Tyranny of the garden: we are overrun with a bounty of deliciousness.
We’ve made fresh salads, soups, sauces, and pizza. The larder is filling: pickles, salsa, jams, chutney, gazpacho, stewed tomatoes. Fresh is best, of course. Freezing and canning is ideal for some provisions but takes effort, time, and space.
It’s too humid here to hang herbs, use drying racks or a solar cooker, but…. we bought a friend’s Excalibur dehydrator. What a workhorse! After washing, slicing, and arranging meaty tomatoes, we dehydrate them for ~24 hours. Voila! Tangy gems for storage in repurposed glass jars.
- Retains, concentrates, and intensifies flavor and most nutrients.
- Summer’s surplus solar-power fires the dehydrator.
- No packaging!
- Great gifts for friends and family.
- Teeny storage footprint.
- Increases fiber, nutrients absorb easier.
- Rehydration is simple.
Easy-peasy and delicious:
- Tomatoes.
- Herbs.
- Mushrooms.
- Sweet and hot peppers.
- Apples.
- Fruit leather.
- And more.
Tips:
- Buy fresh from the farmers’ market.
- Dehydrate outside – away from weather and hungry critters – to avoid indoor AC use and aromas.
- Store final product in airtight containers in cool, dark area.
Planetarily,
Laura & Gil
Our friends Laura & Gil Richardson are, in their own words, “imperfect” but they are much further down this Planetarian path than anyone I know. They are a treasure trove of sustainable living inspiration and we’ve asked them to share one simple swap per week that they’ve made (and the products they love) in hopes it might inspire you to make them, too.
