When Dehydration is a Good Thing
Jonathan >
This is when dehydration is a good thing! Our daughter Becky bought a dehydrator a few years ago and uses it to make all sorts of weird and wonderful foods, made with raw ingredients. We were sceptical : not so much about the merits of raw food (of which we have an abundance) but the effort and cost of the dehydrating ; and especially since the dehydrated food doesn’t keep long. However, we’re always interested in new ways to make the abundance of summer available in the depths of winter, and as I was ambling about the garden one early autumn afternoon, it occurred to me that a hydrator would be ideal means to capture the colour and scents of summer to liven up home in winter (and perhaps our holiday lets, if we have a surplus). And then it occurred to me that we could use it also to make plant dyestuffs available for dyeing in winter – when we have more time for it, than rushing to use it all in summer – when dyestuffs are plentiful but time to use them isn’t. we never have enough time. It’s good to be doing something like this instead of civil engineering and construction !
No completed pot-pourri yet. I started this too late in the year to have much available to dry, but next year I hope to have a plentiful supply to chose from.
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Gosh – using a dehydrator for drying flowers has never occurred to me! I have borrowed a friend’s to dry apples a couple of times but I might invest in one for myself with this possibility.Thanks for sharig the idea 🙂
Sounds like a fun experiment!
It is!
This is the dehydrator I want to get. How have you found using it?
J > Very easy to use. Very effective and quick when used for leaves, petals and similar. Trays are same material as CD jewel cases, so brittle and need handling with care. But overall, good value for money.
See how smart you are? Wonderful!
I can smell the lovely scent all the way in Maine. 😉
Good idea! Between the popurri, and drying extra stuff for Denise’s dyepots, that little investment will pay for itself very quickly.
The jars of flowers look wonderful. They’ve kept their colour so well. I want one!
J > I recommend! It’s more reliable than drying on a wind-sill (which can result in fading), and more controllable and economical than airing in an oven. It’s much more possible to retain scents – especially with rose petals.