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B.1.1 What do I *really* need to know about freezing?
Freezing is preserving food using low temperatures--generally at temperatures around 0 F/-18 C. Freezing
generally inhibits both microbial growth (doesn't generally kill, though) and many protease/enzyme actions
in the food itself. You need to decide whether or not to blanch or process food, how to wrap food to prevent
freezer burn, what foods freeze well, and what to do when the power goes out.
Food is safe from spoilage AS LONG AS IT STAYS FROZEN. Microorganisms can start to grow as soon as food begins to thaw. To keep microbial growth at a minimum, frozen foods should be thawed in the refrigerator. Thawed food may be refrozen IF ICE CRYSTALS ARE STILL PRESENT IN THE FOOD. Refreezing often changes the quality of food (texture, color, flavor). Foodborne illness causing microorganisms may not be killed by freezing, so the safety of the food will be no better than the condition of the food which was frozen. (section taken from Susan Brewer, from cesgopher.ag.uiuc.edu). [Symptoms of food poisoning are discussed in Section IV. Spoilage--LEB]
B.1.2 So what foods can be frozen well?
from Wendy Milner (wendyNOSPAM@cnd.hp.com)
Freezing is not for all produce. Freezing will make mush of many soft fruits and vegetables. Depending on what you want to do with these soft fruits and vegetables, freezing may work. For example, you can freeze tomatoes and later use them to make a sauce, but you would not want to try and use the tomatoes whole or sliced in, for example, salads after thawing. You can freeze apple slices and later make apple sauce or apple pie.
Harder vegetables such as green beans and corn do well in the freezer. These vegetables should be blanched first to kill mold spores and yeasts, dried well, and then placed in freezer bags or freezer containers. The vegetables should be cooled before placing in the freezer to prevent the freezer temperature from rising.
All meat can be frozen. If you are butchering your own meat, make sure it is clean of hair, feathers, blood shot meat, and any foreign matter. Meat should be cut into small slices such as you find in the grocery store. Do not attempt to freeze large sections of meat - such as a quarter of a beef - unless you have a commercial sized and very cold freezer. Meat should be wrapped in butcher paper to prevent freezer burn. You must thaw meat in the refrigerator. Meat left on the counter to thaw allows for the growth of bacteria which could be harmful. [More about freezing meat below in question B.1.5--LEB].
B.1.3 What's this blanching stuff, anyway?
Blanching is plunging your item(s) in boiling water for a short amount of time (30 sec to 5 min, check your
recipe), cooling the items quickly, then drying off the items. You don't cook the item, but you kill off
the surface bugs and you destroy several important enzymes that brown and degrade foods.
B.1.4 Specifics about freezing meats, especially wild game.
Subject: Preserving Frozen Poultry & Other Meats
From: pleasureNOSPAM@netcom.com (Tanith Tyrr)
Somebody asked a question about "freezer burn"....here's what I do about it. Works admirably for me, and since I hunt and slaughter livestock, I always have a goodly stack of meat of all sorts needing a deft hand with the long term preserving.
Poultry, especially delicate items like wild duck or quail, keeps best when frozen either in a solid block of water (best for the small game birds; use milk cartons) or when frozen completely covered with fat or oil. The key here is "no oxygen interaction".
If you can afford one (and if you know how to use it properly), a vacuum sealer is also helpful for processing meats you want to freeze. I'm currently shopping models; input is solicited.
I freeze larger game birds, specifically wild duck, crocked in rendered duck fat and wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and a ziplock so that no surface is exposed. It works admirably and "freezer burn" just doesn't happen. The outside fat might lose some moisture and texture if exposed to air, but you can simply melt off the fatty layer and discard. You can also use rendered chicken or goose fat for this purpose, depending on what is in your pantry at the moment. I always save jars of rendered poultry fat of all kinds in the freezer, for this and other culinary purposes. Confit, anybody? ;> [Yep, check out the Meat Potting Section in this FAQ.--LEB]
I freeze good cuts of beef and lamb in a solid layer of olive oil, as it does not impart that savory and unmistakable "poultry flavor" that rendered duck, goose or chicken fat does. Any good quality, fresh and not rancid vegetable oil will do, but I prefer olive oil for its weight, durability and flavor. Extra virgin is best, but the medium weight stuff you can buy by the bucketload will do. It depends on how much you value that piece of meat you're putting in the freezer. And taste your oil first to make sure it won't impart unpleasant qualities to the meat; oil or fat can go rancid or "off" if you (or the shopkeeper leave it on the shelf too long.
You can even "freezer marinade" by adding seasonings to the oil or fat and heating briefly, then allowing to cool before adding to the meat to be frozen.
You can use a fairly thin (1/4") of fat or oil, so long as you are certain that the meat is covered on all sides and no actual meat surface is exposed to air. Personally, I tend to go for a deep crock when it comes to precious items of wild game; I buy rendered duck fat in 5-pound tubs from specialty stores such as D'Artagnan (NY) or The Game Exchange (SF).
Gently melt off all the grease before cooking, and you should end up with a nice piece of well preserved meat even after many, many months in your freezer.
Don't forget to invest a small amount in an accurate freezer thermometer, if your model doesn't come with one - it's worth it, as fluctuations in temperature or too high a temperature can destroy products inside even if they are properly preserved.
