rest goes into my compost pile. Also when I throw the peels off any veggies into my compost pile I never consider that a waste because it will eventually enrich my garden. The only time I feel like I wasted is if it goes into the trash bin to be hauled to landfill.
Just bought three bags of onions. Can't wait to get them preserved. I cook for a crowd every week and this will help me save time and money making those meals.
Hey Kevin and Sarah, I know you like the freeze dried veggies but, I don't remember very much said about meats. I was wandering if you have ever done a big ole steak about an inch and a half thick. I think that would be an interresting demo of the freeze drier.
Get Flir thermal imaging! A thermal thermometer or moisture meter will miss cold spots in your trays. Flir thermal imaging absolutely can see the cold spots I seconds. It's saved us on storing food we thought was dry by all other forms of testing. You can also use the scale weight method. It just takes more time to do it that way. FLIR it's worth it.
Our freeze dryer has really helped us cut down on our food waste! I put a lot of food up by canning and freezing but if things are nearing their "best by" date and haven't been used yet, that's when they go in the freeze dryer. No more throwing out canned or frozen foods because we couldn't use them up soon enough! It's also a great way to take advantage of sales and lower prices when things are in season. And when we are drowning in eggs we freeze dry them to use over the winter. Yes, they are expensive but they are an investment in self reliance and they really do save you money in the long run - and can even make you money! We bought ours on layaway and even though it took awhile it was definitely worth the wait!
You know you can change your extended dry time and it will continue to dry and stay warm after your cycle is complete? I have mine set for 20 extra hours so I don’t have to worry about it refreezing. I also never have to use the warm trays feature.
Great video. I have a freeze dryer and freeze dry eggs and milk and store them in mason jars also. They both wind up as powder like your onions. Add a little water and they are back to like they were before freeze drying. Powdered milk made this way tastes just like milk. Doesn't have that "off" taste like powdered milk you buy in a store. I'll have to try your onion routine and get the handheld vacuum sealer. I have to haul out my big vacuum sealer and it is a pain.
I have had my Vidalia chopper for many, many years. It is the handiest little kitchen tool! I bought a freeze dryer this winter but have not used it yet! Soon!
Oh man! I need a freeze dryer so bad! I grow food for my family including my kids families and this will be a game changer. Unfortunately the money that was gonna go to that has to go to a new AC unit. Ours went out last fall so it'll be at least another year before the freeze dryer.
Even though I don’t have a freeze dryer I enjoyed the video, I didn’t know to save onion peels for broth ,thank you for sharing the information , wishing y’all a great day from Kentucky
I wish freeze dryers were more affordable.
They do have a wonderful layaway plan.
No average person can afford a freeze dryer. Homesteader you tubers get them free. The rest of us are sol, I wish they would all quit doing shows on them.
@@cluckieschickens I think (hope) freeze dryers follow the same pattern of early camcorder, video cassette recorders, and DVD players. They started out overly expensive and only people with large disposable incomes could afford them. The early adopters funded the industry until the technology was affordable for most people. We're still in the early adoption phase. There was only one manufacturer for the home market for years, now there are four or five. Hopefully with competition the quality will go up and the prices will go down.
Unfortunately, how much disposable income we have seems to fluctuate every 4 years or so.
Harvest Right has a layaway option and that is how I was able to afford mine. They ship it once you pay it off at your own pace. It took me a year and a half but it was well worth it!
Sarah, in case you never heard of it, another great thing to use onion skins for: if you’re making hard boiled eggs and you don’t want to confuse them in the fridge with your raw, in shell eggs, just put some of the skins in the water when you cook your eggs, and it turns the shells a light “brownish” color, and you won’t confuse them anymore , even if stored side by side.
I'm saving up for my freeze dryer. Hopefully I can get it just in time for harvest this year! I'll definitely be using your link. 💜 Loved the "to die for" shirt, Sarah!
