# Neat tips for preserving produce?



## Spice (Dec 21, 2014)

I've got one. If you've got a lot of strawberries to slice: Egg slicer (as for boiled eggs). Serious time saver.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

I love tomatoes. We grow lots of them during the season and can them too but it always seems that you can't find good tasty tomatoes in the wintertime. Until recently I had never stored frozen tomatoes, hell, I never even realized you could freeze them. Until someone showed me this website and here is a simple way to freeze tomatoes;

http://pickyourown.org/pdfs/freezingtomatoes.pdf


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## Spice (Dec 21, 2014)

Also, slice tomatoes and zuccini, sprinkle with popcorn seasoning (I like Parmesan/Garlic best), dehydrate until very dry. Eat like chips, especially good with dip.


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

Spice said:


> I've got one. If you've got a lot of strawberries to slice: Egg slicer (as for boiled eggs). Serious time saver.


This technique also works for mushrooms so they can be dried.

To remove the core on a strawberry twist the green part off and then stick a straw in the center, less waste and faster.


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## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

If you are cutting grapes, small tomatoes, strawberries, or other such stuff in half, . . . lay one layer down on a large dinner plate, . . . only one layer.

Take an identical dinner plate, . . . lay it face down on the produce. With one hand, . . . lightly push down until the edges almost meet, . . . with the other hand, . . . cut the produce with a long sharp knife, . . . using the crack between the plates as a cutting guide. This works especially well when cutting grapes or grape tomatoes for a salad.

May God bless,
Dwight


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## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

I am also getting ready to "hill in" some of our produce this year.

You dig a hole in the ground, . . . line it with straw, . . . fill it up with potatoes, carrots, beets, cabbage, . . . more straw, . . . then dirt.

They last all winter that way, . . . and the potatoes don't sprout as bad, . . . just go out and dig up a hill as you need them.

May God bless,
Dwight


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

Auntie said:


> This technique also works for mushrooms so they can be dried.
> 
> To remove the core on a strawberry twist the green part off and then stick a straw in the center, less waste and faster.


That's pretty slick! What my wife does is use the end of a potato peeler. Just jam it in there and give it a twist. I had no idea you could use one for that until I saw her do it recently.


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## RedFox (May 20, 2014)

A mandolin slicer is an excellent investment when canning or drying. Be sure to get one with an adjustable depth. 

Also, remember, after dehydration, you can use a cheap coffee grinder to powder dehydrated foods for DIY soup mixes. When making your own soup mixes, you get to control what's in the mix and it ends up exactly how you and your family likes it. 

You can also "dry pack can" pasta, rice, etc. fill your jars to 1/4" from rim, lid and use the jar attachment on your vacuum food sealer to remove air.


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