DIY Vanilla: You'll Never Go Back!

Never in my life, did I think I would want to drink my homemade Vanilla!

It smells so heavenly every time I open the bottle.

In fact when I'm baking, my Hubby, and last daughter left at home, will remind me to go easy on the Vanilla!  But it is so hard!

I had never tasted real Vanilla until just four years ago.  I didn't know what I was missing, but now that I do, and I realize it's less expensive to have real vanilla than the weird, chemically laden substitute, I'm sold.

Making your own Vanilla is a snap.

You'll need:

• Quart or Tall Jars

•  100 proof Vodka (50% Alcohol or stronger)

• Vanilla Beans (The volume of Vanilla Bean is up to you.  I usually buy 1/2 lb, and divide them up between 3-4 qts, although some recipes only call for as little as 2 or 3 Vanilla Pods per quart.  I would rather concentrate those flavors, and use less, store less, and get better flavor, so I put quite a few in my jars.)

Instructions:

• With a sharp knife, slice your vanilla pods lengthwise to open them up, and if they are longer than your jar, cut them in half so all your pods are immersed in the liquid at the end.

• Divide your pods between your jars (I like quart size or larger)

• Cover pods with Vodka until all bean are covered.

• Put your lid on.

• Store in a cool dark place.

• Shake Daily for two weeks (its more vital the first few days...)
  

When is it ready?

You could begin using your vanilla as early as six weeks, but I am a stickler for taste.  So mine will steep and age for nearly six months before I begin using it.

It makes all the difference in the world in baking, candies, and everything else.  Enjoy having enough Vanilla for years to come with practically no effort and minimal cost!  

Try giving it as a gift!

Celery, Onion, Minerals and Sodium, Making Your Own Spices

I've left half an onion in my refrigerator more times than I can count.

I hate throwing the unused half away or letting it go to waste.  But it seems to be an unwritten rule that the next time I clean out the fridge, it's shriveled, or forgotten at the back of the drawer.

I find it easier to chop up the whole thing, (usually the second half is just sliced since it's quicker) and half goes in my meal at hand; the other half I immediately throw in my dehydrator, for 12-48 hours, depending on your humidity.  Even here in Utah, it's usually closer to the 24-36 hour mark.

Once I'm sure it's dry and cracks nicely, I place the dehydrated onion in my blender and powder it thoroughly.

You can do the same thing for

• celery
• carrots
• mushrooms
• tomatoes
• peppers
• broccolli
• cauliflower
• ginger root,
• parsley or other fresh herbs

Almost anything that you have more of, than what you need, will work and then I store them in those great little containers they have at the "dollar store".

With celery, I keep it all, the leaves and the stalks, then dry and powder them.

Celery is  such an underrated veggie!  It's packed with more than a dozen antioxidants (these help keep cancer causing free radicals at bay), and flavnoids (those phytonutrients that help reduce inflammation and protect our red blood cells!)

Then there's celery's sodium content; in a large stalk of celery (about a pound) there is nearly 400 mg of sodium.  It makes a great salt substitute, and the flavor is out of this world!

By drying, and even powdering your vegetables, you'll find it's a great way to hide all kinds of things in a soup!  (My Hubby always tells me how he hates peppers...can I just say he has no clue he's been eating them our whole married life...:)

Use your imagination, and if the world comes to

a screeching halt, you're prepared...if it doesn't, well, you're still prepared!

Let me know what works for you!

Too Many Eggs? Why Not Dehydrate Them!

 Considering it's winter time, I usually get just a few eggs daily, or often one or none from my little brood of 9 Black Australorps.  But not this year.

My little gals have been working overtime laying on average, 13 eggs every two days.  Even during the coldest snaps.

For our empty nest, with just the three of us (yes, our youngest daughter is still stuck at home...poor thing...) we can't possibly eat all of them.  

Since July I've been inundated with eggs, and so something needed to be done.  Can I just say, I love my dehydrator?  It always comes through for me!

It's a simple process that anyone can do, regardless of the brand of dehydrator you might have.  



Step One:

Crack your eggs into a blender, and whip them on high.  The fluffier you get them, the better they dry...and the quicker.

Step Two:

Line your tray with wax paper or a "fruit leather" tray cover.  I fold up the edges of my paper, to make a tray with sides.  That way your eggs don't run off the edges.

Step Three:

Place your trays in your machine, and if you have a temperature gauge turn it to 135-145 degrees.  Otherwise, just turn it on, and wait for it to get crackly and crispy. 
Then turn it off and let it cool down before you put it in the food processor.

Step Four:

After you brush off the dehydrated eggs into the food processor, you'll need to alternately pulse it, and let it run, and do this back and forth, until you get the nice powder you're going to be happy with.

Step Five:

Place your powdered eggs in a zippy bag, and store them in a paper lunch sack in a cool dry place.





Using Your Eggs Is Simple:

2 T. dry egg powder + 1/4 c. water for a large egg, will work perfect for baking.

I've never thought they re-constituted really well. I think they seem to be  better as baking items since they get a strange texture when you rehydrate them and scramble them, but that's just me.  You may love them in an omelette!  Experiment for yourself, and see what works best for your family.

Done right, dried thoroughly, and stored properly, these eggs can have a shelf life of 5-10 years.   


I would love to hear how you put dehydrated eggs to good use!  Leave a comment below!

 The information presented at Herbs and Wildcrafting is for educational purposes only. No statement has been evaluated by any federal agency, medical expert, nutritionist or even the town gossip.  Remember to do your  research.