Sarah, your funnel idea is fantastic! Adapt, improvise and overcome! As Clint Eastwood would say. 😉 There is nothing weird with ingenuity!🤩😍 LOVE your little jar vacuum sealer!!!
Kevin, you have the cream of the crop when you got Sarah !! You two work so well together! Thanks for sharing this video and getting folks interested in freeze drying and dehydrating foods for preservation. Stay safe up there and keep up the great job. Fred.
Onions are great in a FD. Some I chop, others I dice. They are great for when you don't have any in a pinch. I love my Freeze Dryer. Great for saving leftovers too. Mostly since I am single, and you know how hard it is to cook for one. LOL.
I have 2 small FD, for singles or couples great size. My favorite snack to make is cheese shreds, sweet potato and carrot bites.
Indeed, cooking for 1 can b a challenge. I tend to cook as I did with all my kids & extended family at home. But I've had to freeze the extra. Problem is freezer burn can happen
@@rebeccaplumlee9601 But having a freeze dryer, you don't get freezer burn. The neat thing about left overs, if you use boiling water, then it is usually rehydrated just in time for you to eat before it gets cold.
Would it be cheaper just to hang them in a cool dry place? Like our parents used to do?
@@Deontjie You have a greater chance of mold. Also, in the Freeze dryer, it takes out all the moisture and leaves in all the flavor.
If you put slices of bread on top of the onions, you will end up with onion breadcrumbs as well as your onions. I do the same with garlic
Wow! Great idea!
Wow! Thank you for this great tip!
What???? That is FANTASTIC!!
What a great idea! I didn’t know such a thing existed as a hand held vacuum pump!
Thank you for doing these videos. I just have to say, as someone who has watched many videos, I've never seen or gotten the impression that you guys are wasteful. I've seen you guys repurpose many things to save money. Making your own onion powder is amazing! No additives. You guys make great content that is knowledgeable and very useful.
I put all my trimmings in my compost so even though I am not reusing them for other cooking I feel if I am turning them back into dirt that I am using on my gardens, I don't think it is wasting it at all. I am sure if Sara was not keeping the scraps she would be giving them to the pigs or chickens, again not a waste.
.
J
I am appalled that people actually criticised Sara. What business is it of theirs?
So happy to see you doing cooking and preserving videos in your new kitchen!
I love buying the big packages of mushrooms and making mushroom powder with them. I use it as a seasoning in lots of things. Great umami boost.
1 year at the Harvesters Food drop I received 10# mushrooms. I hand chopped & dried in my oven. Then my friends who thought it was too much work, gave me there Harvester shares!
After dried, I broke pieces very small & put some in a used creamer shaker. Great to add to soups, stews & sauces. Good on pizzas. I froze most. Lasted a couple years. I bet freeze dried would b superior
Great video, thank you! I haven’t done onions in my FD yet, but I can’t wait to. By the way, your new kitchen is simply stunning, I bet it’s a dream to cook in it! Well done
I can almost smell the freshly freeze dried onions from here 😂 Homemade onion powder sounds great. I like to use powder when I want the flavor but not necessarily wanting onion on something. Still getting snow here in west central Minnesota. As long as we don't get enough to close the airports I'll be leaving in a few days for 2 whole weeks in sunny southern Arizona!
Great video! We purchased a freeze dryer in July with the intention of preserving food but ended up in the freeze dried candy business. We have not preserved much food yet but I am looking forward to the upcoming garden season.
My freeze dryer is being delivered on Tuesday, it took me 6 years to make the decision on such an expensive item and I'm pretty excited about it
Enjoy!
I'm not ready for a freeze dryer at this time, but I do enjoy dehydrating onions. I caramelize them f9rst in the slow cooker and then dehydrate them. They are so good and very versatile!
Thank You for this tip!
How do you caramelize onions in a slow cooker? That sounds like a great idea.
This sounds more realistic- Thanks for help!
