The Money-Saving Technique That Got Me a Year's Supply of Dehydrated Foods

[@katherinewaity-fontanetta992]

Those silicon trays love/hate them at times. The only issue I notice is if the food is "wet" going in (such as frozen chopped onions that are defrosted), I have to gently use my bench scraper to get the stuck on items off after rolling the silicon trays side to side and top to bottom. But I really do like the silicon trays with the lip on all sides

[@annlockey8552]

I dehydrated alot of kale now I add it to soups and stews, stir-fry meals even chicken pot pie and my family who don't like kale is none the wiser😂if they ask its parsley😊

[@RoseAnderson-if5fz]

So, u lie 2 them???

[@motherofthreeb6337]

​@@RoseAnderson-if5fz Basically! 😢

[@Lee_Proffit]

I use my green powder in bread making. It gives the bread a slight green colour - to my Grandkids it is special "Hulk" bread 🙂 Love that Salsa idea ❤

[@AGrtn]

I do this pancakes. "Hulk pancakes" are a favourite

[@Lee_Proffit]

@@AGrtn If it gets the kids eating extra greens, then I'm all for it - I will give your pancakes a go. Thanks

[@RoseBud-fk4qg]

I add salsa to my spaghetti sauce that way it gives it a little kick . Add a few table spoons to my chili😊

[@grlnexdoorable]

I started dehydrating salsa, salsa verde, Texas Pete hot sauce, and Frank's Hot Sauce. The Texas Pete and Frank's makes outstanding powder!

[@andreamortimer2610]

I always use Texas Pete but can't find it in gallon jugs anymore; how does Frank's compare to Texas Pete in your opinion?

[@islandgal500]

Love your lessons! We have a tiny store only where I live and there are weekly sales in most sections. That's when I get more of one item. I laugh at getting so many sale items because it looks like I can't afford to pay full price. Town is small enough that everyone knows who is broke and who isn't. I tell the cashiers that I felt sorry for that broccoli (or whatever). The thing is the sale produce is sometimes in better shape than the full price stuff and it is already bagged for me. A head of iceberg lettuce right now is more than $7.00 so I grab the clearance lettuce for $2.50 and just remove the two outer leaves. I bought bags of frozen veggies on sale and dehydrated them last fall. Wow did that save space in my freezer and they taste just like fresh veg. During Covid I really started using my dehydrator, vacuum sealer, and jar sealer attachments because we had a lot of delayed shipments and out of stock items. I love looking at my large pantry because I nearly have more in stock than our store.

[@roki5337]

I start with the clearance section. I stocked up my freezer.

[@AuntNutmeg]

I have very hard water as well. I have learned not to run anything silicone through my dishwasher as it never comes out looking clean. Silicone holds onto grease/oil like nobody's business, and hard water deposits stick like glue. For the oily residue, wash by hand with Dawn Platinum Foam (it beats regular Dawn all hollow for stubborn grease cleanup). And for hard water deposits, apply some undiluted white vinegar. Soak if you can for 10 minutes (longer for heavy or long term deposits), scrub a bit if necessary. Edit: I've found that silicone washed in the dishwasher isn't as non-stick afterwards. Washing by hand fixes that!

[@manfredthewonderdog]

Please read the science on dawn. Environmentally incredibly damaging. Saving wildlife with it Is nothing other than a successful advertising campaign.

[@vernonbowling5136]

Give your silicone liners a lite dusting of cornstarch when not in use it works wonders when you go to use them for liquid and sticky food's you want to dehydrate.

[@trishaporte]

Darcy you’re the best!! Who would have thought you could dehydrate salsa! I love making my home made salsa in the summer using my bountiful supply of fresh ingredients! Now I know how to save mine for the winter months when prices are higher for the produce to make it! 💖

[@terryfurtado2767]

I'm so happy I found your channel. I have been through this surgery, please take care of yourself. Take the time you need for physical & mental health. It's all inner twined together. Sending prayers & positive thoughts your way. 💐🙏💐

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

Thank you!!

[@almirria6753]

I actually get my meats from a local farm & I also dehydrate all our left overs for a future emergency meal/s

[@kathleenbell218]

Oh my goodness! I’ve never thought about dehydrating salsa! Thanks

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

You are so welcome!

[@limitedaxcess]

thanks for the tip on using the mesh on top to allow that extra tray rather than be forced to take one out. I will be using that this season. God Bless!

