In my previous articles, I wrote in detail about my backyard garden. Now, as we're passing through the second week of August, most of my plants are flourishing and I've collected a huge bounty of kale, basil, lettuce, onions, beans and zucchini. The beans and zucchini have been cleaned, chopped and stored in the freezer. As for the kale and basil, there's just not enough room in the freezer for the amount I collected.
A great way to store kale, lettuce, basil and other spices is to dehydrate your food. About a year ago, I purchased a microwave / convection oven that can also 'air dry' foods. Although I made this purchase a year ago, I only took the unit out a week ago. After collecting two shopping bags full of green and red kale leaves, I decided to try my hand at dehydrating kale leaves for the first time. I had absolutely no experience doing this so the first couple of tries were trial and error.
Fortunately, from the start, I got it right. I started off with one shopping bag full of red kale leaves, which I had cleaned and chopped into small pieces. I followed the directions per the operator manual, set the temperature to 195 degrees and let run for 1 hour and 15 minutes. When the time ran out, I checked the leaves and felt they were still a bit damp so I tossed the leaves around a bit and let the dehydrator run for another hour. Afterwards, the leaves were nice and dry and I was ready to start the next batch which went off without a hitch.
I was able to squeeze two full shopping bags of red kale leaves into this one container. Now, I have dried kale ready for use that can last up to a year and a half. Dried kale is great in soups, stir fries and even in salads, to add a little crunch. The great thing about dehydrating foods is that most, if not all of the nutrients remain.
My kale continues to grow in my garden so I will likely have a few more of these containers filled with dried kale. This container, by the way, was once full of stuffed olives. Once empty, I just put the container in the dishwasher for a good cleaning and now has been repurposed as my dried kale jar. I'll have a nice winter supply without having to overload kale in my freezer. Freezing can lead to freezer burn so those should be consumed sooner rather than later.
Kale is super easy to grow, pest resistant and is winter hardy, meaning the plants can survive winter to produce a few more leaves the following spring before they begin to flower. I have grown two types this year, 'Blue Curled Scotch' and 'Red Russian' kale. Kale is an excellent source of vitamins A, C and K as well as potassium and calcium which are vital to our health during the long winter months.
I also tried dehydrating basil leaves for the first time. I am so impressed with the results. Now I have a small container full of dried basil leaves that I can use in pasta sauces and minestrone and tomato based soups. Now I have a steady supply of dried basil for the winter.
I didn't stop there though. I noticed my celery plants have really taken off so I clipped some leaves from the tops and they too ended up in the dehydrator for a couple of hours. Now I also have a steady winter supply of celery powder which adds great flavor to soups, stews and stir fries.
I have other spices that are just about ready to be harvested including summer savory, oregano and sage. You may have noticed the price of spices have gone up substantially in your local grocery store. Producing my own spices will save me a few bucks and it's a great feeling knowing where it came from, my very own garden.
I have a lot of bunching onions coming up. I think I'll try producing my own onion powder next. After that, I'll try dehydrating sliced tomatoes. I've heard that dried tomatoes are great in salads and fresh pizza, MMMmmm MMMmmmm!
Jarring, fermenting and freezing are viable ways to store your foods but for leafy greens such as those mentioned above, dehydrating is the way to go. There are many types of dehydrators out there which you can find with a simple internet search. It's a great investment and it'll help you preserve your foods for the long term. The unit I'm using is a Black & Decker microwave oven, model AC028A2CA and can be used as a microwave, convection oven, air frier, grill and 'air dry'. Air dry is the setting to use for dehydrating your foods.
It's fun and easy to use. It's got me so excited that I can't wait to fill up my pantry with all these dried foods and spices. Winters are long here in Canada. I'm at peace knowing I'll have plenty of stored food to get me through the winter months.
Thanks for stopping by. Please 'like' and subscribe. Tips are greatly appreciated and helps support my blog. It never costs you anything. That's what makes PublishOx so great.
Check out some of my other posts...
Update on my backyard ''Victory Garden'.
Getting ready for the coming food shortage.
The food shortage that doesn't have to happen!
Silver has risen 366% since year 2000.
Have we already reached peak gold?
The links below also help support my blog. Thank you in advance!
Earn Bitcoin while surfing with CryptoBrowser!
Join PublishOx earn crypto for reading and writing articles. Tipping is always free!
Earn TFuel at Theta.tv just for watching TV and livestreams.
Videvo Stunning High Def 4K Videos for your video productions - 20% off!
Earn bonus 300 SwagBucks when you earn 300 SwagBucks in the first 30 days.