I wonder about freeze dried Carmel onions. Might have to give that a try…
Oh! That sounds delicious!
My husband has successfully dried garlic for powder using a food dryer, not a freeze dryer. We deem it too expensive to buy. If we were still young with a family at home, we would get lots of use out of one.
We just can't justify the cost.
We dry alot of fruits and veggies.
Thanks Sarah.
I do like the chopping gadget.
I do not have a freeze dryer but have never had a problem with my onions freezing in a blob in my freezer. Once I dice them I spread them out on a cookie sheet and let freeze then put into a freezer bag. Also, you can wrap your freezer bags in aluminum foil and the smell doesn’t permeate the freezer. Same goes when you have left over sliced onion in the refrigerator. Just wrap it in aluminum foil.
Thank you for sharing your great tip! Blessings Kiddo!🥰🌻🐛💕
Question... Everyone talks about using the ends and the tops of their onions to make broth. What concerns me is the dirt that is still located in the root end of the onion. Doesn't it bother you that there may be dirt going into your broth?
Thank you Sarah for another great kitchen video! So appreciate your shirt messages, very encouraging. Blessings on your day Kiddo!🥰🌻🐛💕
Sarah, you are like having a good friend in the kitchen, thank you! I love having freeze dried dices onions! I found a dicing attachment for my kitchen aid through a resale site - wow, it dices LOADS of onions so fast it's crazy. A bit of easy clean up is worth it, too.
A couple of tips I have learned ... putting onions in the fridge or 10 min in the freezer before slicing keeps the oils from making eyes weep. Also, put a piece of plastic wrap over your blender before putting on the lid will keep the precious powder from going up into the lid area. 🤗🙏
Good ☕️☕️ Morning Kevin & Sarah,it is always nice to see you in the kitchen & teaching about the FD.Have a nice day.🌷💕🌷
When you got your dehydrator, did your electric bill go up noticeably? That was my main reason I wasn't thinking I could afford to use it ???
It costs about $2 a batch for electricity
One of my favorite to freeze dry is rotisserie chicken and canned Rotel for chicken spaghetti. Having my homemade “cream of something” powder mix on hand makes cooking this dish so easy and fast. Mushrooms also are a wonderful thing to freeze dry.
Why would anyone criticize you for wasting food. You and Kevin are very frugal and I have never seen a video where you wasted anything. You ended up with diced onions, onion powder and onion for broth. Seems like a win, win, win situation to me. As for stacking the two funnels that was a clever idea. Being adaptable is a part of farm life. Also I love your new kitchen and I know you love having your freeze drier so handy.
I love my freeze dryer! I use the same manual sealer and attachments too
Thanks. My test batch of bread is in our brand new freeze dryer! Thanks for your encouragement, tips and recipes
You can also use the outer, yellow skin from the onions to make onion-tea. Ca 50 g/0,10 lb and 1 liter/0.25 gallon of water o let sit until you get a cold infusion. Sift and can stay fresh in the fridge up to 7 days. Spray the infusion on plants that easily get fungal attacks (like the curcubitas), preventively or when you see the pest, 1-2 times a week.
Freeze dryers are very expensive and for me can’t justify the cost for something I wouldn’t use very often
At $3,000 + I guess us poor folk will get by with our dehydrators.. They might not be so "Classy" but they get the job done for me. I've got 3 of them. I have made plenty of powered - Beef, Chicken, onions, garlic, broccoli, asparagus, carrots, etc...I find that the powdered stuff makes flavorful, nourishing soups and takes up a lot less space.
It was so nice to be in the kitchen with you again, Sarah. Great staple incredient onions now at your fingertips. Thanks for sharing.
I enjoy Sarah's kitchen videos also
You are so welcome!
What a lovely message on your top. “Jesus thinks I am to die for” Amen. Ken Australia 🇦🇺
Thank you!
