dried fruit - dehydrated

[westbrook]

I am going to post some links to dried fruit and what to do with it besides eat it dry!

[westbrook]

Connie Zoria's

Apricot Cuccidatti Recipe

 

 

Crust

3 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cups sugar

2/3 cups Crisco

2 eggs

1/3 tablespoon vanilla

1/2 cup evaporated milk

 

Mix dry ingredients. Add shortening, beaten eggs, vanilla and milk. Mix well and roll into strips. Spread filling (recipe below) and cover like fig bars. Bake at 350° F about 10 minutes until golden brown. Cool and frost with icing.

 

Filling

Grind together:

1 lb. dried apricots

1 lb. white (Calimyrna) figs

1/2 lb. toasted almonds

1/2 lb. toasted walnuts

1 small jar orange marmalade

1 cup honey

3 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/3 cup of your favorite sweet wine or vermouth

 

Icing

1/2 box powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cube butter or margarine - melted

2 tablespoons milk

 

Beat together until smooth. Add a few drops of food coloring, if desired. For a large family, triple the recipe.

 

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Delicious Dried Apricot Pie

 

Dried apricot pie filling

2 1/2 cups dried apricots

Water

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

2 1/2 tablespoons Minute tapioca

 

Put dried apricots into microwave safe bowl, add just enough water to cover fruit. Microwave for 15 minutes or until tender. Add sugar, cinnamon and tapioca. Set aside.

 

Pie Crust

2 cups All Purpose Flour

2/3 cups Crisco

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup ice water with 1 tablespoon vinegar

 

Cut Crisco into the flour and salt. Slowly add ice water and vinegar mixture to dry ingredients. Form dough into a ball. DO NOT HANDLE TOO MUCH.

 

Procedure

Roll 1/2 of dough into thin pie crust shell.

Place shell into ungreased 9" pie pan.

Fill shell with Dried Apricot Pie Filling.

Roll last 1/2 of dough into top crust and cover filling.

Crimp edges of top and bottom dough with fingers to close.

Dab 1 tablespoon of milk on top of crust and sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon sugar.

Bake at 400° for 40-45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

 

Yields one 9" apricot pie.

 

 

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Apricot Oat-Nut Snack Mix

 

3 cups rolled oats

2 cups oat bran

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cups walnut halves, broken

1 cup almonds, coarsely chopped or slivered

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

5 tablespoons vegetable oil

3/4 cup honey, melted

1 1/3 cup dried apricots, quartered (one 6-ounce bag)

3/4 cup raisins

 

Preheat oven 325° F. In a large bowl, combine rolled oats and next six ingredients; toss well. Drizzle oil over mixture and toss until coated. Drizzle melted honey and continue tossing until coated, mixture should be clumpy. Divide mixture onto two cookie sheets, spreading evenly. In top third of oven, bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven; stir with wooden spoon, mixing thoroughly. Continue to bake 30 minutes more, stirring every 10 minutes. Return snack mix to bowl; add dried fruits. Toss gently and cool. Can be stored for two weeks in airtight containers or frozen up to two months. Makes 20 servings, approximately 265 calories per 1/2 cup serving, 7 grams protein, 34 grams carbohydrate, 13 grams fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 5 mg sodium and 4 grams dietary fiber.

 

 

http://www.zoria.com/recipe1.htm

[westbrook]

Apricot Pumpkin Muffins

 

Crust

2 cups buttermilk baking mix

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1 egg

 

In a medium bowl, combine baking mix, apricots, sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Mix together milk, pumpkin and egg until well blended. Combine 2 mixtures; beat vigorously 1/2 minute. Fill 12 greased medium muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake in 400° F oven 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Remove from cups and serve warm.

 

Makes 12 muffins.

 

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Apricot Health Bars

 

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups quick or old-fashioned oats, uncooked

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup wheat germ

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup diced, dried apricots

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup shredded coconut

 

Preheat oven to 350° F. In large bowl, cream butter and sugar; stir in egg and vanilla. Add oats, flour, wheat germ, cinnamon and salt. Mix until well blended. Stir in apricots, walnuts and coconut. Spread dough evenly in a 12x8-inch baking pan. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until golden. Cool slightly, then cut into bars. Makes about 2 dozen.