B.1.5 How do I freeze (your item here), and how long can I reasonably expect it to keep?
from z@fybits.com (Z Pegasus), in rec.food.cooking
MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.02 Title: Freezing Cooked and Prepared Foods 5/5 Bobbi Zee No Ingredients RECOMMENDED STORAGE TIMES IN MONTHS Months Appetizers : Cheese wafers and straws 2 : Deviled ham puffs 1 Baked Products Cakes : Angel food -- baked 4 : Chocolate -- baked 3 : Chocolate -- batter 2 : Frosted 3 : Fruit -- baked 4 : Plain -- baked 3 : Plain -- batter 2 : Sponge -- baked 4 Cookies : Brownies -- baked 4 Cookies : Brownies -- baked 4 : Chocolate chip -- baked 4 : Filled -- baked 4 : Peanut butter -- baked 6 : Peanut butter -- dough 4 : Refrigerator -- baked 6 : Refrigerator -- dough 6 : Sugar -- baked 6 : Sugar -- dough 6 Pies : Apple -- baked 4 : Apple -- unbaked 4 : Blueberry -- baked 4 : Blueberry -- unbaked 4 : Chocolate chiffon 2 : Lemon chiffon 2 : Mincemeat -- baked 2 : Mincemeat -- unbaked 2 : Mincemeat -- baked 2 : Mincemeat -- unbaked 2 : Pumpkin -- baked 2 : Pumpkin -- unbaked 2 Quick breads : Boston brown -- baked 4 : Nut -- baked 2 : Orange -- baked 4 Yeast breads : Rolls -- baked 4 : Rolls -- dough 1 week : Swedish tea ring 2 Combination Dishes : Bakes beans with tomato sauce 4 : Beef or veal stew 2 : Chicken a la king 4 : Italian rice 2 : Rice Pilaf 4 : Italian rice : Rice Pilaf 4 : Shrimp Creole 4 : Spanish sausage 2 : Tomato sauce and meat balls 2
B.1.5.a Combination Dishes - General Directions
Freezer-to-table cookware can be overwrapped with plastic or aluminum foil for a tight seal. Some of the heavier plastic wraps now available are suitable for freezer storage. Those made with polyvinylidene chloride (such as Saran Wrap) have been rated as excellent and are suitable for long-term storage. Those made with polyethylene (such as Glad and Handi-Wrap) are suitable for short-term storage. Those made with polyvinyl chloride (such as Reynolds Plastic) are poor choices because they are not moisture- and vapor-proof. Plastic-coated paper freezer wrap is suitable for solid foods. (For more details, see Consumer Reports, March, 1983.)
For food that is packaged solid be sure to leave space at the top of the container for the contents to expand during freezing. Leave 1/2 inch for a pint container, 1 inch for a quart.Use all defrosted and reheated foods at the current meal. Further holding and reheating is not recommended.
B.1.5.b Combination Dishes - Cooked Meat and Vegetables
Freezing cooked meat, except in combination dishes where a solid pack can be prepared for freezing, is not
recommended. Work carried on in the foods research laboratory of the University of Ilinois as well as in
other foods laboratories indicates that higher quality is obtained if uncooked rather than cooked poultry
and meat are frozen. Carefully controlled experiments have shown that this is true for deep fat and oven
fried chicken, braised beef round steaks, ham patties and loaves, and rib and loin pork roasts. In general,
poultry and meat roasted or fried have a more attractive appearance and better flavor than that cooked
before freezing.
Precooked frozen vegetables have been rated as being inferior to freshly cooked and to blanched frozen vegetables. The few exceptions are products that can be solidly packed such as vegetable purees and mashed potatoes. In the latter case freezing is not recommended because it takes almost as long to thaw and reheat mashed potatoes for serving as it would to prepare them fresh.
B.1.5.c Baked Goods - General Directions
Among the baked foods that can be frozen successfully are certain appetizers, breads, cakes, and pies.
Freezing and freezer storage preserve the freshness of these products and having them at hand for
emergencies is a convenience. The recipes included here are those which were found to give good results when
they were tested in the University of Illinois laboratory. Probably many other products besides those
described can be frozen satisfactorily.
B.1.5.d Appetizers
Questions about the advisability of freezing canapes or tea sandwiches are frequently asked. Such
products can of course be frozen and held in the freezer for about a week but the results are usually only
fairly satisfactory. Freshness in appearance and flavor are apt to be lost, moisture content of bread may
no longer be evenly distributed, and crackers or toast rounds tend to lose crispness. However, two
appetizers which are baked after freezing can be recommended. Similar types among your favorite recipes may
give equally good results.
B.1.5.e Angel-Food and Sponge Cakes
Frozen baked angel-food and sponge cakes, when defrosted, are very similar in quality to freshly baked cake.
Angel-food cakes seem a little more moist after they have been frozen and thawed. However, both angel-food
and sponge cakes are likely to shrink a little in freezer storage. (Angel-food cake made from frozen and
defrosted batter is not as fine-grained as cake baked before it is frozen.)
Delicious angel-food cake can be made from frozen egg whites. Often freezing the whites is more practical than freezing the cake. A pint container will hold the right amount of whites for one cake. After defrosting by holding them overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature for about 5 hours, use them in the same way as fresh egg whites.