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I guess I'm envious, freeze drying appears to be the optimal method to preserve a lot of things (ie. onions) but I can't afford one. I do dehydrate a lot of onions and peppers when I have a surplus or they're starting to get old.
Same here, just me so it wouldn't make sense. I love the no chemicals in my food ideas. Everything powder has anti caking crud in it. I do have 2 air fryer types, I think they both dehydrate. This year, my fruit trees and maybe blackberries are getting a try to see how it works. Might rig up a solar panel setup so zero cost as its absurd how much power is there days.
Thank you for the Saturday video 😁 I really enjoy watching you freeze dry food.
I have been a dedicated follower of you for probably about 4 years. In the old homestead you wouldn't do a pantry tour because you said you didn't have a pantry. Can you please, please show us where you store your food?
When you showed us the old homestead (when it was all cleaned out) I feel your shelving was a wonderful place to have your pantry why we never got a video 💔 One of the best parts of following homesteaders is seeing their pantry. Love you guys!!
God bless
We don’t typically address this question, but I will. We have such a public presence that it puts us in a vulnerable position with the safety of our family and property. If we show almost a million people how much we have and where it is all located…we are that much more at risk. We don’t show our food storage, our freezer(s), our animal feed, etc for the safety of our family and property. Even by addressing this question, it implies that we have food storage and animal feed.
In today's world, it is the wise person who puts their family's safety first. I am sure there are plenty of other homestead pantries to be found on the world wide web. This old lady thinks you made the right choice! No worries. We still love you!
@@LivingTraditionsHomestead AGREE 100% Sarah, I would not do it either ❣
This is one of the main reasons I want a freeze dryer.
Sarah are you rehydrating the onions in water before you cook with them….like the O’Brien potatoes?
Nope. The liquid in my recipe rehydrates them while they cook. You CAN, I just feel it’s unnecessary most of the time.
Morning, Sarah. Excellent video and THANKS from my family. 😆 I had to stop using onions in my cooking. The pain!!! So, my family has learned to live without it, but, I do hear them complaining on occasion, that it would be nice to have them in some food. I did go the route of separating my food from theirs and after a couple of years, I had enough of that! I did have onion powder for them to use, and it sat there and went to waste. I might give this a try and see if they like it better. I may every cook some and then have them for their use. Thanks again.
Just priced out the medium size freeze dryer. Almost 2000 dollars. Toomuch right now.
Hi I just followed your channel because Jamerrill Stewart was talking about your channel in her Massive Food Preservation Home Canning 380 Pounds video. I love checking out who my favorites follow themselves.
Have you ever considered selling your freeze dried goods?
I'd certainly buy some.
My freeze dried onions became sticky… Probably sugar in onions were high??
Please show doing some recipes in the freeze dryer
I am really thinking about buying a medium one. Plus i live close to the......
"Harvest Right Factory" in Utah. Thanks Sara
Oh.... do you use silicone on the bottom of your trays???
I LOVE YOUR SHIRT!!!!!!! And I love all of your videos ❤ sorry I'm late to watch but w my hubby in a nursing home my time is so divided. But I'm here and I love you guys so very much. Thank you for your videos and what you teach us
FYI......I learned by accidentally trying to get the jar sealer cap off that if you twist it like you're unscrewing a ring or lid it comes off easily...you save it from not popping the canning flat top off. Try it!
You have helped me over the years with tips so I'm passing one along for you to share with others...
I purchase the bags of onions/peppers for Walmart in their freezer sections. Already diced and frozen.... just sayin. Also mangos and strawberries.
I did garlic in my FD with the liner. The liner now smells like garlic it doesnt matter how many times or how its washed.
Can you do more freeze dryer videos please maybe with meals?!
Thanks.
Try putting in a box of baking soda or fill a tray full of baking soda for 24- 72 hrs with the door closed and then see if that helps absorb the smell and gets rid of it ❤
@@melaniedennis9540 its the silicone liners that smell, we bought a second set .
