Dehydrating is very versatile, you can dehydrate something whole, chopped, or pureed. Today we will be dehydrating whole apricots and making fruit leather.
My favorite way to preserve food is through dehydrating. Not only is it one of the easiest ways to preserve, it is the most beneficial. When something is dehydrated the water is removed but the nutrients stay intact, even when something is frozen there is nutrient loss. Dehydrating takes up a lot less space on your pantry shelves and leaves precious freezer space for other things. And best of all you can get a 5-10 year self life versus 1-2 years for canning and 6 months for the freezer!
Dehydrating is very versatile, you can dehydrate something whole, chopped, or pureed. Today we will be dehydrating whole apricots and making fruit leather.
Before dehydrating fruits it's a good idea to soak in lemon juice or citric acid for 10-15 minutes to prevent browning. I used 1 Tbsp. citric acid per 1 gallon of cold water. Citric acid is more concentrated than lemon juice and does a better job of preserving color.
Next, fill your trays and place on the fruit/veggie setting. I like my apricots a raisin like texture, still soft. What I got was very chewy ones because I forgot about them and they went all night long. I tell you this so you remember to check on those babies after about 8 hours. If they need to go overnight I just lower the temperature and check first think in the morning. I store mine in quart jars and if you have a food saver with the canning attachment you can prolong the shelf life even longer.
Last year I pureed my apricots and threw them on my dehydrator trays and thought I was good to go. They were so tart that no one would eat them and they ended up in the compost pile. Well this year I was going to make a yummy batch of apricot fruit leather - enter some sweetener. Honey is my favorite sweetener so that is what we used. As a rule of thumb about a tablespoon honey per cup of puree. Although after taste testing we stopped measuring and just poured the honey in until it tasted good and sweet.
Place on the fruit roll sheets for the dehydrator and dehydrate at 100 or below to preserve the healing benefits of the honey. It should peel and bend easily when done. I let mine go too long again (I get distracted easily) so we had apricot "crisps" along with fruit leather. After peeling them off, roll up in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container.
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We just had a big apricot picking day at my aunt's farm. Now the question is - What to do with all these apricots? I like to do a combination of preserving techniques with most of my garden vegetables and fruit. With apricots we will be canning, freezing and dehydrating.
Citric Acid Wash
The first thing I do is give them a little citric acid wash. I put 1/4 cup citric acid in a sink full of cold water. The citric acid will prevent browning, cleans and removes dirt from the food. As I do with everything, I also added a couple drops of lemon essential oil. I then enlisted a couple of helpers to pull the apricots apart and remove the pits. One helper decided to just eat the apricots and then throw the pit in the bucket, that works too.
I don't do the traditional canning of the apricot halves (we freeze and dehydrate those) instead we make apricot syrup. My kids love this on their pancakes and waffles and it tastes so good on fresh bread. Because I pressure can them for our food storage I do use *gasp* refined sugar, although a much lower amount than the original recipe calls for, which is why it is a syrup and not a jar. If anyone has a great canning apricot jam/syrup recipe that does not use refined sugar, please share!
Apricot Syrup Recipe
Pour in sterilized pint jars (this batch make 9 pints), wipe tops, and place hot lids and rings on. I really like the tattler reusable lids, which I need more of since I only had two left. I know a lot of people just water bath their jams and syrups but I find it easier to just pressure can them, so do what you like best. Bring up to 10 lbs. pressure then turn off the stove and wait for the pan to cool down before removing the jars.
Apricot Syrup
15 cups pureed apricots 1/2 cup lemon juice 6 Tablespoons pectin (2 boxes) 3 cups sugar Mix apricots and lemon juice in a large saucepan. Stir in pectin and bring to a boil. Stir in sugar and boil for four minutes. Pour in pint jars, seal with lids, and place in a pressure canner. Bring the pressure up to 10 lbs. and turn off the stove. This recipe makes 9 pints and I always double it to fill my pressure canner.
This blend of herbs supports and strengthens the respiratory system which will help with treating respiratory conditions including, coughs, bronchitis, croup, sore throat, inflamed tonsils, and even whooping cough. I had this on hand last year during the whooping cough outbreak. My two year old was exposed to a child with whooping cough and the next day had croup symptoms. I gave her this in glycerite form all day, along with my Decongestant Salve, immune support essential oil blend on the feet and diffused respiratory support essential oil blend throughout the house. Within two days the croup was gone.