B.1.5.f Fruit Cake
Fruit cake can be baked and frozen. After freezer storage the thawed cake will be more like a freshly baked
cake than if it had been stored at room temperature.
B.1.5.g Plain and Chocolate Cakes and Frostings
These cakes can be frozen after they are baked or the batter can be frozen. Storing batter has several
advantages: it is easier to package, requires less freezer space, and the cake seems more moist, with a
flavor more like that of a freshly mixed and baked cake. A frozen baked cake, however, required less time
to prepare for serving after it is taken from storage. In addition a baked cake can be frosted before it
is frozen and stored.
B.1.5.h Cookies
Freezing baked cookies and cookie doughs makes it easy to keep a variety on hand at all times. Many types
of baked cookies can probably be frozen, as well as refrigerator cookie doughs. The enclosed recipes give
good products, or you may use favorite recipes and methods to prepare cookies for the freezer.
B.1.5.i Pies
Frozen pastry, ingredients for pie fillings, and certain frozen pies make excellent products. Apple,
blueberry, mincemeat, and pumpkin pies can be baked either before or after they are frozen. A pie baked
after it is frozen is more like a freshly prepared and baked pie, and less time is needed to prepare it for
freezing. But a pie that is baked and then frozen takes less time to prepare for serving.
Another possibility is to freeze the chief ingredients of fillings and pieces of rolled pastry of appropriate size separately. This procedure is more economical of freezer space than freezing unbaked or baked pies and may in some instances be more practical. Cherries and sugar or pumpkin puree can be frozen satisfactorily for use in pies.
Chiffon pies are completely prepared before freezing. Only lemon and chocolate pies have been tested but it seems probable that other chiffon pies will freeze equally well.
B.1.5.j Pastry
Pastr
cardboard of the same size as the pastry and cover it with waxed paper. Two pieces of waxed paper are put
between each two pieces of pastry and several can be wrapped together. Use aluminum foil or plastic wrap for
packaging or seal in a large plastic bag with as little remaining air space as possible. Pieces of frozen
pastry can be removed as needed and allowed to that 10 to 15 minutes before using in the preparation of a
pie.
B.1.5.k Quick Breads
A few kinds of quick breads have been baked and frozen with satisfactory results. Probably others will
freeze equally well. One advantage of freezing quick breads is to have several kinds available at one time
without spending many consecutive hours in their preparation.
B.1.5.l Yeast Breads
Bread and rolls that are frozen and held in freezer storage do not stale at the usual rate. Yeast rolls may
be frozen after baking, or the dough may be frozen. The former method of preparation is preferred because
it is more convenient and because the quality of the rolls is higher. The volume, texture, and flavor of the
baked rolls are maintained for several months of freezer storage. Frozen dough should be thawed and baked
within one week after it is frozen. Swedish tea ring, baked before freezing, was rated good after freezer
storage. Other baked products made with sweet roll dough will probably be found to be suitable for freezing.
Source: Freezing Cooked and Prepared Foods. Frances O. Van Duyne. University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign, College of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service. Circular 835. July, 1984
Typos by Bobbi Zee 1:230/73
MMMMM
B.1.7 There is a 1999 document by Elizabeth L. Andress, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Extension Food Safety Specialist, Department of Food and Nutrition, University of Georgia titled 'Should I vacuum Package Food at Home?". The first three paragraphs are as follows:
There are numerous types of equipment being marketed for vacuum packaging food at home. They vary greatly in technological sophistication and price, and usually are called vacuum packaging machines or vacuum sealers. These machines may extend the storage time of refrigerated foods, dried foods and frozen foods. However, vacuum packaging is not a substitution for the heat processing of home canned foods.
Vacuum packaging is also not a substitution for the refrigerator or freezer storage of foods that would otherwise require it. In fact, vacuum packaging can add to the concerns associated with storing of these perishable foods (which are foods not stable at room temperature and requiring cold storage).
There are many precautions that must be taken when vacuum packaging perishable foods for refrigerator or freezer storage. You must assume that the perishable food carries the risk of potential pathogenic contamination. And, when frozen food is ready to be thawed and used, steps to minimize the risks from microorganisms in food must still be followed. Again, perishable foods must still be refrigerated or frozen for storage after packing in a vacuum or partial vacuum environment.
For the full document, see it here.
In addition, there is a Yahoo group on foodsavers. It can be found at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FoodSaver/
B.1.7 I'm looking for an appliance to vacuum seal food. Any recommendations? Phillip Coyle
From: Barbara Rogers (brogersNOSPAM@mtnhome.com):
I have a Compact Foodsaver and really like it. I only use it to seal lids on glass jars--don't use the plastic bags. I have never used anything else so can't compare. This one cost about 200 dollars and I have had it several years with no problems.
From: pbyrnesNOSPAM@ix.netcom.com (Patricia C. Byrnes):
I also use a FoodSaver. I rarely use the bags, but have a whole collection of containers that work with it
(including Mason jars). These are easily sealed. If I were freezing something I wanted to last a long time I
would use the bags.
From: elvaNOSPAM@sos.on.ca (Elva Allen)
I have a Phillips vacuum sealer and it works just fine. It seals the plastic to make a bag, and none have split on
me yet! It was $35 at Zellers in Ontario, CA. Extra plastic for bags is readily available.