Great video,I would have loved to have something like that back in the day but oh well all by my self now. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️❤️💚🥰🤗
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise. This video was not only informative but interesting and I’m excited to try freeze drying, God Bless
You are the BEST instructor! Your videos are so informative! Thank you.
I was concerned that it would smell up the freeze dryer and the room if I put onions, garlic, etc in. Dehydrating REALLY does. Did you have issues with that?
Awesome! I love our Freeze dryer's , the best investment we did before I retired from the Army in 2011 and purchased 101 acres of land. I freeze dryer even chicken broth, most of our proteins, vegetable's and fruits are off our land. We do help out the local farmers market also. We Can lot's of different things including meat, just to have something different
We should all be adding to our pantries and freezers...times are tough. Don't see any improvement upcoming!
I’m waiting for nice weather to dehydrate my onions on my deck. Hopefully Tuesday will be dry and slightly warmer
You dont have to pre cool the FD like I do on my large? Great video! I LOVE fd onions!
Love your videos. Sara can you recommend a freeze dryer that is cheaper. I can’t afford one like you have. I just have a 40 x 100 garden but would like to try freeze drying.
When you purchase onions from the store and you want to save the outer skins for broths, etc. You need to wash the skins, to get the "sprays" off, BEFORE you add the skins to your liquid to make broth.
You have nice videos!!
I just got my freeze dryer and I’ve heard so many people say you should blanch your veggies before freeze drying them. I’m confused! I don’t know what to do! What do you do,and why?
Thank you Sarah. I have watched all of your freeze-dried videos again along with other channels. I per ordered a freeze dryer and Monday I will finish up my order. I'm excited about the onions the most because I have dehydrated more onions than most who do that. I like the way they come out of the dryer and they powder nicely. Thank you for adding in about the taste and smell of the food taking on another's.
Cool interesting 🤔 it's the first time I seen this thanks for showing this. Some times you don't have to explain your self when some r so negative to you GOD BLESS you Nice lady
I love you darlin and I love my Jesus. I always like your tshirts however,......this one isnt good. Its trite and disrespectful. Dont like hearing Him reduced to a catchy phrase like this one. His death was our freedom. His death was His Fathers love for us through mercy shown. I call them as I see them. Been watching you for years. Love to both you and Kevin.
I like electronic Mason jar sealer VP05. Just don't use lids that come with it.
Put plastic wrap on top of your vitamix to keep dust down,between lid and container. I use the Rachel Ray way of chopping onions. It's faster than using your dicer.
LOVE my Vidalia Chop Wizard! It's a game changer.
Hi Sarah I was wondering about the flavor of the onions? If a lot of flavor goes out with the water do the onions taste weak or lacking flavor?. I remember your video on scrambled eggs and how good they were reconstituted. What would you say? Thanks guys great to see you! Wow, you youngest is married. Special hello to the girls Grace and Sam! God Bless!!
Great video! When you do grow your onion, keep the tops. I blend mine in my ninja with a small
Amount of kosher salt and put in a cookie sheet(s) . Set oven to 170 and bake for half an hour and turn your oven off but leave the inside oven light on. Let sit for 24 hours or til completely dried. Break it up and blend it again. You can add more salt if desired. Makes a ton of onion salt instead of composting!! Love your videos!
Funnel on funnel... Not ridiculous at all!!! I do it all the time too!
Another great way to tell if your food is fully dry, is to use their weight. When the machine says that it's finished, take each tray out, and note it's weight in grams. Put back into the dryer, rearranging the trays bottom to top. Seal back up and add 2 more hours of dry time. When that finishes, weigh each tray again. If it's lost 1 gram or LESS of weight, you know that it's dry. If it lost more than 1 gram, then throw back in for another couple hours. Repeat until you get are no longer getting weight loss. Now you KNOW that your food is completely dry.
Good Grief - people will complain about anything. I use all vegetable scraps in my compost pile. But if you don't cook or compost - throwing them away is fine.