Mix together equal parts of wild cherry bark, thyme and chamomile. You can now use this blend to make a traditional tincture, glcyerite or herbal tea. Just make sure you do not boil this blend, the high heat will destroy the healing properties of the wild cherry bark. I prefer to make a glycerite since I usually give this to children and I prefer the taste of glycerites over traditional tinctures.
Why These Herbs?
Chamomile - great herb for children with an apple like flavor, calms, soothes, reduces fevers, sedative and pain relieving.
Dosage
Administer 1 dropperful of glycerite or tincture every waking hour until symptoms subside. For herbal tea, for children sip a pint of tea daily, adults sip on a quart daily.
Where to Get Ingredients
I like to purchase all herbs that I don't have access to in my own garden from either Mountain Rose Herbs or Bulk Herb Store. I trust them for high quality, organic herbs that are the next best thing to home grown. If you want to make the glycerite make sure to get a food grade, good quality vegetable glycerine, both Mountain Rose Herbs and Bulk Herb Store carry this as well as Amazon and Bulk Apothecary - I have used vegetable glycerine from all of these sources and have been happy with all of them.
Other Respiratory Remedies
Shared on:Frugal Days
While at Patriot Camp we had a couple of injuries and I was able to pull out my little emergency first aid kit I keep in my purse. It has four items in it and that is all I need for the cut, scrape and abrasion here and there. It contains a wound wash, which I will show you how to make today, my healing salve, some cotton pads and band-aids.
I was able to quickly spray the wound, cleaning and disinfecting it, wipe with the cotton pad, apply the salve, which speeds healing and prevents infection and slap on a band-aid. All better, all naturally! Wound Wash Recipe
3 oz. herbal infused witch hazel (lavender, yarrow, thyme, calendula)
3 oz. distilled water (or calendula tea) 2 oz. aloe vera liquid 1 Tbsp. castile soap 30 drops Melaleuca angustifolia (tea tree) essential oil or first aid blend 15 drops lavender essential oil
To make the herbal infused witch hazel mix together equal parts lavender, thyme, yarrow and calendula. Fill a jar 1/4 full of the herbs and pour witch hazel up to 1" from the top, steep for 2-4 weeks and strain. You can make an herbal tea from any of the above mentioned herbs with distilled water or use just plain distilled water. Then add the remaining ingredients. Mix well and pour into a spritzer bottle.
Other First Aid Remedies
Herbal honey is an easy and delicious way to get herbs into your diet and not only are you benefiting from the herb, but the honey is packed with healing properties itself. As long as your honey is raw (hasn't been heated or processed) it contains healing enzymes, vitamins, antioxidants and it is anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. That means you can use the honey itself as a topical first aid healer for bug bites, wounds, burns, rashes and any skin issues. Adding raw honey to your food also enhances the absorption of nutrients, delivering the healing properties of the herb deeper into the body. You can use any herb or combination of herbs to make an herbal honey, today we are making Thyme Honey.
How to Make an Herbal Honey
You can used fresh, dried or powdered herbs. I will be using fresh thyme leaves and flowers from the garden. The flowers have the most medicinal properties when they are first opening, but you can pick and use them any time. You can also mix and match your herbs depending on the healing properties you want to utilize. Ginger is another great immune and respiratory herb to make a honey with and you could mix it with your thyme if you desire.
Separate your leaves and flowers from the stems and fill your jar half full. If using dried herbs fill it 1/4 full.
Next, warm your honey until it is soft enough to pour. You don't want to kill the healing benefits of the honey so only warm it over very low heat (heat over 110 will destroy the enzymes). It is pretty hot here in Utah, so I just put my honey outside for awhile and it softened right up to the pourable state.
Pour the honey into your jar until full, then stir with a knife to make sure the herb is completely covered. Let is steep for 2 weeks before using. The herbs will naturally rise to the top of the jar so you can scrape them out if desired, but I like to leave them in.
