I cannot believe that I had that dehydrator tucked away for umpteen years and didn't try drying any fruit! I ordered four more trays just before the long weekend, and was thrilled to be able to pick them up at the post office on Tuesday after. That blessed dehydrator has been running almost every day, and many nights, since then. I have dried most of the apples we had, and then moved onto pears. Oh boy, are the pears good! So now there are 8 trays of fruit drying. The pears take about 11 hours, so if I am on the ball, one lot gets dried during the day, and then I load another lot in just before I go to bed. Sometimes I just don't feel like it though, that late at night. Anyway, I've just about done all the Bartlett pears. We have another tree, Comice pears, that we will start to pick before Sunday.
The last picking of the pears early in the month. At a rough guess, this is about 1/3 of the total amount of pears off that semi dwarf tree. Not pretty, but delicious!
One tray loaded
A melon baller is the perfect tool for coring the pears. I cut them in half and scoop out the core. I do the apples exactly the same. Then I slice them into roughly 3/16 inch slices.
Dried and sweet! A few bananas too.
Today though I discovered that as good as the Bartletts are, the asian pears are even better. Meredith brought me a box full from a friend at work. They are such watery things, but oh boy, when they are dry, they are almost like candy. They shrink up much more than any of the other fruit I have dried, so you don't end up with much, but they are so good!
Last Friday's harvest. The Fall raspberries have been great too, and are still producing. My favourite thing about gardening....nibbling a bit of this and that while I am working out there. The garden, the mess that it is, brings me such pleasure. I love producing good food!
Meanwhile Farmer Larry has been doing some landscaping.
Behind the barn (last week). There should have been a before picture. This was a mess of blackberries and trees that had seeded themselves, all grown in and through old machinery and junk. David started to clear it before he went to England, and Larry is finishing it off.
This week he finished cleaning it up and got it harrowed and smoothed out. I'm eyeing it up as a place to plant the dahlias next year.
I am amazed at the pears!! and amazed at all the fruits and vegetables and flowers that you grow. Oh my gosh, if we had only one fruit tree that would produce, I would be happy. We have a dehydrator just like yours. Pears are $1.49/lb. at Walmart. That's probably not cheap, but maybe I'll try drying some and a few bananas. You are such an inspiration!! I can picture all the dahlias in bloom there, oh and the sound of that tractor!! I've longed for a tractor ever since we've lived here...and for a donkey. Okay, I've poured my heart out to you. Maybe I could be a hired hand on your farm? :)
ReplyDeleteAhhh, you are funny! I'm always amazed at the amount of food, and how fast it grows, in your little garden! Is there anyone on Craigslist with cheap fruit for sale? It has been such a bonanza year for fruit in this area. Every one that had a fruit tree, this was the year that it was loaded.
DeleteLarry is having fun clearing that spot! Your raspberries look great, they are 2.99 for 6 ounces here this year. Needless to say we won't be buying many. I have a dehydrator just like that, I have done apples and cherries, we also do deer meat jerky if we are lucky enough to get a roast from someone:)
ReplyDeleteI don't use my dehydrator as much as I used to ( actually this year not at all) but it's nice to have one and maybe next year I'll be motivated to use it.
ReplyDeleteLarry and his tractor make short work of those trees and blackberries!!! Kind of looks like fun.
Me again. Glad I checked back. Craigslist for cheap fruit is a good idea. I will check. I appreciate the comment on my aprons and bonnets for sale. I've been told many times that I sell them too cheap. Actually, I've been selling both bonnets and aprons for 15.00 each for a long time. I thought going up to 20.00 with free shipping would be fine, so I would still get the 15.00. I was looking at the aprons in different Etsy shops and was surprised to see them priced at thirty and forty dollars, and some I didn't think looked all that great. I probably should have priced them a little higher. Thanks for your help. I appreciate it so much.
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