Best for freezing?

That looks scrumptious Nick... love the colour. Good with pasta and parmesan?
Jenny

 

Im having some for dinner in exactly that way - so I will let you know !

 

OxfordNick are you using a waterbath pasteurisation method (+ adding acid)?

 

Once upon a time we used to freeze quite a lot, but it became too much work and took up too much time at a time of year we were both very busy in our jobs.
Nowadays we mainly dehydrate instead of freezing, it's easier and the products don't take up nearly the same amount of space and they also keep longer.

We dehydrate -
Peas, beans, leeks, a few carrots, toms, apples, strawberries and pears.

Onions and cucs get sliced and pickled in vinegar. Beetroot gets pickled and courgettes, cauli, onion and french beans end up as piccalilly.

 

kinda - I fill the washing up bowl with boiling water, add the jars & top up from the kettle & pull them out in small batches of 2 or 3 before filling so they self seal as they cool - no acid (lemon - vinegar etc) in this batch, so im not planning on keeping it for more than a couple of weeks.

Dinner was good - a little too sweet for me, I probably didnt need any extra sugar as everything was fresh - will try to remember with the next batch !

 

This is the minimum standard I'd suggest using for pasteurising http://www.ciderworkshop.com/juicepasteurising.htmln although I personally use a much more professional setup than that, costing several hundred pounds, and perhaps a lot more than that taking account of all the other stuff I use for preserving fruits & juices.

 

Ooh I like that site - useful - thanks - I think if I was reguarly making batches of stuff then I would definately have a better setup, but last year I got three usable tomatoes in total, so I cant really justify it at the moment.. mind you - I am thinking of putting up a second greenhouse as the first has worked out so well ... and theres a reasonable chance of a good apple crop this year.. who knows where it will all end !

 

Raspberries thaw from frozen like they've just been picked! On a Pavlova meringue base with whipped cream in the middle of Winter. A lovely Pick Me Up,
Jenny

 

I can do that Shiney!

 

I've found the best way to freeze potatoes is to make them into mash, then roll them into golf sized balls and freeze. Defrost them in the microwave for 2 minutes and it's as good as fresh, without as much effort. I haven't tried this yet with my own maincrops as I haven't grown any yet, but have done this when I've had a glut from the shops/bought them on offer.

 

Dehydrator on offer today, is it going to be any good. experts opinions please as I know nothing about them, just for single person use .

http://www.groupon.co.uk/deals/nati...gg-groupon-goods-global-gmb-h-51-864-28981556

 

I have a dehydrator that is similar (a stack of circular trays) and it works well. Some details in this thread:
http://gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/threads/preserving-our-surplus-tomatos.14336/page-2#post-163155

 

Read your thread, this seems a good buy as I have a glut of apples, you use it on the economy electric, you understand this better than me, I only have one rate but at 250 watts, lowest setting, will it only use an electric bulbs worth.
Then next year dry my tomatoes.

searched on line found this site
http://www.nourishingtreasures.com/...rator-recipes-sweet-tangy-dried-mango-slices/


,I like the look of quite a few of these,, looking forward to the dried mango tried them and they are gorgeous.