Now the fun begins. Add your honey to hot cereal, spread on toast, pancakes or waffles. Use instead of jam, as a syrup, in marinades and salad dressings or sauces. Bake into deserts and mix in smoothies. When feeling under the weather mix up an instant thyme tea by warming a cup of water and adding 1 tablespoon of thyme honey.
I was a little nervous having my first taste of thyme honey because I thought it would have such a strong taste but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it tasted like lemon honey. It is my new favorite and the only thing I put on my toast anymore. Related Posts
Raw honey can be found at the health food store, Amazon, Bulk Herb Store and most local farmers markets have it available, I also saw some at Costco the last time I was there. If you don't have herbs growing in your garden make sure to purchase organic, high quality herbs. I trust Mountain Rose Herbs and Bulk Herb Store for all the herbs I don't have available to me.
Shared on: Natural Living Monday, Mostly Homemade, The Gathering Spot, Frugal Days, Wildcrafting Wednesday, Encourage One Another, Homemaking Blog Hop, Natural Living Link Up, Thrifty Thursday, Simple Lives, Old Fashioned Friday, From the Farm, Real Foods Friday.
Thymus vulgaris
Family: Labiatae/Lamiaceae - Mint family Parts Used: leaves and blossoms Energetics: warming, drying Systems Affected: respiratory, digestive There are over 60 species of thyme and just walking down the herb aisle at the local nursery you get a little sampling of the varieties. Common garden thyme (vulgaris) is the most aromatic, hardy and medicinal of the varieties but I like to plant a few different types throughout my garden.
Thyme is one of those herbs you never want to be without. It is not only supportive to the body during winter months when dealing with respiratory complaints, colds and flu. But also in the summer months when utilizing the antiseptic properties for cleansing and healing wounds and owies that seem more prevalent. Today we will be learning all about thyme and how to use it in your kitchen, home pharmacy and first aid kit.
Properties and Herbal Actions
Beauty and Personal Care
Because of the disinfectant and deodorizing qualities of thyme it is a very useful herb for including in personal care preparations. Here are some ways you can use this herb to care for your body:
In the Home
Uses
Methods of Use
Care/Harvesting
Best started from a root division or nursery plant.
Harvesting:
RecipesResources
Herbal Roots Zine - Thyme
Rosemary Gladstar's Garden Wisdoms: Sage and Thyme Benefits of Thyme by Dr. Axe Medicinal Herbs A Beginner's Guide Essential Herbal Wisdom Breverton's Complete Herbal
If you don't have thyme in your garden yet make sure you purchase an organic, high quality herb. You want the color to be vibrant and the aroma strong. I have used thyme from Mountain Rose Herbs and Bulk Herb Store and I trust both of them to have high quality products.
Before my hubby will eat anything I make he asks, "What did you do to it?" Well this is one of those recipes that I did something to and now he won't eat them, but he should because the rest of us think they are delicious!
Taking the last section of dough we separated from the bread dough recipe, roll it out in a large rectangle.
Mix together 1 cup of coconut sugar and 1/4 cup of cinnamon in a bowl. (You can substitute the coconut sugar for brown sugar)
Using a pastry brush, spread a good amount of butter all over the top of the dough. Sprinkle the sugar/cinnamon mixture all over the dough.
Roll the dough up into a log. Using some thread, slide under the log about an inch or so wide and cross over the top to cut into individual rolls.
Place onto a cookie sheet and let rise until doubled. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Let cool slightly then frost with Annie's Cream Cheese Frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting 1 package of cream cheese 2-3 Tbsp or of maple syrup (sweeten to your taste) I wanted a thinner frosting so I added a little bit of kefir or you could do milk or yogurt until the desired consistency. Use a mixer to blend until smooth. Spread over cinnamon rolls. We like to use this frosting to spread on our whole wheat bread and top with fresh berries for a yummy lunch.
This post was shared on: Whole Foods Wednesday.
My friend makes the yummiest breads, rolls, and bakery items. I used to come home with a fresh loaf of bread on my porch and my husband would tell me the bread fairy had come again. What was most amazing was it was 100% whole wheat, yet light and fluffy. I had her come over a few years ago and show me step by step how to make it and I'm happy to share that recipe with you today (although hers still tastes better than mine).