From: Buddy McIlwain
I have owned a Foodsaver made by a company named Tilia for about 6 years. I have been very pleased with it and with
Tilia. They have an 800 number which I used once when my machine quit pulling a complete vacuum on the bags. They
correctly diagnosed my problem and shipped the parts overnight. The parts consisted of two strips of heavy duty
weather stripping that is used to seal the bags. [snip.] My machine seals plastic bags sold by Tilia, but will also
vacuum seal mason jars.
From: Paul Hinrichs (paulhinrNOSPAM@mindspring.com)
Tilia, Inc., 568 Howard St., San Francisco, CA 94105, 415-543-9136, FAX: 415-777-2634
B.1.8 Now that we found out that a seal-a-meal is worth having...where in the world do you find supplies?
Diane M. Ferrell (dferrellNOSPAM@alf.UCCS.edu)
From Joe Ames
Seal-A-Meal Source
DAZEY CORP, One Dazey Circle, Industrial Airport, KS 66031, 913-782-7500
From Jenny S. Johanssen (johanssenNOSPAM@matnet.com):
Here in Alaska, we can get the seal-a-meal bags and machine both at Sam's wholesales and Costco. Payless Super Drugs
also carries them. I think that Costco is on the West coast - California through Arizona at least.
B.1.9 How would I go about preserving baked goods (cookies, pastries...) from both going bad and breaking
up into crumbs? Gloria (orenNOSPAM@wolfenet.com)
From Joan
When I am shipping things, I either freeze them or pack them very well. For example, with yeast breads, rolls, etc.,
I generally freeze them and ship them off with express delivery. That obviously works best if it will be delivered
within 48 hours.
For items like cookies or tender pastries, I generally find an airtight container for them and then pack them very carefully with lots of waxed paper between the individual items. Make sure they're packed snugly but not enough to crush the items when you put on the lid. Cookies travel very well this way, and some cookies also freeze pretty well so you can ship them in that state to help preserve them.
B.1.10 Mushroom duxelles
What's the best way to preserve mushrooms? From: Longhair
paulhinrNOSPAM@nando.net (Paul Hinrichs) wrote:
The local grocery had some portabellos marked down yesterday and I threw a whole slew of them into my smoker along
with the leg of lamb I was smoking at about 130 F. After about 4 hours they were completely dried and smoked - and
tasted delicious even dry. I suppose you could do the same without smoke in a dehydrator or in the oven.
From: jpdionNOSPAM@odyssee.net (Jean-Pierre Dion)
I agree, but personally I prefer a duxelle.
From: edeckerNOSPAM@inforamp.net (Eric Decker)
Larousse Gastronomique '76 says, and I paraphrase:
Freezing is quite a good option for a large amount of Duxelles. One could add a splash, just a splash, of just about any good brandy instead of white wine. Less is more here. Beware of liqueurs, they will caramelize the duxelles' subtle flavours.
----------------------------------------------------------------C. DEHYDRATION (Part 3)
C.1.1 What do I *really* need to know about dehydrating food?
Dehydrating food works on the principal that both microbes and enzymes in your food require free water to work. (To
a lesser extent, this is how freezing works--the water is frozen instead of evaporated off.).
Generally, you get rid of the water in food by gentle, even heat (sun, oven, dehydrator) and air movement (wind, open oven door, fan)--otherwise water just stays in the food or condenses on it. You especially need to be cautious, though, about several types of mold that produce mycotoxins (e.g. aflatoxin) while growing on the surface of your dried food.
Dried foods which take more than 1 to 2 hours for rehydration or reconstitution should be rehydrated either in the refrigerator or in simmering water to prevent the growth of microorganisms. Once vegetables are rehydrated, they will support the growth of Clostridium botulinum so they must be handled safely. Any dried foods with signs of spoilage or mold growth should be discarded. (section taken from Susan Brewer) [See also the section of aflatoxin under Spoilage.]
Check out Part 7 (II. B.) of this FAQ for additional web sites, and ISDN numbers, authors, etc of books recommended below.
C.1.2 What foods dehydrate well?
from Clint Scott (cscottNOSPAM@Starbase.NeoSoft.COM) (pre-1996)
Carrots dry very well. Most things do very well....except green beans, zucchini and yellow squash. Oddly enough
fresh asparagus tips do very well. The stalks are sort of 'barkey' but the tips re-hydrate nicely.
from Anne Louise Gockel (algNOSPAM@cs.cornell.edu) (pre-1996)
I found that some foods are not worth drying (blueberries; yuck, although they might be useful for pancakes when
camping) and others are just wonderful.
from Stephen Northcutt (snorthcNOSPAM@nswc.navy.mil) (pre-1996)
Besides apples and peaches, I have found that green or mature onions, spinach, and squash (zucchini) dry well and
make great additions to winter soups and stews.
from Graham Dodd (GM.ComputasNOSPAM@adelaide.on.net) (Feb 8, 1996)
I use dehydrators for making fruit snacks and sweets also for preserving food. Without trying to 'Advertise' I also
sell them and have some excellent recipe books with hundreds of recipes and tips in them. If any one would like to
know more about dehydrators from a user view I would be happy to answer questions.
In other words, try it. It will either work for you, or it will not. If it does not work perfectly for you, it will be great in some dishes (stew!).
