Snacks are much under rated in some self sufficiency books.
But for us they are a high priority, my kids are proper grazers and have lots of snacks during the day.
And it's my aim to try to produce more of our own.
I'd like to create all our own snacks. This is for a number of reasons, less plastic would is be a great start. It's also nice to now what you're eating, and the last and main reason is because I'm tight and it saves a packet to not to have to buy stuff in.
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| Pineapple Drying- bought in (obv) but a real treat! |
I'm currently way behind my aim on this. But I am being furious with the dehydrator at the moment, it's on every day trying to dry enough fruit to feed us through the year, although they seem to eat as many as I dry! I've also dried lots of pears as well and some damsons. I bake most weeks, but these are normally used for puddings rather than snacks.
But it has got me thinking about what else we could add to that list. Summer is an easy time, the kids just graze on everything outdoors and they recognise many plants that they know are safe to eat and forage for treats as well. I love it when they have friends round and drag them off to go and eat!
For next year I'm thinking I should put in some popcorn - A short season type, as it can be hard to ripen them here. I may have to look at getting some from America to do this as they have so many types that they grow and I could maybe find one that suits my purpose. Also Sunflowers for the seeds, I love snacking on them and adding them to my breakfast.
What else do you think I could grow for snacking purposes? Something to eat fresh and something that would store well.
Does anyone grow popcorn and could recommend a good type that would grow in our cold North facing garden?
My old neighbour used to give me all their plums as they didn't eat them. I used to make fruit leather, roll it into strips and store in jars. Chickpeas make good savoury snacks too.
ReplyDeleteI've struggled to grow chickpeas in the past - or more to the point to harvest them as the mice ate them all! If I get soem cats next year it would be worth growign again. We love chickpeas.
DeleteI gave up with fruit leathers as my children just ended up begging for it all the time, maybe I should make some more and try again and see if they canbe a bit more sensible with it!
Good luck with both!
DeleteMy folks used to dehydrate plum slices. Great for when fruit trees ripen at the same time. Happy dehydrating and snacking! Michelle in Wellington, NZ
DeleteI did damsons this year - they're amazing, chewy but so full of flavour.
DeleteI was going to suggest fruit leathers, too. You may have to put a lock on the jars and make it available only one day a week such as Saturdays!
ReplyDeleteHave you sliced and dried strawberries? Those are also good put in homemade granola. Dried apples take a bit of chewing so those shouldn't disappear so fast, but it looks like you may already do those. Do I see zucchini chips on the pantry shelves? They're a good crunchy snack different from fruits. Dried kale with seasoning is good, too. You've got a lot of little snack munchers in your house so I can see that this might be quite a project!
I dry raspberries and use them in cooking. Not enough this year unfortunately. I have some dried zucchini but I use them for stews, haven;t used them for snacking like that. I heard about boiling them in fruit squash first then drying them.
DeleteThe lock on the jar is a good idea!
Have you read Jackie Clays blog? They are off grid homesteaders in Northern Minnesota and they have their own seed company. I know that they grow many kinds of corn so would probably have the kind of seeds that you need.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/
The seed company is
https://seedtreasures.com/
Hope that helps.
Oh, by the way, do you make banana chips in your dehydrator?
No, I haven't. That's a great link thank you. I'll send her an email and see if they will ship out to the UK or not. Thank you.
DeleteAnd yep to the banana chips. The kids love them.
How about toasted pumpkin seeds? CW
ReplyDeleteThats a good one. We normally do them when we break into a squash. I'd like to try the ones that are grown for seed though.
DeleteI have nothing to add and help but to say your pantry is a treat to the eye (and probably the stomach of the kiddos :-)
ReplyDeleteWendy
It's become my favourite room of the house!
DeleteDried kale tastes a lot like potato chips.
ReplyDeleteMy kids love eating kale fresh so dried would be great. I'l have to try it!
DeleteDried zucchini is great with no salt or anything. Dried bananas, dried cranberries are great to eat but a little bitter to me, but I eat them anyway. They are good in baking, though. And, they go on sale this time of year and are even cheaper after Christmas. You could dry orange rinds for a delicious combination in baking. I keep pecans, but those need to go in the freezer or they will go rancid. AND, all that food in jars needs to be kept in the dark. I assume you keep the light turned off in that room and the door closed.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to plant some cranberries to eat and dry. I like the sharper berries!
DeletePeacans are my favourite nuts but they won't grow here I don't think. I have a handful a day on my breakfast!
This is fascinating to read and something I definitely want to try next year when we move onto our land. Like Wendy I don't have a lot to add except I have larder envy 😍
ReplyDeleteThanks! Its taken some time to get this larder in, we've been here nearly 8 years now and I've only just got it! Before we had a smaller pantry and a shed that I built for storing food. My view is that it is pointless growing it if you can't store and preserve the gluts and make it last through the year. The easy bit, sometimes, is growing it!
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