I have a Bosch mixer so you may have to adjust the mixing times if not using a Bosch. Knead for 1 minute then check the texture of the dough by pinching it with your fingers. If your fingers sink right through add more flour, if it feels real stiff add more water. You want it right between those two. Now knead on low for 5 more minutes. I was having problems with my bread looking done on the outside but still being doughy in the inside. I was so frustrated, so I called Kitchen Kneads, this awesome local bulk food and kitchen appliance store. They were so nice and gave me this trick I have used ever since for perfectly cooked bread. I don't preheat my oven. Just place all three bread pans in the oven and then turn it on to 350. Bake it for 30-35 minutes. Mine is perfect at the 35 minute mark. With that last piece of dough I make different things depending on the mood and the day. We might roll them into smaller balls and make personal pan pizzas, scones, rolls, etc., whatever you might use dough for. We have also made cinnamon rolls, hot pockets and sometimes just another loaf of bread.
A few years ago I was given a Wondermill Grain Mill for Christmas. It has been my favorite gift ever and I use it weekly to grind my own flours. I say flours because I make several kinds that I use for different purposes. I want to share those flours with you today.
Breakfast Flour
I call this breakfast flour because it is a perfect blend of grains for making pancakes, waffles, muffins, etc. It gives them a light fluffy texture rather than being heavy like some whole wheat flours. Just pour equal parts brown rice, barley and soft white wheat into your grain mill. Pour into a container and stir to mix the flours together.
Multi-Grain Multi-Purpose Flour
Whole Wheat Flour
Then we have plain ole whole wheat flour. The best kind of wheat to use for this is hard white wheat. It is perfect for making fluffy, soft bread and whole wheat tortillas. I always make my bread from freshly ground whole wheat because it naturally warms the yeast-honey mixture and the bread turns out so light and fluffy.
Pastry Flour
To make a whole grain pastry flour, pour soft white wheat into your grinder. This flour is great for making, well, pastries. I have successfully used this for pie dough and breakfast tarts, any recipe that calls for pastry flour.
This post was shared on: Whole Foods Wednesday.
This particular salve is my favorite for cuts, wounds, scrapes, and any type of skin condition. It is antibacterial and antifungal making it perfect for fighting infection. I keep a container of this in my first aid kit, my emergency car kit, my purse, and both of my bathrooms. I love this stuff!
First, make an herbal infused oil, with the following herbs:
4 parts lavender flowers 3 parts echinacea root (or Oregon Grape Root or half and half) 3 parts calendula flowers 2 parts plantain 2 parts comfrey 2 parts St. Johns Wort 2 parts yarrow Fill a quart jar 1/2 full of dried herbs or 3/4 full if using fresh. Pour olive oil over the herbs until it is one inch from the top of the jar and then screw on the lid. Follow the instructions for infusing an herbal oil here.
Pour the herbal infused oil into a pan. Add an ounce of beeswax per cup of oil and melt over very low heat. Remove from heat and cool for a minute or two then add 1 tsp. per cup of oil a first aid essential oil blend (I use Butterfly Express MelaPlus for this salve) or one or more of the oils listed below. Pour into containers until solid, then cap and store in a cool, dry location.
I like to pour some of this salve into lip balm containers for a travel size version. I keep these in my purse, church bag, and if I still needed one, a diaper bag. I usually carry a couple because I always end up giving them away. Having this salve in a lip balm container also makes it easier for my "I do it myself" two year old to apply without a big mess on my hands.
lavender
melaleuca helichrysum rosemary eucalyptus dorado azul Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) cypress thyme oregano German chamomile mountain savory frankincense myrrh spikenard Where to Purchase Supplies for This Project
What I can't grow in my garden I like to purchase from either Mountain Rose Herbs or Bulk Herb Store. Both of these companies have high quality, organic products that I have used and love. Make sure the essential oils you use are 100% genuine.
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Hi, I’m Annie, a child of God, Mother of Influence and Herbalist. Welcome to my place where I share what I have learned of natural and frugal living, healthy eating and living, gardening, homeschooling, herbal crafting, preparing temporally and spiritually, and love for God and Country.
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January 2023
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