[@kathygoulden2925]

Proverbs 31 woman. You are a blessing to your family and to us

[@monicalamontagne7888]

Thank you, Darcy! Even at my age I'm still learning!

[@RoseBud-fk4qg]

Older powders check if your dogs and cats can eat add to their foods , make milk shakes with a teaspoon of your greens add to Roman soup , I mixes my veggie dried soup mix plus onion powder tomato powder and low sodium chicken bouillon and have a 2 cup of the mix for a light lunch lost a few extra pound ❤😊

[@tammypoling9618]

I write a list but I don't stick to it.Cause if I see something that's a good deal.I'm buying it up

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

That's being smart!

[@mssixty3426]

I have a batch of frozen mixed veg in my dehydrator right now - needed to re-stock after sending most of my jar home with my daughter when she visited from out-of-state.

[@dianeiverson3727]

Tip: I store my Bright Kitchen silicone trays inside the Cosori. It helps to prevent dust.

[@DawnBarb]

Right! And upside down

[@TxSusieQ99]

I chop the spinach in food-processor it drys fast, and I add the small bits to a lot of things. Even add to my homemade dog food. Love the Simple Truth mushrooms. I grab them all the time and dehydrate. Have mushrooms available all the time.

[@bekegibson9603]

Thanks for sharing this info. My family is notorious for not using the entire container of salsa. So I asked everyone to use marker to mark lid with date of opening. I learned we do not eat it fast enough. Now, when we have salsa, I DH the leftover amount the next day (adding another jar if needed to fill tray.). No more wasted salsa!!!

[@valerierobinson8872]

Where do get the pastic mesh sheets?

[@bekegibson9603]

@@valerierobinson8872 Amazon is where I fund the soft mesh sheets that I use for other things, not salsa -search for Silicone Dehydrator reusable mesh mats. For salsa, I use harder plastic trays called dehydrator fruit roll sheets, also from Amazon.

[@lindamckeny876]

Thanks for the Salsa tip, I never thought of doing bottled food items to dehydrate. My family loves salsa. You have such great tips

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

I'm glad you found it helpful!

[@RoseBud-fk4qg]

I bought gv tomato soup didn't like dehydrated will add spoon fulls to my chili and spaghetti dinners for extra sauce and vitamins, or add a little to Roman soup , or add it to a glass of tomato juice for more vitamins

[@1stJohn3.9-10]

Last month my Amex statement was $1,250, so this month, I only spent $126. I'm trying to eat up the food I've already got and not spend money unless I absolutely have to.

[@Northland11899]

I do the same exact thing when shopping the grocery store. Shop the clearance deals first . Vacuum seal/freeze or can the excess.

[@susanparrott5175]

I just made today tomato 🍅 chips, OMG! Those are amazing. Clearance rack, hard tomatoes turned into sweet potent chips. Thank you so much for all the information. My mother didn't preserve, didn't really even cook, you're teaching me what I should have know and been taught. Thank you ❤ Much love

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

Mine didn't, either! And I'm still not great at it, but consider myself functional for my family :D

[@susanparrott5175]

​@@ThePurposefulPantry you do great! Thanks

[@kaystarnes269]

Thank you!😊 am on my home. Have some onions to dehydrate today. Well, going to get them into the dehydrator. Live that you showed us how to make our own onion powder and garlic powder. They taste so much better than store bought!

[@suzieo8230]

I put diced dehydrated onions on salads for crunch instead of croutons.

[@StringfieldRidgeFarm]

Great ideas i dehydrate but never thought about doing salsa

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

It's so good in so many ways!!

[@arcticcat7142]

Mrs. Darcy, THANK YOU for sharing your tip for the top mesh! I have no idea why I didn’t think about that and I was the one removing the other tray!

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

I did it for a long time, too...and then it hit me one day to try!

[@47retta]

I loved the plastic mesh tip!

[@sharonstory6479]

Favorites so far: apples just because they're so good, rice for the convenience, frozen peas & carrots to go in soups

[@robingirven4570]

Freeze drying seems to be easier than dehydrating but I’ve ever dehydrated jerky. That salsa looked yummy!

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

It's not really easier...it's just different :D Some things are much easier and quicker and more convenient in the dehydrator - some are easier in the FD (raspberries happen to be one of them).

