I’m keeping the freeze dryer busy or . . is the freeze dryer keeping me busy? 🙂
I mentioned that I picked four gallons of peppers before I left for Louisiana so I left all those in the fridge. When I got back I picked two more gallons. I cut up all the peppers, filled one tray and maybe a couple of inches on a second tray with bell peppers. The other almost three trays had jalapeno, nadapeno, poblano, bell, marconi, lipstick, banana and I don’t know what else.
The one tray of bell peppers filled four pint jars. The other three trays of peppers went into the blender and made a fine mixed pepper powder and you can see that it only took up about 3/4 of a pint jar. Sure takes up less room when they get turned into powder.
Last night I was just getting out of the shower and a neighbor called and said he was bringing a bag of okra. The freeze dryer had just finished defrosting so I cut up the okra, filled three trays.
I won’t run it til it’s full so I went out and picked a bowl of basil.
Got that spread on the tray and it was ready to go.
I’m guessing this load will be finished Wednesday evening. Thursday I plan to run a full load of basil. I think there’s enough basil needing to be harvested that I can fill all four trays.
Laura says
I don’t know how you do everything that you do with your garden. We have three fruit trees, a couple of cherry tomato plants and some herbs. Lately it’s all I can do to keep up with picking and slicing, freezing, sharing or eating them. It’s fun, though.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
Thankfully, things around here don’t need attention all at the same time. The fruit trees aren’t producing yet but when they do, they’ll be my priority. For the tomatoes, I rinse them, put them in bags and stick them in the freezer. In the Fall, I’ll take care of making sauce and other tomato products. I do have to can the potatoes. The freeze dryer takes 2 – 3 days so if I can get things sliced or chopped in there, that gives me a day or so to work on something else.
Karen Rankin says
Please tell me how you freeze dried whole okra. That’s the main reason I purchased a freeze dryer. I really can’t find out how, and I have search everywhere.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
I freeze dry the small pods but slice the larger pods. I just stick it in there and do it like everything else.