 

 

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Apricot Chutney

A great flavor enhancer for meat and poultry dishes.

 

4 cups dried apricot halves (3 bags, 6/oz. each)

3 cups cider vinegar

4 cups onion wedges (3 lg. onions)

1 cup chopped candied ginger

2 tablespoons salt

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon Tabasco

3 cups brown sugar (packed)

3 cups sugar

2 cups water

3 cups seedless golden raisins

2 tablespoons whole mustard seed

 

Cut apricot halves in half. Combine all ingredients in kettle. Bring to boil., then simmer slowly, uncovered, until thickened, about 1 hour, stirring often. Portion into sterilized jars; seal at once. If desired, process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

 

Makes about 13 half-pints.

 

 

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Apricot Whole Wheat Bread

 

This high-fiber treat is especially delicious buttered and warmed under the broiler.

 

3 cups whole wheat flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 1/4 cups milk

1 cup honey

1 egg, slightly beaten

2 tablespoons salad oil

1 cup chopped dried apricots

1 cup chopped walnuts

 

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Combine milk, honey, egg and oil; pour over dry ingredients. Stir just enough to dampen flour. Gently fold in apricots and walnuts. Pour into greased 9² x 13² loaf pan. Bake in 350° oven 60 to 70 minutes or until done. Remove from oven; let stand on rack about 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Store overnight for easiest slicing.

 

Makes one loaf.

 

 

http://www.zoria.com/recipe2.htm

[westbrook]

Apricot-Applesauce Cake

 

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons ground allspice

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup applesauce

2 eggs

3/4 cup diced, dried apricots

1/2 cup chopped almonds

Confectioners' sugar or dried apricots, cream cheese for garnish

 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-cup bundt pan or tube pan. Combine flours, allspice and baking soda; set aside. In a large bowl, with a mixer at low speed, cream sugar and shortening; beat in applesauce and eggs until fluffy. Add flour mixture; beat at medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in apricots and almonds. Pour batter into pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes until top springs back when lightly touched with finger. Cool cake in pan 10 minutes; invert onto serving platter and dust lightly with confectioner's sugar.

 

Makes one 12-inch cake.

 

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Apricot granola

 

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cups all-bran cereal

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup salad oil

1 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped

 

Place rolled oats in rectangular baking pan; bake in 350°F oven 10 minutes stirring once. Mix in all-bran, wheat germ, almonds, brown sugar, honey and oil. Bake 15 minutes more, stirring several times. Remove from oven; stir in apricots. Stir occasionally until cooled completely. Store in airtight container.

 

Makes about 5 cups.

 

 

 

1 pouch (3 oz) liquid pectin

5 drops red or green food color (depends on type of bell pepper used)

 

Combine pepper strips, vinegar and jalapeno peppers in an electric blender. Process stop-and-go fashion until somewhat ground, but small chunks remain. Combine with apricot strips and sugar in saucepan; bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat; skim off any foam. Cool 2 minutes, then mix pectin and food color. Pour into sterilized jars and fasten lids. Process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes if desired. Cool.

 

*If available, use 1/3 cup fresh jalapeno peppers instead of the bottled ones.

 

Makes 6 1/2 cups.

 

http://www.zoria.com/recipe3.htm

[westbrook]

dried fruit puree http://www.zoria.com/fruit-puree.htm

[westbrook]

dried apricot pie

 

with photos http://bothenook.blogspot.com/2006/02/food...pricot-pie.html

 

http://www.relishmag.com/article/24955.html

[westbrook]

tomatoes - worth looking at..how to flake and powder too!

 

http://www.ghorganics.com/Sun%20Dried%20Tomatoes.htm

 

 

[westbrook]

interesting facts dried fruit

 

http://www.baking911.com/pantry/fruit_dried.htm

 

 

[westbrook]

rehydrating times

 

http://www.healthgoods.com/Education/Nutri...ried_fruits.htm

[westbrook]

what to rehydrate with

 

http://www.thefruitpages.com/acidsweet.shtml

 

some fruits in oil?