[@rhondasmith7413]

@@ThePurposefulPantrynot to mention the high cost of buying and maintaining a freeze dryer unit.

[@shockingdocumentaries4255]

First like and comment. 🎉 My goal this year is to focus on dehydrating food and making more nutrient dense foods. Currently I’m using my oven. It works better than I expected it to for dehydrating. Thank you for the helpful tips. Seeing people do stuff like this in a simple way, inspires me. ❤

[@imjusthereforthecomments4920]

If you have Meijer in your area always check the produce cooler for markdowns. I currently have a pound of Earthbound organic spinach in the dehydrator. Original price was $5.99 but I paid $1.25. I have a small grocery budget but can almost always find dirt cheap things to dry.

[@jtamsmom5]

I love the clearance produce. I try to find spinach on clearance, I grind it and put in empty gel capsules and make a vitamin.

[@deborahwoods2361]

Newby from Australia here! Thank you for all your informative videos!! 💜

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

Thanks for watching!

[@DeborahGrantham-xh6dn]

Dehydrated spinach is lovely to have on hand for additions to soups, stews, casseroles👍

[@juliebovenkamp5433]

Love the clever trick with the extra mesh sheet!! Brilliant, and thank you!

[@AmberMeyer-w6w]

Indeed. I hit the clearance items first. I did that this weekend. I ran out of mason jars for all the veggies I dehydrated. ❤❤❤

[@JudiChristopher]

EXCELLENT VIDEO Thank YOU so much for sharing this video

[@sueelliott3206]

Thanks for doing these demos! I would never have tried dehydrating anything liquid if I hadn't found your channel. Great information!

[@kerihess6689]

I'm so very glad I found your channel. Thank you so much for posting videos. I just purchased the Excalibur that you showed not too long ago. I've never done this before and I'm super excited that I have someone who knows what they are doing to teach me. So thank you!

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

You can do this!! Be sure to ask any questions you might have!!

[@kerihess6689]

@@ThePurposefulPantry Thank you, I sure will.

[@WhiteCatShirataki]

Great tip about using a second mesh to hold the greens in place. Thank you!!!

[@pkinman31]

I use the sandwich method with the spinach and other leafy vegetables also. Works really well.

[@sheilagaleano365]

I just ordered that vacuum sealer through your link. Thank you : ) and an opener that's not supposed to harm you lids.... and about a $100 of other cool items : )

[@debbiebaney4044]

What perfect timing! I was getting ready to Seal A Meal my spinach and baby greens for the freezer when I turned on KZbin and wa-la-! There you are, talking about dehydrating spinach and salsa! My greens are for my green smoothie shakes. I'm going to dehydrate my frozen fruit, too. I already have my chia and protein shake measured out into little jars for daily use, and adding the fruit and greens will make it a snap!! I might powder some, as well.

[@SusanHakola]

Thanks, Darcy. You always give the viewers great information!

[@ontariogardening]

So many great tips! We have been on a dehydrating deep dive since Christmas. Like almost every day we are running it. Poor thing LOL.

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

It'll be fine :D

[@roki5337]

Now dehydrated Salsa.. I have not tried that yet. Good Idea for the dehydrated Spinach for alfredo!!

[@sharonstory6479]

Ms. Darcy, your videos are always a treasure.

[@kellyalbertson962]

Mesh on top. Brilliant!

[@BackupUp-d8h]

I like the green powder.. im going to mix it into my homemade pasta l

[@debbiesykes5491]

I will start looking on the clearance rack for veggies Right now I am drying oregano from my garden Thanks for sharing this video Darcy

[@deborahnarendorf7106]

Once again you’ve us such good tips! I praise your name every time I use my dehydrated tomato paste. Oh my gosh! I would have never thought to do this, but you suggested it! Thanks so much!

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

You are so welcome!

[@jcrich-ho9ot]

You come up with the best ideas! Putting a topper on my greens is going to help so much!

[@theresagarcia5403]

Brilliant! I have also been able to build a purposeful food supply using this strategy. Families and individuals can use this strategy to build a delicious, diverse and affordable food supply! Thank you for taking this to a new level by adding dehydrating. People who live in small places can dehydrate to make more storage space. Yes, we can build a healthy and nutritious food supply.

[@sewpretty13]

Thanks for the tip! I have extra plastic!