C.1.3 Dehydrating Specific Items
C.1.3.a Pistachio Nut
Q: I intend to eat the nuts from my two eight year pistachio trees. By now the nuts are growing. Does somebody know
how to get those crispy, salty pistachios from the nut in the tree? Manuel Lopez Mateos
from H. B. Ghoddusi (afrghdusNOSPAM@reading.ac.uk), rec.food.historic (pre-1996):
P.S: I have never tried this procedure for pistachio, but I have done it several times with different seeds and it works very well.
C.1.3.b Sundried Tomato. A very frequently asked question.
from an unknown source, posted in either rec.food.cooking or rec.food.preserving (pre-1996)
First, a few notes. It takes about 7 pounds of fresh tomatoes to make a single pint of dried tomatoes (I am not sure
how much a pint of dried tomatoes weighs. A pint of water weighs 1 pound.). This is Part of the reason they are so
expensive (costing in the neighbourhood of $20/pound around here). The best tomato to use in this process is the
Roma (also known as a plum, pear, or Italian) tomato, because it contains less water and seeds. However, you can use
any tomato. They will just take a little longer to dry.
Dried Tomatoes (yields about 1 pint)
The author notes that she has stored oil-packed tomatoes in her pantry for over a year with tremendous success. She also notes that she has tried a number of methods to pack the tomatoes in oil, but she says the vinegar treatment is the difference between a good dried tomato and a great one. It is also important from a food safety standpoint, as it acidifies the oil and discourages growth of bacteria and mold.
****** WARNING ********
Do *NOT* add fresh garlic cloves to oil-packed dried tomatoes, UNLESS you store
them in the refrigerator. Garlic is a low-acid food which, when placed in oil, creates a low-acid anaerobic
environment - the perfect growth medium for botulinum bacteria if the mixture is not refrigerated. Botulism
poisoning is characterized by a very high mortality rate. Be safe and add your garlic to the dried tomatoes as part
of the recipe for them *after* they come out of the oil.
C.1.3.c Dried Cranberries
from Marie Martinek (mv-martinekNOSPAM@nwu.edu) (Dec 14, 1995)
I tried drying cranberries in the Excalibur, and even with poking every single one of them with a serious
hole-maker (the sticker that comes with the meat thermometer) and soaking them in a sugar solution, they
still came out sour and still not dry after twice as long a time as the instructions said. I, however, tried
making cranberry sauce, whirred it through a blender/food processor, and made fruit leather with it. Worked
quite well. Cover your dryer frames with waxed paper and pour the goop on (making sure it is higher on the
edges than in the middle), dry until it looks right (I do not have the timing instructions here), then cut
it into strips, peel the paper off the fruit (works better than trying to peel fruit off paper), curl them
up, and dry some more.
from Phil Rozanski (pvrozansNOSPAM@mkelan1.remnet.ab.com) (Jan 2, 1996)
According to "Mary Bell's Complete Dehydrator Cookbook" you can dry blanched (checked) cranberries in the
following manner:
I really recommend the book that I mentioned above. It contains recipes for anything you could ever think of dehydrating. I purchased my copy at Yonkers.
C.1.3.d Fruit leathers.
Steve Muskovin (sdmuskovinNOSPAM@jol.mobil.com) wrote:
I am looking to cut through the fruit leather recipe trial and errors.
From Sandy Fifer (sandyNOSPAM@chinook.halcyon.com):
I've made leather from strawberries, apricots, nectarines, peaches, and pears. I didn't like the blueberry
and cherry -- the skins were too annoying and I couldn't figure out a good way to get rid of them. I was
able to get rid of the raspberry seeds but the leather was just too gooey for my taste.
I puree the strawberries. The stone fruit I skin and then puree the flesh. I cook it briefly -- bring it to a boil for a few minutes to kill off any nasties (read this in PFB). I use 1 1/2 cups (1 1/4 cups if really thick) per American Harvester leather sheet. I add up to 1 Tbsp. sugar and depending on the fruit, an optional 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract or 1/2 tsp. finely minced ginger to each 1 1/2 cup of puree (before putting it on the sheet).
I lightly oil the sheets -- this is very important. When I've forgotten to oil the sheets the leather has been impossible to remove. As indicated in PFB, I start the dryer at 130 deg. for the first hour, 137 for the second, then 145 until the leather starts lose its tackiness (can be two to four hours depending on conditions, etc.) then lower to 135 deg until done. I rotate the trays (top to bottom and front to back) every half hour or so if I'm in the house. The strawberry I did last night took seven hours total. Pear has taken nine hours. PFB talks about needing the high temperature (145 deg) to kill mold, etc., but not wanting it the whole time because the fruit can get caramelized and scorch. And not starting at too high a temperature so that the fruit doesn't get case-hardened (cooked and sealed on the outside so that the inside can't dry out properly).
When the drying is done I remove the leather immediately -- when it's warm it's still pliable and can be easily peeled off. Letting it sit for even 5 minutes has made it more difficult to remove. I tear off a large square of waxed paper and put the circular leather on that -- it's just about the same size. Then I use a scissors to cut the leather, backed by the waxed paper, into 8 wedges. I stack them and store them in a ziplock bag in a cool place for the winter.
C.1.3.e Jerky/Beef Sticks
C.1.3.e.i Jerky
I really love jerky, and would like to know how to make it. From Fred St. John - (fpsNOSPAM@postoffice.ptd.net).
