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The Art of Drying Vegetables
By Mary Emma Allen
Drying vegetables has been an age-old method of preservation used
in the years before refrigeration, a method of our ancestors. However,
drying of fruits and vegetables had come back into fashion with many
people who want to utilize the old-fashioned ways of preserving their
foods.
There is just so much you can get into the freezer, just so much
you have time to or want to can. So you may want to discover which
vegetables you can dry successfully and utilize in interesting recipes
for your family.
Many Foods Can Be Dried
The list of foods which lend themselves to the drying process
becomes almost endless - beans of all kinds, beets, onions, corn,
carrots, peppers, peas, pumpkins, winter squash, summer squash, herbs,
and fruits.
Some people use home dehydrators made especially for this. But
many foods can be dried right in your oven. Of course, our ancestors
dried their foods in the sun and in the attic.
(Also, if you contact the Home Extension Service in your area,
you might find information about drying fruits and vegetables. This data
is available in some cookbooks on your shelf or at your local bookstore.)
Drying Corn
Drying corn and beans has been done for years and years. The
Pennsylvania Dutch, in particular, are noted for dishes made from this
vegetable.
*To oven dry corn, plunge the freshly picked ears into boiling
water for five minutes. Then dunk them into cold water. When cool
enough to handle, cut the corn off the cob. Spread it out on large
trays, preferably enamel, some home dryers say.
The corn can be one to 1 1/2 inches in depth on the trays. Place
them in a warm oven, about 150 degrees F. and leave them until the corn
is thoroughly and rather brittle.
*If you have a wood burning stove, you can dry corn on the back
of the stove or in the warming oven. You will want to stir it
occasionally so it dries evenly.
*With a food dehydrator, follow the directions for drying corn
that come with it.
*Store the corn in glass jars, plastic bags, plastic containers
,or clean coffee or shortening cans with tight fitting lids.
Cooking Dried Corn
To cook, soak 1 cup corn in 2 cups cold water for at least two
hours. Then add salt and pepper to taste, possibly a dash of sugar, and
simmer slowly until the corn is tender.
Before serving, you can add butter, cream or milk, if desired.
Or make it into a corn chowder or soup.
Drying Beans
*One method of drying string beans is to string them on thread
with a needle. Then hang the strings up to dry in a warm, dry place,
like a pantry, unused bedroom, or attic.
*Follow the directions that come with your dehydrator.
Leather Britches
An old-fashioned dried bean dish often was called Leather
Britches. This consisted of dried string beans cooked with ham.
For this dish, remove some beans from the strings and soak them
overnight. The following day, boil them for about three house. About an
hour before serving, add a ham hock, salt pork, piece of slab bacon, or
sausage. Boil these together for about an hour, until the liquid is low.
Many pioneers made a meal of this with hot biscuits or corn
bread.
(c)2000 Mary Emma Allen
About the author
Mary Emma Allen, who lives in New Hampshire, often researches and
writes about historical topics. She's also a children's author. Visit
her web site: http://homepage.fcgnetworks.net/jetent/mea;
me.allen@juno.com.
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