3 Major banks have collapsed this week more to come 3/13/23.
Can you sauté previously diced & freeze-dried onions? Does it work well?
Thank for the Video Sarah. Love watching whatever You do, In your Beautiful kitchen or Outdoors with You & Kevin. God Bless..
Nothing but a headache since I've had mine! Owned it about 9 months and it has only been working for about three, what a joke HR is.
Thanks for the video. I'm relatively new to freeze drying so this was helpful. Did you use the normal or fast dry setting?
Thank you for your education! I bought a FD and started in Jan. About the 5th batch I have the dreaded vacuum error. Frustrated! Just haven’t had time to call!
I watch a Christian channel from Baton Rouge Louisiana and a lady in that church looks just like you. You could be identical twins or close family.
how I wish Australia was more inclined to homesteading practices it would mean our supplies would be a lot easier to source and cheaper to buy. I would love to freeze dry goods, unfortunately though there is only one company who does domestic freeze dryers here and they import the harvest right from the US, but at $10,000 for the medium size, it is out of a comfortable price range for most of us.
I've been using onion skins soaked in my gallon plant watering jug for fertilizer, I've noticed some change in house plants. I also use banana, egg shells, carrots
I ordered a medium Pro thru your affiliate link. I hope you receive commission. I saw u freezing your red roasted peppers. Have u done roasted tomatoes? If possible, I'd rather freeze dry then can.
I have been watching you freeze dry since you got your dryer -- I really want to get one but at almost 76 y/o I wonder if it would be worth it - - - I could leave it in my will to my DIL, but I know well she would never use it. Decisions, decisions. Also very jealous of how clean your kitchen is all the time.
Buy it for you. We enjoy making long term storage meals, veggies for soups, and more. Things store longer and take up less space. Maybe grandchildren would like it. I have mine help me garden, pick, slice, prep. Something is bound to stick with them.
I’m in a similar situation. Pushing 73, on a limited budget, live alone in a small mobile home with very little space for large items. Have considered seeing if my 2 daughters would be willing to go in with me on a “community FD” but unfortunately they aren’t interested in preserving other than using their freezers. My son & DIL probably would but they live half way across the country. So I just watch the videos and wish. I do still get some ideas from the recipes.
@@ruthhilsdorf3210 I have worked at putting back months and months worth of food - very fortunate that space isn't a problem IF it is ok to put FD in basement. Plenty of shelving to store the food after FD -- just wondering if the cost would be worth it if by statistics - I probably have about less than 15 years left. You did (perhaps by accident) suggest something that may help --- 2 of my neighbors are also widows - and at least 3 others within the development -- wonder if we could get together and and split to cost of bags, jars produce etc. Wish people were more friendly so I would feel more free to ask what they thought.
Yes, sharing with neighbors is a good alternative if possible. I’m in an rv park so we all have very limited space. I have a small closet for a pantry, apartment size fridge & freezer. All my neighbors are the same or actually are in rvs with even less space. But I do what I can with the space I have.
Love your t-shirts! What a way to share your faith! I and my family are believers! ☺❤ I really want one of these but have to talk my husband into this. This is our first garden year so he doesn't think it is so worth it yet. I would love it for onion powder and garlic powder making as well as freeze drying so many more foods. I think your funnels are genius!
Could you do a video about dehydrating onions and other vegetables and herbs? I am disabled and I can't afford a freeze dryer but I do have a dehydrator. I'm just not sure how to use it and how to store dehydrated foods properly. I am learning so much watching your channel and I'd love more recipes for foods you and Kevin are eating. You two are looking great!
I grow dixondale onions. I have always had great results. Give them a look.
