{"id":867,"date":"2012-12-03T10:23:03","date_gmt":"2012-12-03T17:23:03","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2016-03-23T10:41:38","modified_gmt":"2016-03-23T16:41:38","slug":"the-end-of-the-harvest-preserving-apples-potatoes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/articles\/the-end-of-the-harvest-preserving-apples-potatoes\/","title":{"rendered":"The End of the Harvest: Preserving Apples & Potatoes"},"content":{"rendered":"

The End of the Harvest<\/span><\/h1>\n

\u00a0 Preserving Apples and Potatoes<\/span><\/h2>\n

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\"Apple<\/span><\/p>\n

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Farmer\u2019s Market season is well over now, and oh how I am missing those beautiful summer days.\u00a0 There is a rumor that one neighbor still has u-pick cabbage and kale, but for the majority of the produce\u2014summer has been eaten or root cellared or \u201cput up\u201d.\u00a0 As any standard year, I had a bounty of some things and only teases of others.\u00a0 It is why I preserve the bounty\u2014next year may not fare so favorably in what served as this year\u2019s redundancy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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There are several things you may have been keeping in cold storage that can stay there much longer if you prefer.\u00a0 I am beginning to think that I am not the best at that method, because I begin losing food to poor quality if I am not constantly checking and maintaining the conditions.\u00a0 We do not have a true root cellar right now (but I caught hubby reading this book<\/a>, so I\u2019m sure it\u2019s coming next summer).\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I have to just maximize these garden foods through delicious recipes designed to feature their homegrown flavors.<\/span><\/p>\n

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When it comes to onions, potatoes, apples, and garlic, I do use the cold storage method during the craziness of harvest time.\u00a0 But this time of year when food preservation has normally come to a standstill, I pull them out of the cupboard and preserve what is noticeably more than we can eat within the next 2-3 months.\u00a0 Truthfully, I prefer to have many of these foods in their dehydrated form because of the flavors and versatility.\u00a0 A cold storage apple becomes \u201cmealy\u201d to me about 4-5 months (again, I need that true root cellar!), but an apple ring?\u00a0 I can hardly keep those on my shelf!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Apple Rings<\/span><\/h1>\n

\u00a0The standard apple ring is simple.\u00a0 Use your apple corer<\/a> to make the rings.\u00a0 Fill a large bowl with water and either some lemon juice or citric acid<\/a>, and then drop the apples into that bowl until you are done coring\/peeling them.\u00a0\u00a0 Our family prefers apple rings to be peeled, and I think most people do, because the peel gets a tough texture on the dehydrated apple ring.\u00a0 When your bowl is full, place them on the Excalibur dehydrator<\/a> trays, turn it on and walk away!\u00a0 These are so delicious by themselves.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Apple<\/span><\/p>\n

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You can often find a bag of them in my glove compartment or diaper bag as an emergency snack-of-choice.\u00a0 If you do them as listed above, they are perfect for snacking or for baking (remember to add extra water to your recipe to make up the difference for having used a dehydrated fruit).\u00a0\u00a0 My children have decided that their adopted \u201cgrandma\u201d makes them better than I do, though, because after using lemon juice she sprinkles them with cinnamon and sugar before dehydrating!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Potatoes<\/span><\/h1>\n

A homegrown potato cannot be beaten by its store-bought counterpart.\u00a0 Ever.\u00a0 And so I must argue for cold storage on those, unless you are getting too many eyes and black spots.\u00a0 This time of year, storebought potatoes are generally on good sales with Thanksgiving over and I will often stock up.\u00a0 Our potato patch does not currently sustain our family through the year (it is a goal for next summer, though!).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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I prefer a store potato in its dehydrated form.\u00a0 They tend to be dry and dull-flavored anyway (can you see my gardening bias showing through?), and a dehydrated potato slice saves the day on a weary \u201cwhat\u2019s for dinner\u201d kind of evening?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Dehydrated<\/span><\/p>\n

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First,<\/span> you must boil the potatoes until they are soft in the middle.\u00a0 You cannot skip this step!\u00a0 You do not want to over-boil them until they are falling apart, but just until soft.\u00a0 I say that this is about a half hour.\u00a0 I throw them into a metal bowl and place it into the refrigerator.\u00a0 I save the potato water for the next day\u2019s bread baking.\u00a0 Once the potatoes are chilled, peeling is easily achieved with a paring knife.\u00a0 Next, you will want to pull out your Nesco Food Slicer<\/a>.\u00a0 Remember, even slicing means that food will dehydrate at the same rate in your Excalibur.\u00a0 Pop the slices onto the tray\u2014it is really that easy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Potatoes<\/span><\/p>\n

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Dehydrated potatoes reconstitute in a saucepan of water in about 15 minutes.\u00a0 So my go-to meal is this:\u00a0 I start the saucepan of water and dump potatoes in right away.\u00a0 I pull out the cutting board and slice an onion and whatever veggies I might have on hand (Carrots? Cabbage? Garlic?).\u00a0 By the time I\u2019m done with that, the potatoes have rehydrated and everything is ready for a buttery skillet.\u00a0 15 minutes in a skillet with whatever leftover meat I found in the refrigerator, served with homemade sauerkraut and\u2026WOW!\u00a0 It\u2019s a delicious home cooked meal and an extremely healthy one in\u2026about 15 minutes worth of work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Enjoy,<\/span><\/p>\n

Chaya<\/span><\/p>\n

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Proviso:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Nothing in this blog constitutes medical advice.\u00a0 You should consult your own physician before making any dietary changes.\u00a0 Statements in this blog may or may not be congruent with current USDA or FDA guidance.<\/span><\/p>\n

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