[@IOSALive]

The Purposeful Pantry, Your videos are fantastic! I just had to subscribe!

[@WorldOfWonder66]

I just found your channel and I love it already. Thank you for these great ideas. I never thought about dehydrating salsa. I'm putting that one on my list now 🙂

[@diannegriffith5444]

I just discovered you! You are absolutely the Queen of Dehydrating! I have learned so much. Subscribed!

[@JudiChristopher]

Do you have a video on how to make (dry) Beef Broth?

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

Do this after defatting your beef broth kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5ypp2Wii9iZbZYsi=hZbXGg_hnJ2LlDRV

[@JudiChristopher]

@@ThePurposefulPantry Thank YOU I will check this out.

[@jeanh2288]

Put your clean spun spinach in a bread bag and throw in the freezer for a few hours and you can crunch it up into little pieces in seconds. I'll do this with sweet potato greens also.

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

That's a great idea, thanks for sharing!

[@southwesthomestead1234]

As always you motivate me to up my dehydrating game !

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

You can do it!

[@sort_of_a_homestead]

I love the salsa idea! Can’t wait to try this.

[@lindabohl2454]

Great video! Thanks !❤. Iam going to dry spinach it seems easy! Nice information! California here. Oh didn’t know you could dry very WET salsa!!🙏🏻😇🕊🧂💕

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

You can dry almost anything!

[@jamee6]

9:34 I turn it the green tray liner upside down over a big bowl, and crunch it up and let it fall off into the bowl as it's loosened.

[@marilynparmelee]

Thanks for sharing your tips! Your book is a godsend, so glad I bought it. Have a great weekend.

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

Thank you! You too!

[@angelinadegelder7722]

Which book?

[@marilynparmelee]

@@angelinadegelder7722 DEHYDRATING BASICS & JOURNAL

[@cathyd.williamssaltlight5373]

Thank you, awesome video! I need a square dehydrator, too😊❤

[@patty9265]

GREAT TIPS THANKS DARCY

[@elizaC3024]

So many great ideas. 😊

[@dennaamsden4310]

Thanks!

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

Thank you - I'm glad you found it helpful!

[@sheilagaleano365]

¡Salsa! Genius.... thank you. Love all your videos.... always inform and motivate me : )

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

Awesome!

[@thatonegirl1837]

Very cool! Thanks for sharing this!

[@louieshmooie7930]

Thank you for sharing so much for us! But I wonder if the jar sealer will be strong enough for liquis??? Thanks agai

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

Yes, but not to make them shelf stable. They still have to be refrigerated. Most come with instructions on how to do it.

[@DHAG40]

Hi darcy i left a message on another show but i think i can get the answer faster here ,😊 i want to cheat and grab the kale and brussel, sprout ,carrot and cabbage bag salad ,question am i gonna have to blanch them first before dehydrating please help ❤❤❤

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

It's recommended because of the cabbage and carrot, but you don't have to.

[@DHAG40]

@@ThePurposefulPantry thank you ,i think I'll try it both ways curious on the out come😊

[@angelinagarcia3748]

I love your channel ❤️❤️❤️

[@Cyd1057]

I'm new to dehydrating and your hannel is a godsend!

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

I'm glad you're finding it helpful!! Let me know if you have any questions!

[@MomIrregardless]

my family has been laughing about water expiring!! well, i just found out, the date on the bottle is for the PLASTIC BOTTLE, not the water inside!! after that date, MORE microplastics will get into the water!!

[@Tinkerbell31326]

Darcy, I need a blender that makes powder. Please share the model you are using. Thank you do much.

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

I use a Cosori coffee grinder, a NutriNinja bullet blender (but it's not a model they make any longer) and a low-end Vitamix.

[@Tinkerbell31326]

@@ThePurposefulPantry thank you Darcy

[@melodylamour6123]

Can you use parchment paper for the salsa drying and stuff? Would that stop it sticking to the mats????

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

Parchment paper can stick more as it absorbs the moisture. If I had used my regular fruit leather sheets, it wouldn't have been a problem.

[@melodylamour6123]

@@ThePurposefulPantry good to know. Thanks

[@tracymorrison1584]

amazing idea

[@lisaelliott3864]

Great ideas and thank you for sharing!

[@selenadansfield1305]

Dehydrate the spinach. Ground it up. Put in gel capsules. GREAT for iron (I grow swiss chard instead).

