Let's talk about prepping.

[100Acre]

A few years back I had a ‘friend’ house sit for me when I was on one of my 2+month road trips. I was paying him to watch the place for me and I felt like I could trust him as we’d known each other for a long time. He had a penchant for my dehydrated apples though and so while he was there, he went through all of my stores and ate every damn dried apple I had put away over a couple of years. Needles to say I didn’t pay him as much as agreed when I returned. So it begins again... I go to the farmers market and buy a bushel for $20 and bring them home to prepare them. I use a slicer, peeler, corer which can do all those steps in about 3-5 seconds. It’s a huge time saver. I then briefly soak them in lemonade before putting them in the dehydrator over night. The lemonade gives them an added boost of sweetness, vitamin C and keeps them from browning in the process. I don’t blame him too much for eating them as they are very tasty and addictive. I just wish he had a little more self control and saved me a few...Having 6 dehydrators will help me catch back up...I can do a bushel in about 3 days which includes drying time.

 

[Admin]

 

[ohanacreek]

A few years back I had a ‘friend’ house sit for me when I was on one of my 2+month road trips. I was paying him to watch the place for me and I felt like I could trust him as we’d known each other for a long time. He had a penchant for my dehydrated apples though and so while he was there, he went through all of my stores and ate every damn dried apple I had put away over a couple of years. Needles to say I didn’t pay him as much as agreed when I returned. So it begins again... I go to the farmers market and buy a bushel for $20 and bring them home to prepare them. I use a slicer, peeler, corer which can do all those steps in about 3-5 seconds. It’s a huge time saver. I then briefly soak them in lemonade before putting them in the dehydrator over night. The lemonade gives them an added boost of sweetness, vitamin C and keeps them from browning in the process. I don’t blame him too much for eating them as they are very tasty and addictive. I just wish he had a little more self control and saved me a few...Having 6 dehydrators will help me catch back up...I can do a bushel in about 3 days which includes drying time.
View attachment 91481 View attachment 91482 View attachment 91483 View attachment 91484

I’ll be over in 3-5 days to house sit.

 

[100Acre]

It took about 6 whole apples to fill one dehydrator. I thought I had six dehydrators, but only five exist in my possession. I processed 29 apples in about 1+ hours. It looks to be about 1/3 of the bushel. After you run the apple through the red thing and pull it off the end, you’re left with an apple accordian and so use a knife and slice top to bottom and that’ll separate all the slices. I keep the skins and sometimes they make a cool edible wreath if it all sticks together. Tomorrow I’ll show the finished product and tell you they taste great! I also save and reuse what’s left of the soaking mixture. I have some old science experiments going on in the fridge which are nicely alcoholic at this stage. Ah fermentation.....
I don’t toss the cores in the trash to avoid it attracting bugs so I put them all out at the Deer/turkey feed area.

 

[100Acre]

Shrinkage

 

[100Acre]

End product..

 

[100Acre]

That 1st batch of 29 apples yielded 4 one gallon ziploc bags, so approximately 7 apples per bag. Started the second batch. 28 apples this time. 21 apples left in the bushel box. Looking for averages.

Why so many apples ye be a askin? The next preponderance should be; Wow, look at all them oats. I am not a fan of plain gruel.
In my best Citibank/Winnie the Pooh Commercial...
“How much honey is in your cabinet?”

 

[100Acre]

10 Apple Varieties That Make Good Dehydrated Apple Chips

 

[100Acre]

Today's batch. Since I'm dehydrating all these apples, I may go ahead and get the 1880's Apple Mill Cider Press going. I need to use this dang thing. Barn score for $80. Someday I'd like to rebuild all the wood parts. Cider....!

 

[100Acre]

Started rebuilding one of the Mash baskets already.

 

[100Acre]

This is the 1st time since I got it last Black Friday of last year that I’ve had a chance to get the freeze drier up and running. I’m starting with a 5lb bag of pre cooked and pre frozen sausage crumbles and about 6 cups of Parmesan cheese.
There’s an overstock store nearby where I’m able to get stuff still within date but for a huge discount. 5lb bag of Parmesan cheese -$5 same for sausage crumbles. I also picked up clams, scallops and squid. That’s for those of you that like to eat the bait.
One issue with buying freeze dried foods is that you’re limited to a menu that they create and the price has been rising quickly. This way I can make tons of other stuff affordably. No more eating the same things over and over. I’m gonna have to do fillet mignon, lobster and other tastier tidbits soon...

 

[100Acre]

I was watching epicenterBryan on YouTube and they’ve been going out to various quisine restaurants, getting a bunch of takeout and then freeze drying it. Indian, Spanish, Italian, French.....I’m gonna attempt to FD some of that Boudin I brought back from Louisiana.

 

[JTW]

Have you ever stopped and considered how much $$ you’ve spent doing the whole prepper thing?

 

[100Acre]

Have you ever stopped and considered how much $$ you’ve spent doing the whole prepper thing?

I’m doing this for everyone else apparently.

 

[100Acre]

Have you ever stopped and considered how much $$ you’ve spent doing the whole prepper thing?

I could sell everything and buy a Talon..? Insurance-- investment against future inflation, societal upheaval and so on. Everything I have incorporated into his endeavor has high resale value as well. I can always eat the food or feed a starving family someday. Otherwise; Bored- need hobbies, social activities, and I'm a foodie. How much is it worth too you to not see your family starve to death? To put it bluntly. How much do you spend on your hobbies. What part of your P1000 will your daughter eat?

 

[100Acre]

I also never go out to eat, or drink in bars when I'm home. Aint no where to ride around here neither.

 

[JTW]

I didn’t say it was a bad thing.. just asked if you’ve ever figured it up.

 

[100Acre]

A lot.

 

[100Acre]

So far, I’ve freeze dried garlic cloves, green beans, zucchini, shallots, peas and carrots, parmesan cheese, shiitake mushrooms, sausage crumbles and Gumbo. Everything has rehydrated well and tasted great! Buying foods that are already cut or sliced, saves huge amounts of time.
https://harvestright.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/HR-WhitePaper-FINAL_3.10.17.PRINT_.pdf

 

[100Acre]

 

[gch1911]

we were at mammoth hot springs today. really neat place! (nothing blew up while we were there lol )