Wanna Hide Some Veggies? Let's Make Kale Powder

I saw a sign from a local farm offering free kale if you come and pick it yourself.  I couldn't resist that deal, so I grabbed my husband and off we went to pick some kale.

We were able to fill two large shopping bags with organic, pesticide free kale.  Some of it will go to my chickens, they love their greens and I am going to dehydrate the rest and use it to make kale powder.

When we got it home I immediately hosed it down and then filled two large buckets with water and soaked the kale in an attempt to get rid of all the bugs, and there were a ton of them.


The next day I brought the kale that I was going to dehydrate into the kitchen to clean it.  I used a vegetable brush to clean off the dirt and left over bugs.  Kale is like a bug condominium complex, and those little guys did not want to move out.  At first I was a little worried that a vegetable brush may bruise the kale, but since I am going to dry it and grind it into a powder, a little bruising shouldn't be too much of an issue.

After each piece was clean I cut off any bad spots and cut out the thick middle ribbing as I have read that can be bitter and difficult to grind to a powder.  I set those aside into the pile for the chickens.

  

I then laid the strips of kale onto a paper towel to dry.  The dryer they are when you put them into the dehydrator, the quicker they will dehydrate.

I laid the strips in one layer onto each tray,  I used 7 trays total.   I then turned the dehydrator on and let them dry until they were nice and crisp.  It generally takes about 4-6 hours.

 

I then used my Magic Bullet and ground the pieces into a fine powder.   With 7 trays of Kale I was able to get about 4 ounces of powder. 

Uses for kale powder:

• Add to spaghetti sauce 
• Sprinkle over salads
• Add to smoothies or shakes
• Add anywhere you want to hide veggies from your picky- non veggie eaters.

I am really enjoying making these powders and the tutorials to go with them.  Look for more in the near future.  

Happy canning (and dehydrating) everyone!

  




.

So Your Sauce is Done, Let's Make Tomato Powder!

So you've finished making your spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, puree or whatever is was you were doing with your tomatoes and you are left with the tomato remains from your mill, sieve, or vegetable strainer.  If you saw my last post then you set them aside to deal with later.

Later is here!  As a canner one of my main goals is to waste less and save more.  This follows that goal to the T.  


Supplies:

Tomato skins, seeds, pulp etc.
Dehydrator
Grinder of some sort

Take your tomato remains and spread them on the tray(s) of your dehydrator, the thinner the layer the faster the drying time.   Turn the dehydrator on and let them dry until they are brittle or break if you try to bend them.  

Mine took about 24 hours.  I am using an old Ronco dehydrator that my mom bought in the 90's and recently gave to me.  Not fancy, but it does the job.

When they are fully dried break into usable pieces and grind them into a fine powder.  I used my Magic Bullet and it worked well, but was a little time consuming.  I have heard of others using a coffee grinder and it working real well.  If you try this let me know what you use to grind.

Transfer the powder to a jar and it is ready to be used.

Here is a conversion chart that I found on www.yourownhomestore.com:

Other uses for tomato powder:

• Use in place of tomato paste to thicken sauces
• Add depth to the color and flavor of a dish
• Add to baking and bread
• Add to dry rubs and stir frys
• Add to dips 
• Add to soups and stews

You can purchase it, but it with the right equipment it is so easy to make and it's FREE with no extra added chemicals or salt.  Did I mention it's FREE?  

I am in love with the fact that I am using the entire tomato, nothing is going to waste and that alone is worth the effort to me. 

With that I bid you adieu,  go forth and can......