Reducing our food bills

[British Red]

Me, I don't see the point in drying carrots - I store them in barrels of dry sand in the corner of the barn. They can't freeze and just pull them out as needed

Carrots in late March by British Red, on Flickr


Dried mushrooms are different. They are like little flavour bombs - especially shiitake, porcini etc.
Cover in boiling water and leave till it cools. Then use in soup, stew, casserole or stir-fry. Use the liquid too - it's a mushroom stock with amazing flavour.

Why Dried Mushrooms Are Always in Our (Cool, Dark) Pantry

You've seen those fancy dried morels at the market. Here's what to do with them.

www.google.com

Now dried onions are my thing. Dice and dry. A good handful in a loaf mix for soft, yielding onion bread. Just throw into tinned tomatoes to thicken for chilli or Marinara sauce. Cover in warm water with a spoon of sugar in. Flash fry in a hot pan to caramelise and serve on hot dogs.....

Later I will make braised red cabbage with dried apple and onion, a splash of elderberry vinegar and bake in the wood fired oven. It's mind blowing and so healthy.

I can get boring on this topic so I'll stop.

 

[grizzlyj]

Kale dried then whacking into a powder can be added to anything as is. In spag bol it doesn't seem to change the flavour. Celery cut into 3" sections before drying, then frozen, also get chucked into anything calling for it as is. Same for me with ginger and garlic.
Dehydrated pineapple is flipping awesome chewed on as is.
I have yet to specifically rehydrate anything, but put in with a splodge/stew and pressure cooked veg plumps back up mostly anyhow?
(Not BR obvs )

 

[British Red]

Dehydrated pineapple is flipping awesome chewed on as is.

Totally agree

 

[Robson Valley]

Thanks, keep it coming. Do believe I'll give some thought to organizing a mushroom drying episode. I'll string them (cotton) but use the dehydrator to speed things up. I can hang the strings of mushrooms just about anywhere.

 

[Minotaur]

Square foot gardening is worth a look. Not so sure about the soil mix however the planting set up for a home garden makes a lot more sense.
OYR Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening has amazing videos on youtube. Really like the way he sets up his greenhouse which is diy for 4 seasons.

 

[British Red]

It's all well and good to become proficient at drying foods. I find that trying to reconstitute them is most unappetizing.
(Snip)
What would your do and where in your meals would you incorporate these?

I thought of this post today.

Here's a little insight into our use of preserved food that might interest you

Take a while red cabbage, cut into quarters, remove stalk and tough outer leaves and shred with a knife. Red drumhead cabbages being "tight" brassicas will be happy in the fields as long as it's cool. Good in the ground till the end of the month. Put one quarter into a casserole.

Red cabbage in casserole by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Finely dice 4 medium onions. bottom one onion as the next layer. I'm using up the last of the home grown onions. They are getting soft now and won't last more than another few weeks. After that, I'll use dried onions rehydrated in boiling water for 10 minutes.

Add onion to cabbage by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Then take quart jar of dried apples. Chuck them in a bowl and just cover with boiling water. After three minutes, they are soft so put a quarter in as the next layer

Add apple to cabbage by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Them make up a spice mix of four cloves of garlic minced, 4tbs of brown sugar, 1 tsp of cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp ginger, generous knob of butter minced, salt & pepper. Sprinkle a quarter on and add a tbs of vinegar ( I use elderberry because it's fruity).

Cabbage casserole full by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Repeat 4 times building up layers

Cabbage casserole layers by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Throw it in a cool oven for three hours stirring a few times

Braised red cabbage in range by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Oh and plant a few more cabbages

Red cabbage seedlings by English Countrylife, on Flickr

What comes out is a revelation - a cabbage dish worth eating . Sweet, soft, fruity and tangy. Almost like a chutney. Fantastic with a Shepherds pie or Sunday roast.

It's totally a peasant dish using Winter veg and dried ,/ home made staples. But it works.

 

[Robson Valley]

Thankyou. It certainly contains one of each of many things that I do like to eat.

 

[British Red]

Thankyou. It certainly contains one of each of many things that I do like to eat.

This is the finished item. It tastes better than it looks. Soft, tangy, delicious

Braised red cabbage by English Countrylife, on Flickr

 

[SaraR]

I thought of this post today.

Here's a little insight into our use of preserved food that might interest you

Take a while red cabbage, cut into quarters, remove stalk and tough outer leaves and shred with a knife. Red drumhead cabbages being "tight" brassicas will be happy in the fields as long as it's cool. Good in the ground till the end of the month. Put one quarter into a casserole.

Red cabbage in casserole by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Finely dice 4 medium onions. bottom one onion as the next layer. I'm using up the last of the home grown onions. They are getting soft now and won't last more than another few weeks. After that, I'll use dried onions rehydrated in boiling water for 10 minutes.

Add onion to cabbage by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Then take quart jar of dried apples. Chuck them in a bowl and just cover with boiling water. After three minutes, they are soft so put a quarter in as the next layer

Add apple to cabbage by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Them make up a spice mix of four cloves of garlic minced, 4tbs of brown sugar, 1 tsp of cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp ginger, generous knob of butter minced, salt & pepper. Sprinkle a quarter on and add a tbs of vinegar ( I use elderberry because it's fruity).

Cabbage casserole full by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Repeat 4 times building up layers

Cabbage casserole layers by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Throw it in a cool oven for three hours stirring a few times

Braised red cabbage in range by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Oh and plant a few more cabbages

Red cabbage seedlings by English Countrylife, on Flickr

What comes out is a revelation - a cabbage dish worth eating . Sweet, soft, fruity and tangy. Almost like a chutney. Fantastic with a Shepherds pie or Sunday roast.

It's totally a peasant dish using Winter veg and dried ,/ home made staples. But it works.

Sounds yummy! What temperature is your cool oven, roughly?

 

[British Red]

Sounds yummy! What temperature is your cool oven, roughly?

A couple of logs maybe 4" in diameter

Gas Mark 2 / 150C ish. It has to slowly braise not burn.