From bunburyNOSPAM@earth.usa.net
It's really easy. I just made some the other night. I don't follow a recipe, but rather improvise.
Safety tip: Do not use pork, bear, or any meat that could carry parasites such as trichina. All jerky is RAW, dried meat. I remember reading of some people that got trichinosis from eating bear jerky.
[One other important jerky tip.]
From Richard Thead
I have lots of experience smoking beef jerky. The bottom line is that if you aren't careful, it's easy to
get it too smoky. Early in my learning curve, I made one batch that was completely inedible.
If you have a slow smoker or use wood mixed with other fuels, it's easy--just don't use too much wood. Exactly how much will depend on many things, so you'll just have to work it out by trial and error.
I do it in the slow smoking section of my pit using wood only for fuel. I've learned that smoking it at around 140 to 150F for three hours gives me the smoke flavor I like. At that point, the meat isn't completely dry, so I finish it in a dehydrator (use an oven if you don't have a dehydrator).
One thing I'd recommend is to always add a teaspoon or so of Tenderquick per 5 lbs of meat just to play it safe. I've made it without any curing salts and lived to tell about it, but nowadays I always use them. A half teaspoon of Prague powder #1 will do too.
How smoky was that indedible stuff? It was in a ziploc bag stored in close proximity to some cashews in their own ziploc for a few hours, and the cashews got so smoky tasting I couldn't eat them!
C.1.3.e.ii Beef Sticks
From: paulhinrNOSPAM@nando.net (Paul Hinrichs)
Try this proven recipe:
Slim Jims (10 pound recipe)
2 level tsp. Prague Powder #1
4 tbsp. paprika
6 tbsp. ground mustard
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. ground white pepper
1 tsp. ground celery
1 tbsp. mace
1 tsp. granulated garlic
3 1/2 ozs. kosher salt
1 1/2 ozs. powdered dextrose
6 ozs. Fermento
10 pounds lean ground beef
This is the Kutas recipe. The last two ingredients are for fermentation and may be omitted if you don't want the tang. After you stuff the beef sticks, he recommends smoking at 90-110 F for 8 hours and letting it go at this temperature for another 12 if you want the tang to fully develop. Then you raise the smokehouse temperature until the meat reaches 145 F internally.
If you wish to modify your current recipe for the dehydrator, or use this one (I highly recommend it, I've made it several times), just follow the temperature guidelines - IOW, keep the temperature under 110F for 8 to 20 hours, then crank it up to cook the sausage at the very end. What you've probably been doing is following the same procedure as for jerky, dry at 145 F until dry, and have been ending up with jerky in a casing. Beef sticks will not be as dry as jerky, hence the lower temperature. FWIW, I use the Prague Powder No.1 and make jerky at 120F and it is much more flavorful than the stuff dried at 145F like most recipes call for. Under 140F, the curing powder is absolutely necessary to prevent the growth of botulism.
C.1.3.f Dehydrator Tomato Paste
From Linda Merinoff (hvaneNOSPAM@primenet.com):
HOMEMADE TOMATO PASTE
Tomatoes
Salt
Fresh basil
Olive oil
For those of you as absent-minded as I am, I once scooped half a jar out to discard it, thinking it had gotten moldy. It hadn't. The oil on top had solidified, as it often does in the fridge, and just looked weird.
C.1.3.g Unusual parched corn and bean recipes
from David Sidwell (dsidwell@cc.usu.edu) (pre-1996)
Here is a wonderful recipe for parched corn. it is eaten by Hopi children and adults as a real treat. Speaking of parched corn, you can also parch beans. Small, white teparies work well, especially if they are from last year's harvest or older. The Hopi make parched beans the same way they make parched corn.
Parched Corn
Note: The Hopi nation has very sandy soil. it does not cling like many sands but falls away from toasted foods. You may want to experiment a bit with the sand from your area.
We put parched corn in stews, soups, salads, and we eat it plain. yum yum. Parched beans are often used as a snack.
C.1.3.h Dried Chile peppers.
From: ZebCookNOSPAM@pacbell.net (David Cook):
It's absurdly easy. Either take a needle and thread and string the chiles in a bunch near the stem of each, then hang in the sun. After a week or so they'll be nicely dried and you can break them off as you need them. This works particularly well for thin-walled chiles, like cayennes...
Or, spread them on the rack in your oven, set it to just warm and prop the door open. Leave them in their overnight or longer until they're done. If the chiles are thicker, you might split them before drying.
Finally, get a dehydrator and dry them in it.
Personally, I favor the sun method -- cheap, doesn't tie up the oven, and strings of chiles belong in the kitchen (at least in mine!) [Nylon thread works very well, strong and doesn't fray. This procedure works just as well with morels, ceps and other edible wild mushrooms--just know your mushrooms.--LEB]
C.1.3.i Dried Tofu
From: locksmthNOSPAM@dialnet.net
My tofu book says to dry it: It is preferred if you make your own tofu, make it as firm as you can. Freeze it for a day or 2, take it out and let it thaw out. Squeeze as much water as you can out of it. If you want crumbled or mashed, do that now, or slice it or cube it. Anyway now after it is in the form you need it, put it in the oven at 175 degrees for up to 6 hours. Do not let it get brown but make certain it is a golden tan color. Store after drying on the shelf in a sealed plastic bag. To reconstitute it, mix cup for cup with hot water, stock, or whey. Stir and let stand 15 minutes or so or until the previous spongy consistency returns. Drain off any liquid not absorbed. You can also reconstitute it in a marinade, full strength or diluted with water. You can also add dried tofu to soups, meat loaf or moist vegetable patty mixtures etc.