[westbrook]

cookbook pdf format

 

cooking with dried fruits

 

http://www.preparedpantry.com/PDF/baking-w...ried-fruits.pdf

[westbrook]

another cookbook

 

http://info.ag.uidaho.edu/Resources/PDFs/PNW0397.pdf

[Campy]

Bulk Foods,

 

http://www.bulkfoods.com/dried_fruits.asp?referer=godrifru

 

This place has a good selection of dehydrated fruits and vegetables at (what I feel) very reasonable prices. I have ordered from them several times and they have always shipped promptly (usually I have the food within 5 days of placing the order). The fruits and vegetables normally come packed in sealed plastic bags.

 

Hope this is of some help.

[Genoa]

Campy, Have you ever ordered any of their spices?

[mom11]

I ordered the calcium chloride from them...BEWARE...Their shipping and packaging is outrageous. If you are ordering only a little, your price may double. I paid about $20 for the calcium chloride and the shipping and packaging was almost $18, for a 1 lb. 10oz. container.

[Violet]

I did the same, Mom11, but it is the only way I could get some stocked since Ball doesn't sell Pickle Crisp any longer.

 

[Genoa]

Thanks for the warning---they have free shipping if you order more than $75. For a long time, I've been wanting to stock up on bulk spices, because I use a LOT of spices in my everyday cooking. I already buy some spices in bulk, but I really need to do so with a lot more. Not only would it be more economical to buy in bulk, but it would be much handier to always have stock on hand. Or, if our food rations become less diverse, spices will go a long way toward making them more palatable.

 

I could easily order $200 or more in spices from them, so there won't be shipping charges (although they do charge a flat fee of $4.95 for each order). I'm just wondering if anyone has ordered spices and whether they have been happy with what they received. Also, I need to check around and compare prices to make sure I get the most for my money, especially since I will be spending a lot. I've been putting off doing this for a long time, thinking this was a luxury and I should spend my money on something else, but I always use a lot of spices when cooking and I think I should do it while I have the money.

[Percysgirl]

Frontier also does bulk spices, and you can get a wholesale account with a $250 order and free shipping. They sell a whole lot more than just spices.

[Genoa]

Percy's Girl, Thanks for the information about Frontier. It's an interesting site and it has some things I haven't seen elsewhere; but it seems to be more expensive for the spices than Bulk Foods. Also, I don't think I would want to set up a wholesale account, as it invovles giving your SSN.

[Tracie]

I can buy frontier items cheaper through United Northeast Food coop distributor buying club thingie.

 

The September catalog does show a price increase though.

[Andrea]

Very cool links, Westie. I think the pumpkin apricot muffins (I'm going to use up some of my butternut squash from the garden!) are going to go over great in the morning!

[PureCajunSunshine]

http://www.herbalcom.com/

 

I have not ordered herbs and spices from them yet, but a lot of people I know highly recommend this company. Low, low prices and good service. I've seen that company's name pop up on more than a few boards, from respected herbalists.

 

They charge flat $6.25 handling fee for the total order. Shipping/Freight is free.

 

And they say..."If not completely satisfied with any item, contact us within 60 days of invoice date for a complete refund of the herb or spice. Herbalcom pays return freight charges resulting from our error or your dissatisfaction..."

 

Here's the exact page for bulk herbs and spices:

 

 

http://www.herbalcom.com/store.php3?list=c...c43a35e3d393d6f

 

 

[Campy]

Originally Posted By: Genoa

Campy, Have you ever ordered any of their spices?

The only spices (per se) I have ordered from them has been the tomato powder and chopped onions. The rest has been dehydrated fruits and vegetables.

Fruits - I suggest rinsing the strawberries Several times BEFORE rehydrating and once or twice after rehydrating, otherwise they will be VERY, VERY sweet. The rinsing gets the sweetness very close to fresh picked freshness. The Bing Cherries are SUPERB as is, as well as the banana chips. The sulphered (not sweetened) apple slices are good, but seem to me, a bit on the moist side. This is probably just be me. I am used to the apple slices that are closer to chips - dehydrated to extremely low moisture levels. The type that will break if bent.

Vegies - The broccoli florets taste almost the same as fresh picked once rehydrated. The chopped onion, when rehydrated, is also comparable to fresh cut up onion. I feel their peas though are a notch down from Honeyville in flavor - still good, but the flavor (to me anyways) was a little less. I do feel that most people would not notice the difference unless they tried some side by side.

Hope this is of some help.