I think I mentioned that Brad bought 2 turkeys the other day. One for dinner with friends for Thanksgiving and one just for us to Freeze Dry.
2kg of Turkey going in (4.5 lbs) White meat
820g of Turkey coming out (1.8 lbs)
Packaged in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers
Details are written on each bag.
This amount weight 503g going in and 192g coming out, therefore we need to add 311g of water to reconstitute, although meat will only soak up what it needs. We tried a piece and it was exactly the same as it was fresh. Wow.
The next batch was more Turkey - dark meat, 3 chicken soups, 2 butternut squash soups and some strawberry puree.
This batch finished at midnight and I waited for it rather than add more time and deal with it in the morning, so I forgot the after pic. You will just have to trust me it looked just the same as the before. The strawberry puree went soft overnight (you can just run it through again) because what I have learned since is the mylar bags use oxygen absorbers but the mason jars need moisture absorbers, especially here in the PNW. Although I have the FoodSaver jar sealer on order and it is due early November which will solve a lot of my problem - except for the jars we are munching from at the time. If you are opening and closing the jars, the moisture absorbers are a necessity.
Next up: Strawberries, Bananas and Tomatoes
going in...
...and coming out. Again, still learning. I should have dipped the bananas in lemon juice but they are fine but for a slight hint of brown.
However, the tomatoe quarters didn't last the night.
I use mason jars for 'snack' items that will be in short term storage. Mylars are for mid-long term storage. I put 200cc of oxygen absorbers in the quart jar but it seems I also need moisture absorbers.
I have posted my tomatoe predicament on the FaceBook group and peeps are helping me solve it as I type this. Seems the seeds may be the culprit. Seeds hold moisture but I've seen other people do tomatoes, so... these little lessons will happen on occasion, at least it was just a small portion of a batch and not an entire batch of tomatoes that Brad laboured to grow all summer.
Today I'm putting in leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner. Turkey, stuffing and whatever else I can add to make a load.
So why are you doing this? So you don't have to go to the store this winter? You can can all your grown veg. You can freeze soups. You can freeze meat. Does this machine just make it taste better?
ReplyDeleteThe machine does heighten the flavour but on this island, the power goes out quite often during the winter we’re told. Fuel availability is limited (for the generator) and canning is such a pain and mess. This machine allows us to very easily process food and store it without power on a shelf. In the event of a power outage we’ve only to boil water in the wood stove, pour it into the bag, wait 5 min and eat. Roast beef, potatoes, etc. I prefer that to a jar of tomatoes any day. Besides, as you’ve read many times over the years - I hate to cook. This allows me to batch cook, freeze dry and on nights I don’t feel like cooking, I just boil water and we can have Beef Stroganoff, Spaghetti, Meat and potatoes... It might not work for some but to me this is a Godsend.
Deletethat sounds like the perfect setup for living where you do. Wow, it really is quite the machine. Keep showing us what you make. It looks delish!
ReplyDeleteWill do
DeleteYour garden kept you busy all summer and now Betty is keeping you busy in the Fall! lol I guess the winter will be for eating as all your chores will be done. :)
ReplyDeleteNo rest for the wicked ;)
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