C.2.1 Some advice on purchasing a dehydrator
C.2.1.1 General advice
from Cassandra Richardson (bbreeden@wolfenet.com) (Jan 11, 1996)
What about the type advertised on TV (Ronco?) are they worthwhile?
My opinion is that most people buy kitchen gadget and find they novelty wears off. Why not buy a cheap one and see if you really get much use out of it. I dry herbs and tomatoes and occasionally I dry smoked salmon after it comes out of the smoker (cuts down on the running in and out of the house); however, most of the people I know never use theirs.
from Leslie Basel (lebaselNOSPAM@ntwrks.com) (Feb 4, 1996)
If you are uncertain about how much use you will get out of a dehydrator, you might want to try using your
oven as a dehydrator. I have done tomatoes for years in the oven, and I am certain that if you have the
patience to fiddle around, you could make some dried things and see how much dried stuff you use. If you
find that you are making and using dried things, remember that a dehydrator is much easier to use than the
oven. You develop the interest first, then the specialized equipment.
That being said, many folks use dehydrators to make dried fruit for healthier snacks, dry herbs (dried tarragon in the supermarket is astronomical). If you do any camping, you could dry trail mix and meals to reconstitute for later on. Some canning recipes call for dried fruits for a richer flavor. Mostarda is a mustard/dried fruit compote, good for meats.
A garden is a capital idea, but an orchard much less so. You might want to ask your friends and neighbors if they are living with a fruit tree. We used to be shameless about asking around. If we got fruit, we dry it and can it, then give some to the tree owner as a gift. It just seems a bit too much work to raise a fruit tree up to maturity to see if you have an interest in food dehydration. What ever you do, good luck and have fun.
from Wendy Milner (wendyNOSPAM@fc.hp.com) (pre-1996)
When looking for a dehydrator, consider volume. How much volume will you be using now, and how much in the near
future? Additionally, if you like fruit roll ups, look for a screen with a very fine mesh. This would be in
addition to the regular sized screen. The fine mesh is also good for drying herbs.
I use a convection oven with dehydrate features. Very convenient since I do not have to pull out another appliance.
from Gary Yandle (garyyNOSPAM@hpdmmhm.boi.hp.com) (pre-1996)
The reason you want a temperature control on a dehydrator is that different kinds of food dry at different
temperature. Herbs dry best at about 90 to 100 degrees F. Vegetables at about 110 to 120 degrees F. Fruit is
best dried at 120 to 130 and meat from 135 to 145 degrees F. The whole idea is to dry the food quickly so as
to preserve as much of the flavor and vitamins as possible without cooking the food.
Another must have when buying a dehydrator is look for one that has a fan. Good air circulation is a must for fast drying. Also look for one that has trays that are easy to clean. If the trays have places on them that you cannot get a scrub brush into then you will never be able to get it clean. (Do not let anyone tell you that dehydrating food is a clean operation, cinnamon apples and beef jerky make a big mess).
from Connie TenClay (tenclayNOSPAM@netnet.net) (Dec 7, 1995)
I would suggest getting a electric dehydrator as it can be used year around and is convenient. Also I feel that
a fan as well as a heat source is important. Without a fan the food dries much slower and not as evenly. While
a thermostat is not necessary it probably makes for a better product. i.e. meats can use a higher temp than
fruits to dehydrate. I have found that one of the best books about dehydration is the HP book "How to Dry Foods"
by Deanna Delong.
If you have any other question I would be happy to try to answer them. I have been dehydrating food for over 20 years with every thing from trays over a furnace duct to home made electric dehydrator to the commercial one that I have now.
Please take a look at the dehydrator sources/suppliers/more specific details in Specific Equipment Questions (in Part 7).
C.2.1.2 Specific Brands
from Steven Kostur
Some consumer book (or the other; name escapes me) suggested Waring's Deluxe Food Dehydrator Model DF4171 $90-100
(no reasons were given).
An Organic Gardener 1995 (October?) suggested the Waring Deluxe Food Dehydrator, or the Excalibur 2500 (US$189.95), Press-AIReizer (US$249.95), and (IMHO) to a lesser degree the Vita-Mix Harvest-Savor (US$89.95) and American Harvest Snackmaster (US$89.95). Such factors as amount of control (fan speed, temperature), and how hard it is to peel the stuff off the racks .. and IF you had to rotate the trays (that latter ones you do) to get even drying ... [ Note from Jennifer Cagle (jcagleNOSPAM@kodak.com): Vitamix no longer makes or markets dehydrators. (March, 1996).]
from Steven R. Tobin (srtobinNOSPAM@mmm.com) (pre-1996)
I just bought a Harvest Maid, also sold as American Harvest, and a friend has had one for a couple years and
really likes it. The main thing is to look for one with a thermostat controlled heater. Do not be suckered into
one like the Ronco, that does not have a heater. It took me 4 hours to dry a load of apples last night, while the
other kind (w/o heater) will take days to do the same job.
