So this is a pretty simple food storage trick, but I just love it. (It also makes a great late night snack!) Have you ever noticed how expensive those cereals with fruit are? And how the fruit doesn’t even taste good? It’s probably really old…you know sitting in the factory, sitting on the truck, sitting on the shelf at the store…it’s just a lot of sitting. But I really love adding freeze-dried berries to my cereal. Especially raspberries (I actually really love freeze-dried raspberries because they are the same price or cheaper than fresh raspberries) in corn flakes. It’s my ultimate favorite! I fell in love with it when I was little and visiting my brother who lives in Oregon (the land of berries). He took me out to his yard and I got to pick fresh raspberries to put in my corn flakes. It was love at first taste! And the best part is, that now I can have that cereal treat anytime I want!
I guess my question is- why not just buy the fresh berrie/fruit when it’s in season and at it’s best price and dry it yourself? Strawberries are at peak right now and I bought 3 flats (24 boxes) at 79cents a pound on Saturday afternoon. Sliced and loaded first flat into my dehydrator before dinner. Sunday morning, unloaded dehydrator and sliced flat #2 and reloaded dehydrator. Sunday after dinner, I unloaded dehydrator from flat #2 and sliced and reloaded final flat #3 into dehydrator . By this morning, Monday, all 3 flats were dried and stored in vacuum sealed quart Mason jars at a fraction of the freeze dried commercial berries. Have loved your book over the years but for me, the blog posts are starting to feel like commercials for Thrive foods and others. Sorry. Just my opinion.
So why not just save 75-80% and dehydrate your own berries when they are in season and on sale? I was able to dry a whole flat of sliced strawberries in my dehydrator at one time. Put them on the trays at bedtime, by morning they were done! I loved your book when it came out and your website/blog but it seems like more and more, to me, your posts read like commercials. Sorry if that comes off rude. I really do appreciate all the insights your book has given.
Strawberries are at peak right now and I bought 3 flats (24 boxes) at 79cents a pound on Saturday afternoon. Sliced and loaded first flat into my dehydrator before dinner. Sunday morning, unloaded dehydrator and sliced flat #2 and reloaded dehydrator. Sunday after dinner, I unloaded dehydrator from flat #2 and sliced and reloaded final flat #3 into dehydrator . By this morning, Monday, all 3 flats were dried and stored in vacuum sealed quart Mason jars at a fraction of the freeze dried commercial berries.
I love my Foodsaver Vacuum Sealer. I use both the bags (mostly for freezer storage) and the mason jar attachments. Did you know they now have..I think it is 1/2 or 1 gallon mason jars. I put my excess flour (after it has spend time in the refrigerator) and sugar in them.