During this time of stay-at-home orders, many of us are looking for a hobby to occupy our time. Retirement also offers us this same opportunity. However, as this Jewish Proverb professes, these hobbies can cost money.
Last fall I began food dehydration as a hobby. You see I don’t particularly care to eat fruit or vegetables. Growing up on a farm which raised beef cows, hogs, and chickens, and we planted a large garden, we always ate fresh, healthy food. No fast food or junk food. I quite often shelled peas I picked or pulled carrots out of the ground and cleaned just before dinner.
Now I eat more fast food or junk food than I probably should. Drying fruit gives me a healthy snack I can enjoy while watching tv, kind of like eating potato chips. Making and eating dried fruit has become a habit, or should I say a hobby, since it does cost money?
I purchased the “best selling” NESCO dehydrator from Amazon.com (currently $57.69) along with a couple of extra trays for fruit roll ups for the grandkids. It arrived in just a couple of days and was ready to go right out of the box. Nothing to put together.
Next, I purchased a bunch of fruit, washed it and cut it into pieces as instructed in the booklet that came with the dehydrator. One bunch of bananas took up to four or five trays.
Then you just set the temperature according to the instructions in the booklet and wait. Banana chips took 9-10 hours in Colorado and apple roll ups were about five hours.
I also peeled some apples and made some homemade applesauce. Then I spread it on the fruit roll up trays to make some apple roll ups. Again, very easy.
My grandson Dylan was my taste tester. He loved them and said they tasted just like the ones he has snacked on at preschool. Jackson’s favorite were the apple roll ups.
My favorite were the banana chips. I loved the consistency of the dried fruit compared to the fresh variety. Now I “pretend” I’m eating potato chips but instead I’m eating healthy, dried bananas or mangoes. Even your grandkids will love them. A healthy snack habit from the fun and easy hobby of food dehydration. Give it a try.