Air tight...

H:
I was considering purchasing a vacuum sealer to seal up some items that last longer better when vacuum sealed... well how great is it to have awesome friends?  Our friend, Kathryn, loaned us her sealer and tossed in a box of bag material!  I can't wait to get started with it.

Dehydrator 1 is filled with canned pineapple.  I bought some to eat and harvest off the juice for dipping apples.  I decided to try them again in the dehydrator.  This time I had chunks of pineapple that I sliced into 1/8th inch slices.  Dave suggested smashing it up with a rolling pin or putting it through the blender.  The pineapple is pretty soft so just I grabbed a fork and smashed each piece flat.  I did two cans of each type of process.

Nibs of pineapple.

Flattened pineapple chips.

This morning it is just under 24 hours and the smashed pineapple turned out lovely and crispy and stayed a bit spread out.  The sliced chunks shriveled up quite a bit in all directions and are still have a bit of water in them.  I think the nibs are great for say... pineapple rice on the trail while the smashed flat will be great for trail mix snacks.  

Dehydrator 2 is packed with frozen vegetables, peas, green beans, broccoli.

Yesterday I purchased more beans for drying in the dehydrators.  As I'm packing the beans away I find that I'm nibbling on the dried beans.  This morning I looked up recipes for roasted beans.  Currently in my oven are garbanzo beans with a little olive oil.  These will soon be tossed with cumin, garlic, and a bit of salt.  I have a recipe for kidney beans that are tossed with a bit of brown sugar and spices.  Yum!.

Click HERE for the recipe.

I think I roasted them just a bit too long.  The recipe said 400 degrees F but the person said they roasted at 325 because they were using a convection oven.  I started at 400 but the beans seemed to be roasted too fast as they were still mushy but getting very brown.  I turned it down and they are quite brown but now crispy and dry.  They still taste good, just a little too done.  

Hm... time for another batch!