We use an American Harvest. Have had very good results with meats (jerky) and all types of fruits and vegetables.
from Lynn E Johnson-Conrad (jolyNOSPAM@mbari.org) (Jan 2, 1996)
We have an American Harvester Snack Master (expandable to 12 trays). It has a blower and a variable temperature
setting marked for the different types of foods. The Snack Master is about $65-70 with four trays and extra
trays are $24 for two. Ours was bought at a big hardware store. For Christmas my husband bought me 6 new trays
(that he found on half price sale--- yippee) so we will really be in shape to dry when our garden goes nuts next
summer. My only complaint is that there is no on-off switch (power control is by plug and unplug) and the noise
of the fan, while not loud, can get to be annoying if you are trying to hear someone in an adjoining room. My
understanding is that the Ronco model does not have a blower- so it takes a lot longer to dry.
Beef jerky takes about 18-20 hours- but we like to do it very dry and it starts out pretty wet from overnight
marinating. We have done all sorts of stuff in our Snackmaster and love it. Apples and banana chips are our
favourite and take about 12 hours. I recently dried 7 trays full of late growth celery tops from our garden. That
took about 16 hours to get the thin stalks dry. Tomatoes take about 10-12 hours. The only thing I am not happy
drying is herbs- I still prefer to do them in paper sacks on top of the fridge. They take about 24 hours in the
dryer (very low temperatures) and about 48-72 on top of the fridge. We have dried other vegetables for use in
soups and stews. I have not noticed any specific increase in our electric bill for the times we were drying lots
of tomatoes.from Phil Rozanski (pvrozansNOSPAM@mkelan1.remnet.ab.com) (Jan 2, 1996)
I also have an American Harvest Snackmaster with 8 trays and have great results with jerky (it takes 6 hours to
dry) and anything else dried in it. The nice thing about the model I have, is that the temperature is adjustable
and the foods are always dried uniformly. The other nice thing is the price is very reasonable.
from Naomi Counides (beefaloNOSPAM@primenet.com) (Jan 12, 1996)
I have an Excalibur and I do not can tomatoes (hot sweaty work in summer). I have usually about 25 plants. I
slice them (unpeeled) and load them into my dehydrator which I keep outside (who needs extra heat in the house?) I
make about 30 gallon bags of tomatoes. We use them in the winter. We also dry fruit, herbs and other vegetables.
It gets used a lot more than my canner.
from Steve & Beth (sb332NOSPAM@sover.net) (Jan 1, 1996)
What about the type advertised on TV (Ronco?) are they worthwhile?
All I know is on the advertisement for the Ronco Dehydrator they say it take 1 1/2 days to dry beef jerky. In my Excalibur it only takes 6 hours. If you plan on getting a dehydrator and are going to use it frequently do not buy cheap. Invest in something that you will be happy with. Point of reference 16 years ago my dehydrator (5 shelves) cost around $100.00.
from Naomi Counides (beefaloNOSPAM@primenet.com) (Nov 30, 1995)
Do you have a garden and fruit trees? The reason I ask is that the amount of "raw" material to be processed
influences size need for dehydrator. I have a large garden etc and a nine tray electric Excalibur. Here in Idaho
it does not rain much in late summer so I leave it outside. (Keeps the heat out of the house.) I use it steadily,
24 hours a day and 7 days a week from late July through September. When the air has a bit of chill, I take it
inside and dry apples (smells nice). In the main summer months I dry, rather than can, tomatoes. The model I use
can dry a half bushel of tomatoes in 24 hours, approximately. I also dry other vegetables, and fruits and make
leather. A nice feature on mine is the that the plastic tray and plastic screen are separate pieces. This can
make removal of individual pieces much easier.
from Rick Buchanan (rbgoodNOSPAM@ncw.net) (Dec 24, 1995)
I have a garden master with round stackable trays. It is much faster than the models that look like microwaves. A
friend of mine has the VitaMix food saver. She likes it a lot and I think it is a better machine than my garden
master. The trays are a little smaller in diameter than on the garden master, but the unit costs a whole lot less
than the garden master. Believe the VITAMIX will stack up to about 23 trays. Have experience with the Excalibur
(microwave lookalike), and the round trayed garden master. If I had it to do over I would buy the VITAMIX with
all trays, grids, and liners. [See note from Jennifer Cagle above.]
C.2.2 I have heard you can make a dehydrator yourself. Got any info?
Check out the plans/ideas in Specific Equipment Questions in Part 7. You really are limited only by your own
creativity. Take a read below.
from Stephen Northcutt (snorthcNOSPAM@nswc.navy.mil (pre-1996)
Take an old dead fridge, cut holes in the top as vents. Cover holes with 2 layers of screen to keep bugs out. Put
100 watt light bulb in bottom in ceramic receptacle. You can add additional shelves easily by screwing small
woodstock to sides and sliding in net covered frames.
from Anne Louise Gockel (algNOSPAM@cs.cornell.edu) (pre-1996)
Also, the newest edition of _Putting Food By_ includes information on building a smoker with a small fire pit, a
ditch with stove pipe and a large 50-gal drum (from something like honey!). It is a pretty ingenious system.
The cook was a good cook, as all cooks go; and as all cooks go, she went. --Saki