Slicing & Drying Strawberries!

Since I had such great success drying the pineapple, I thought, "Why not try strawberries too?" Strawberries are cheap in the summer and everyone in my family loves them. I found a pint at my local grocery store for 88 cents! Here I go again...

I have special tools I use for slicing strawberries and I highly recommend them. One tool hulls the leaves out of the top, and the second tool is a strawberry-shaped slicer which makes about 1/8 inch slices (perfect for quicker drying).

One Pint of Strawberries = Approx. 3 Dehydrator Trays or 1/3 Quart
Drying Temperature: 115 degrees
Drying Time: 12 hours

The dried strawberries are not as sweet as the pineapple was and they have taken on an intense tartness that will make you pucker. Maybe this would be a good option for the honey dipping method described in the book I am following. (You can find the book here.)

On to bananas!!

Amazing Sliced & Dried Pineapple

I made a discovery at the grocery store last weekend that was very exciting...99 cent pineapples! So, I bought two. I would have purchased two more, but my husband managed to talk me down.

After a busy week, the 2 pineapples sat, waiting patiently for me on the counter. I finally realized it was unlikely that I would be able to eat them before they went bad, so I busted out the handy-dandy dehydrator to preserve them.

My husband uses this pineapple corkscrew that makes easy work of peeling, coring and slicing the fruit into perfect rings. Just chop off the top leaves and twist the handle into the flesh...presto! After slicing, I broke the pineapple into 1 inch pieces and placed them onto the drying trays in a single layer.

 

I am loosely following the directions in a book called "The Beginner's Guide to Preserving Food at Home" by Janet Chadwick. You can find this book HERE in my urban homestead supply store. The book suggests that you dip the pineapple into honey before drying, but the pineapple is already very sweet, so I skipped that step this time.

2 Pineapples = 4 Dehydrator Trays or 1/2 quart
Drying Temperature: 115 degrees
Drying Time: 24 hours

The photo above shows the yield that four trays will give you—about half of a quart sized bag—less than I expected.

I am so glad I tried this. The dried pineapple is absolutely delicious! I will be drying more because it seems like a great alternative to sweet snacks and would be great in a homemade trail mix.

Next time...Strawberries!

Look Kids! Corn, Beans and Squash!

My husband and I took the kids on a trip to the east coast earlier this summer for a family reunion in Virginia Beach. The highlight for me? Not the sand & surf...but a quick visit to Historical Jamestown where I saw a real life example of a Native American planting method I have read about called the Three Sisters. My husband and kids were "oooh-ing" and "ahhh-ing" the old ships at the dock, and all I could do was scramble to take photos of corn, beans and squash!

Ha! I'm really turning into a garden nerd.

Here is how I understand the Three Sisters Method works...

• Work soil into flat-topped mounds about 12 inches high by 24 inches wide and 3 feet apart.
• Plant 4-6 corn kernels about 4-6 inches apart in a circle on top of the mound.
• When Corn plants are 5-10 inches tall, plant 5-8 pole beans in a circle about 5 inches away from the circle of corn plants.
• 1-2 weeks after planting the pole beans, plant 5-8 squash, gourd, or melon seeds around the outside edge of the mound about 12 inches from the bean plants.
• After all the seeds have sprouted, it is probably a good idea to thin half the seedlings of each kind of plant to avoid crowding.

Its a brilliant system. The corn provides a stalk for the pole beans to climb, and the squash shades the ground which minimizes water evaporation and heat gain, as well as, helping prevent weed growth. The photo above seems to use a smaller mound, so I guess there is room for experimentation. I will be attempting this next summer in the raised garden.

Renee's Garden - Native American Three Sisters Garden

He's a Pepper, She's a Pepper, I'm a Pepper Too! A Garden Update.

So, I thought I would post an update on the garden. I have to admit that the heat has kept me from playing in the dirt too much lately. Today it is 105 degrees! Ugh.

The zucchini harvest was very disappointing. I planted them too close together and the very few fruit they produced were ruined by the overlapping spiny leaves rubbing in the wind. I didn't get to eat a single zucchini out of the garden. I guess I have learned my lesson. I yanked those over sized, water sucking zucchini plants out of the garden today and planted some heat friendly pepper plants.

I planted 3 Jalapeno, 2 Sweet Red Bell Pepper, and 1 Anaheim Chili. My husband has been making homemade salsa lately and I thought this would be a nice way to contribute to the recipe. I have visions of cheese crisps with strips of roasted chilis, chips and salsa with home grown jalapenos, rice stuffed bell peppers with melted cheese. Mmmmmm.

As you can see from the jungle photo above, the tomatoes are absolutely WILD. I have no idea where one plant starts and the others begin. I guess there is something to be said for pruning. Hahaha! But it seems as though this hasn't hindered the harvest.

We have a constant supply of small cherry-like Juliet Tomatoes, Roma and San Marzano. My favorite is the large Champion variety which tastes like it is already salted, but it is also the squirrel's favorite, so I haven't had a chance to eat many of them. I have placed shiny pin wheels in the garden to deter animals. My grandmother suggested it. We will see if it works.

I have 5 strawberry plants out there. We haven't eaten a single strawberry yet because they mysteriously disappear.

The Basil is lovely. Our plant has grown into a great little bush with tender leaves.

And finally, our cucumber that we planted (stupidly) under the tomatoes is stunted and gets no sunlight. We bought transplants from my favorite nursery and stuck them in a sunny part of the garden. They are doing very, very well and I expect to have some cukes in the next couple weeks.