We have owned our freeze dryer for well over a year and have kept it going almost non-stop. We have at least 3ys stock of persevered foods processed now. Meats, veggies, juices, soups, etc. We had every intention of making this give us a return on investment when we purchased it, and boy has it. We chose the medium, the same as the one featured here, but we wish we had ponyed up for the large since we use it continuously. The only rest it gets is during the defrost stage. We have 2 sets of Harvest Right trays and one set that I fabricated from some stainless steel sheet metal that I had in my iron pile. That way, we always have loaded trays of frozen food ready for rotation in the freeze dryer. There is a learning curve, but like anything else worthwhile, it's rewarding to discover the tricks and surprises.
Where did youbget that funnel? I need one so bad!! 😂
Yes and yes! The smell will stay for a while. Clean it with vinegar. Don’t freeze dry onions or the such with things you don’t want to taste like onions. It’s also not a set it and forget it machine. It’s very picky!
Cool. Thanks for sharing. Have you made garlic powder as well
Your idea for using the onion peels in broth is good and I've done that after washing very well but my favorite things to do is to put the root part in potting mix in container and it grow a sort of green onion and then the rest goes into my compost pile. Also when I throw the peels off any veggies into my compost pile I never consider that a waste because it will eventually enrich my garden. The only time I feel like I wasted is if it goes into the trash bin to be hauled to landfill.
Just bought three bags of onions. Can't wait to get them preserved. I cook for a crowd every week and this will help me save time and money making those meals.
Hey Kevin and Sarah, I know you like the freeze dried veggies but, I don't remember very much said about meats. I was wandering if you have ever done a big ole steak about an inch and a half thick. I think that would be an interresting demo of the freeze drier.
I don't know how people could think that you would even think about wasting anything I know you make the most of everything
Get Flir thermal imaging! A thermal thermometer or moisture meter will miss cold spots in your trays. Flir thermal imaging absolutely can see the cold spots I seconds. It's saved us on storing food we thought was dry by all other forms of testing. You can also use the scale weight method. It just takes more time to do it that way. FLIR it's worth it.
I’ve found we only use freeze dried onions for everything now, we do a large batch, which saves a lot of time making dinners every night.
In my experience, store-bought onion powder always draws moisture and gets hard as a rock! Does your homemade onion powder stay loose and powdery?
I did have a lingering odor in my FDer after I did onions (and garlic also). However, I did mashed potatoes after that, and then now more smell.
Our freeze dryer has really helped us cut down on our food waste! I put a lot of food up by canning and freezing but if things are nearing their "best by" date and haven't been used yet, that's when they go in the freeze dryer. No more throwing out canned or frozen foods because we couldn't use them up soon enough! It's also a great way to take advantage of sales and lower prices when things are in season. And when we are drowning in eggs we freeze dry them to use over the winter. Yes, they are expensive but they are an investment in self reliance and they really do save you money in the long run - and can even make you money! We bought ours on layaway and even though it took awhile it was definitely worth the wait!
You know you can change your extended dry time and it will continue to dry and stay warm after your cycle is complete? I have mine set for 20 extra hours so I don’t have to worry about it refreezing. I also never have to use the warm trays feature.
Great video. I have a freeze dryer and freeze dry eggs and milk and store them in mason jars also. They both wind up as powder like your onions. Add a little water and they are back to like they were before freeze drying. Powdered milk made this way tastes just like milk. Doesn't have that "off" taste like powdered milk you buy in a store.
I'll have to try your onion routine and get the handheld vacuum sealer. I have to haul out my big vacuum sealer and it is a pain.
I have had my Vidalia chopper for many, many years. It is the handiest little kitchen tool! I bought a freeze dryer this winter but have not used it yet! Soon!
Oh man! I need a freeze dryer so bad! I grow food for my family including my kids families and this will be a game changer. Unfortunately the money that was gonna go to that has to go to a new AC unit. Ours went out last fall so it'll be at least another year before the freeze dryer.
Even though I don’t have a freeze dryer I enjoyed the video, I didn’t know to save onion peels for broth ,thank you for sharing the information , wishing y’all a great day from Kentucky
You are so welcome