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![\"the](\"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/media\/Blog_Photos_2012\/Resized-The_lowly_bottle.jpg\")
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So when I passed by this bottle in the break room at work, my upbringing kicked in and I reflexively picked it up to examine it and see what other purpose it might fulfill.\u00a0 After all, the price was right\u2014it was being thrown away.\u00a0 Here is a short list:<\/p>\n
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- Lightning bug catcher\u2014it is winter in Montana, bummer<\/li>\n
- Soil sample container\u2014see conclusion number one<\/li>\n
- Yellow jacket trap\u2014 see conclusion number one<\/li>\n
- Seed sprouter\u2014cool<\/li>\n
- Head bonker\u2014as seen on the movie, The Gods Must be Crazy<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n
- Food storage container\u2014yes, my grandmother would be proud!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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Then the idea hit me that this bottle had a capacity in fluid ounces, but how much food could it store<\/em> for me?<\/p>\n
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Great thoughts often sneak up on you, and it eventually came to me that frozen vegetables were on sale at the local grocery store.\u00a0 We dehydrate with our Excalibur 9 Tray pretty much all the time.\u00a0 Bananas were on sale this week and so we have banana chips in process as I write this.<\/p>\n
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First of all, why glass?\u00a0 As fantastic as plastic is for space exploration, medical devices or fishing line\u2014not all food plastics<\/a> are the same.\u00a0 We typically reuse all of our glass jars in our house.\u00a0 A spaghetti sauce jar is on a one way trip when it leaves the store.\u00a0 With this experiment, I wanted to reclaim something from the waste stream that can be used for our profit.\u00a0 A post-consumer glass bottle can be taken to the dump or to the bank.<\/p>\n
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Secondly, why fill the bottle with dehydrated food?\u00a0 \u00a0I have seen some interesting experiments done with commodities such as rice, oatmeal and wheat in post-consumer bottles before, and I do like the idea.\u00a0 Storing food in a five gallon pail is great, but if you want oatmeal do you really want to break the seal on a five gallon pail for one or two breakfast servings?\u00a0 Ditto for wheat or rice in a spaghetti sauce jar.<\/p>\n
![\"Oatmeal\"](\"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/media\/Blog_Photos_2012\/resized_oats.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThere are lots of great posts on the internet telling you how to store water–slightly chlorinated in a two liter soda bottle under the bed is great peace of mind.\u00a0 And it is mighty cheap insurance if you are in earthquake country.<\/p>\n
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Lastly, why frozen vegetables?\u00a0 Anything that goes into the dehydrator with as much cellulose and fiber as a carrot or corn kernel needs to be blanched first.\u00a0 If you are not familiar with blanching, here is a great article<\/a> on it from our friend Sharon Peterson at simplycanning.com.\u00a0 Basically you dip the item in boiling water to soften the outside so that you avoid \u201ccase hardening\u201d in the dehydrator. \u00a0You would have to look long and hard to see the down side to something that is blanched (dehydrator ready), pre cut and on sale!<\/p>\n
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![\"dump](\"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/media\/Blog_Photos_2012\/resizedump_bag_onto_tray.jpg\")
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Step one: wash and dry bottle.<\/p>\n
Step two: dump frozen vegetables on dehydrator tray.<\/p>\n
Step three: set time for dehydrator.<\/p>\n
Step four: put dehydrated vegetables in the bottle.<\/p>\n
Step five (optional): add oxygen absorber<\/p>\n
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Here are the vegetables at 12 hours:<\/p>\n
![\"12](\"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/media\/Blog_Photos_2012\/resized12_hours_later.jpg\")
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Here are the vegetables at 24 hours:<\/p>\n
![\"24](\"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/media\/Blog_Photos_2012\/resized_24_hours_later.jpg\")
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Done!<\/p>\n
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Later, when frozen vegetables are not on sale, you can still enjoy them in a soup or stew anytime.\u00a0 They will always be on sale to you<\/em> because you preserved them minus the risk of freezer burn<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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![\"done\"](\"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/media\/Blog_Photos_2012\/Resized-recycled_jar_finished_product.jpg\")
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I managed to get two one-pound bags into the bottle.\u00a0 As you can see, 2 \u00bd pounds would have easily made it in there.\u00a0 These will go on the shelf without any further cost to store them.<\/p>\n
Check out my other blog post: The 9 Tray Excalibur Dehydrator vs. Deep Freezer–what does it really cost to store food?<\/a><\/p>\n
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Wilson<\/p>\n
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Pro Deo et Patria<\/p>\n
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- Food storage container\u2014yes, my grandmother would be proud!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n