RoseMarie

I'm just getting started so that is great to know it will last for awhile when vacuum sealed right. Rooting around in the freezer again this morning and I found about 6 qts. blueberries. I took out a whole laundry basket of those, yellow squash, okra, pumpkin and butternut squash to dehydrate but wasn't able to get it all on there. I was minus 2 trays since I made 2 bowls out of my sheets for the wetter stuff. With that I have to skip every other hole where the trays go since it's so thick.

THANK YOU for that idea to! That way the hulls would be put to good use to when doing the syrup. Although one could deh. the hulls as well. Although my chickens would love me for sure if they got the hulls! lol you should see their little butts jumping up after the blueberries on the bush. SOOOO stinkin' cute!

Good idea I hadn't thought about that! Might have to make some syrup out of some of them. I have a whole bag of them in the bottom of it.

My online friend that sort of talked me into the excalibur has had hers since the early 80's and I have seen where so many folks say they have had theirs 25 and 30 years. Just so worth it when something last that long. Hubby and my daughter got me mine for Christmas and I have had it going almost the whole time. I have dehydrated loads of stuff now and am trying to clean out my old old freezer because I worry about losing my food if it goes bad. I dread when it finally goes out because from what I hear these they're making now a days don't last but around 10 years. This one is almost 37 years old. Anyway I am slowly but surely getting my food out dehydrating it. 4-5-6 bags at a time. I am Deh. corn, peas, and blueberries now. Deh. blueberries, okra and corn yesterday.

Thanks Sassenach, we are leaning towards almond flour here. I tried for a year to removed processed foods from our diet without complete success so I am removing wheat which in turn will remove processed foods. Saintsfan is on board right now, he has agreed to try it for 2 months. We will see what he has to say come March 1. But so far so good he made the comment that even after just a few days he can tell a difference. I don't eat the almond flour a whole lot, just when I have a craving for some sort of bread. We use flaxseed meal and coconut flour as well. I also use rice flour some but it's on the carby side.

I had one of those for many many years. I loved that thing and used it until the motor would barely turn and you could tell it was about to tear up anytime. I got it when we first got married and it really did get some use! Was a GOOD one to!!!

THANK YOU!

yep the tomato gives it the acid it needs and I would also add some dried cumin in there. That would make it really good! I have a recipe I use for dried beans and I cook mine a little before I put them into the jars once I have let them soak in water over night to swell them. I pressure can them and I only use pint jars.

works fine with the canning jars just not the mayo ones and I want to save my canning jars for canning.

Oh I tried that to with the 2 lids but that didn't work either on these mayo jars.

I just ordered me one of those taller canisters for mine today. I have some glass mayo jars that no matter what I do the vacuum sealer will NOT seal them! I have tried using 2 lids and have done everything and it just wont work. I want to be able to use them like this since I don't pressure can with them. I can't wait to get it so I can seal up some food in my mayo jars now.

Thank you for posting this. I have just started using my food saver vacuum for jars. I just bought something off Ebay a few minutes ago to be able to do more. I have a lot of old glass mayonnaise jars and I can't get the vacuum sealer to seal those for the life of me. I saw something on you tube the other day and thought now THAT will work and i can use my mayo jars for this and save my canning jars for pressure canning and water bath. She used one of those plastic round canisters that comes with some food savers and she put her jar IN that and vacuum sealed it inside it. Then she opened the canister lid and took out the jar. She was using spaghetti jars or any used jar like that if it has a seal on it and it vacuum sealed it. What a way to recycle more. My plastic canisters aren't tall enough to put the qt. jar in but the one I just purchased is tall enough. I thought that was such a good idea!!

WOW I thought it took me awhile but I think you got me beat. WELCOME I am also new here. Sure is nice to see another homeschooler. I didn't homeschool but sure wish I did! I tell everyone HOMESCHOOL!!!! One niece listened so far. YES!!!

I have I don't know how many qt. jars of string beans canned and my family just will not eat the things no matter HOW I cook them. They will eat one helping every now and then but that's it and then you have the rest of the jar that goes to waste. I HATE waste especially after all the work of putting them up. We all dearly LOVED the casserole recipe with the ritz crackers on top BUT now we're all gluten free so I have yet to find a replacement for that. Does anyone have a gluten free casserole recipe with green beans? We all love onions that is cooked. I really need to use them.

They make a coffee flavored syrup in the hazelnut flavor you could use to flavor this with. We use the sugar free french vanilla flavor in gluten free things. Or I have seen where folks do this. I haven't tried it yet.