[@robynloaf4014]

What about canned meats like tuna? Do they last potentially for years too? I do understand to look for bulging, bubbling, bad smells, etc. 8:54

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

I wouldn't give them forever for my own personal preference, but yes, they do last past that best by date.

[@tammywhite9229]

I found big bags of stuffing at aldi clearanced for .29 each. I bought 9. They had a ton of them.

[@diannebusch2841]

I am just wondering about the cost of running the dehydrator and if the grocery savings is used up by the cost of electricity. I’m sure that if you grew the produce it would make more sense

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

Sure - if you grew all of your produce - do you have a garden that big that can provide all you need? I certainly don't, and can't, so I take advantage of those sales, stock my pantry and pay today's price for eating a year or two later. It's certainly worth it to me when my dehydrator costs about $1/day to run. And gardening has it's own share of investment, so you have to count that as well.

[@diannebusch2841]

If that is even close to accurate, it is an absolute bargain. Thank you for encouraging me. Because I was always concerned about that.

[@eabird4358]

Great ideas. How would you store dried black mission figs? In a jar or leave in the plastic container they come in.

[@firequeen2194]

I prefer glass, air can still get through plastic. I keep all the glass jars that have (typically metal) lids with a rubber seal. Toss in a moisture absorber and voilà! Saves my canning jars and I have a variety of sizes so no wasted air space. Hope that helps. 😉

[@Swrqltr]

I live zone 9b my growing season is mostly done. I am dehydrating my all my greens for green powder for my smoothies. What temperature did you dehydrate the salsa at and about how long. Thank you

[@Mstred]

Thank You for a very informative video.

[@user-gj8ms7jd8v]

Never thought of dehydrating spinach, forgot spinach powder too. Smh.

[@68868s]

How do you rehydrate things without adding water? Is that impossible?

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

Liquid is necessary. That's what you took out in the first place. Broth, juice, water.

[@homesteadmccoy]

Great tips!

[@KittyMama61]

Add some salsa or diced tomatoes when you are cooking green beans. One of my go-to's.

[@susanparrott5175]

Awesome thank you ❤

[@Klebkatt]

Granted I don't know anything about dehydrating stuff, but would the addition of a little brush of oil on the silicone before you put the salsa on help stop it from sticking as it dehydrates?

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

Nope - because then you've risked rancidity on the shelf - don't use oil in dehydrating for storage.

[@dgarnett4220]

As long as no oil in salsa , it works read label

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

It works even if there is a small amount of oil - it just won't be reliably shelf stable, but would certainly be fine for short-term use like camping/hiking trips.

[@susanchamblee1190]

Love it 🤩

[@sharivalenzuela7299]

Quick question can I use plastic canvas mesh on my trays I just ordered a dehydrator and am watching your videos to get information before I receive my dehydrator. Thank you for all the great information I am enjoying the videos I have watched so far. Have a blessed day ❤

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

Plastic canvas is not food grade according to the manufacturer of the major brand (Darice). Use food grade mesh for your machine. You can get it on Amazon. amzn.to/4bHgGEp (my affiliate link)

[@sharivalenzuela7299]

@@ThePurposefulPantry Thank you for responding so quickly I will look into it . Thanks

[@user-xc9sv5hk2d]

So I am new to dehydrating but I have seen videos where they say nutritional value is lost with dehydrating and freeze drying is better? Idk Just curious what your thoughts are?

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

Freeze dry companies like to say that. Yes, you lose Vit A & c when dehydrating with extended expsore to heat (so dry low and slow), and Vit B is lost when anything is blanched (same with Freeze drying). You also lose all those same nutrients with either process when you cook the food.

[@user-xc9sv5hk2d]

@@ThePurposefulPantry Thank you for the quick response, I was going to just not dehydrate but then after careful thought decided to tell myself why are you doing this, and then watched another one of your videos that validated my reasoning, why am I trying to dehydrate, what was my original intention? It was to preserve food and incorporate flavor in my dishes without processed additives so now I will stick to my original decision. It is hard to not fall down the rabbit hole. 🙏

[@kellyname5733]

Ohhhh, that salsa looks like a pain after drying. Still good for longer storage.

[@ThePurposefulPantry]

It was those sheets - if I'd used regular fruit leather it would have been much easier.