Everything You Need To Know about Freeze Dried Blackberries

Blackberries are a food that you probably either love or hate. If you love blackberries you probably already know that there are three main blackberries food storage options.  For the short term there is frozen blackberries stored in your freezer,  for the mid range home canned blackberries, and for the long term freeze dried blackberries.  

Freeze Dried Blackberries 

These berries are gigantic!  Freeze dried blackberries, much like fresh, have a lot of seeds. Like all of the freeze dried berries when eaten dry these berries are very flavorful.

Cost – Based on the Fall 2011 Shelf Reliance Price List

Freeze Dried Blackberries cost per cup $2.80

Freeze Dried Blackberries cost per serving $0.70

How To Cook With Freeze Dried Blackberries

To Rehydrate	Makes	Amount	Water	Instructions
Freeze Dried Blackberries	1 c.	1 c.	1 c.	Place FD blackberries on a plate.  Spray with cool water until thoroughly damp.  Let sit for 7-10 minutes until soft.  Drain of any excess water.

My Favorite Freeze Dried Blackberry Recipe

 

 Blackberry Cinnamon Rolls with Pineapple Butter Cream Frosting

Just looking at the photo makes me want to make these again.  These are the perfect make a head breakfast.  When we have company I like to make these the night before let them rise in the fridge and bake in the morning.  

 

Other Freeze Dried Blackberry Recipes 

Peach Blackberry Smoothie from Shelf Reliance

 Triple Berry Crisp from Shelf Reliance

Banana Split Cookies and Everything You Need to Know About Freeze Dried and Dehydrated Bananas

There are two types of bananas that you might store in your food storage.  Dehydrated bananas often called Banana Chips and Freeze Dried Bananas. 

Banana Chips --  are  dehydrated  and  fried  in  coconut  oil.  If you have eaten trail mix you have probably had these. I personally don’t like them, but lots of people do.  

How to use with Dehydrated Banana Chips

Add them to yogurt parfaits

Sandwich a little peanut butter between two banana chips to create tiny banana sliders.

Banana Chip Costs 
based on the Fall 2011 Shelf Reliance Price list
Banana Chips Cost per cup:  $0.82

Banana Chip Cost per serving $0.20

Banana Chip Recipes You Might Enjoy

Peanut Butter and Banana Drops from BHG.com

Freeze Dried Banana  Slices  are  light,  airy, with a clean banana taste.  I always think that bananas have a weird aftertaste these banana slices do not.  There is nothing  added,  no  sugar, no preservatives.  They are great in smoothies, perfect for babies and  baby  food.

	Makes	Amount	Water	Instructions
Freeze Dried Bananas	1 c.	1 c.	1 c.	Add FD bananas to cool water and allow to sit 7-10 minutes until soft.  Drain.

Cost based on the Fall 2011 Shelf Reliance Price list

Freeze Dried Banana Slices cost per cup $2.12

Freeze Dried Banana Slices cost per serving $0.53

My Favorite Freeze Dried Banana Recipe:

Banana Split Cookies

-These cookies are chewy and fruity.

Do NOT over bake!!

 

3 ½ cup THRIVE fudge brownie mix (or 1 boxed complete brownie mix)

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon powdered eggs plus 2 tablespoons water (or 1 egg)

1 tablespoon water

1 cup freeze dried banana slices broken into smaller pieces

½ cup freeze dried strawberries

½ cup freeze dried pineapple broken into small pieces

½ cup chopped maraschino cherries, or dry cherries (optional, but delicious)

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Prepare cookie sheet by lining with parchment paper or spraying with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Combine brownie mix, oil, eggs and water.  Stir to combine.  The dough will be stiff.  Stir in bananas, strawberries, pineapple and cherries.
3.   Drop a heaping tablespoon of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet.  Flatten slightly with your hand. 
4. Bake 12 minutes until just set.  Do not over bake.  Cool slightly on pan and the transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Other Freeze Dried Banana Recipes you might like: 

Most and Chewy Banana Bread from Your Own Home Store

Banana Almond Butterscotch Cookies from Pham Fatale

Everything You Need to Know about Freeze Dried Blueberries

 Source: jordanmit09

Freeze Dried  Blueberries  –  rehydrate  quickly,  sweet,  tangy.   

 Cost – Based on the Fall 2011 Shelf Reliance Price List

Freeze Dried Blueberries cost per cup $2.63

Freeze Dried Blueberries cost per serving $0.66

How to Cook with Freeze Dried Blueberries

To Rehydrate	Makes	Amount	Water	Instructions
Freeze Dried Blueberries	1 c.	1 c.	1 c.	Add FD blueberries to hot water and allow to sit 7-10 minutes until soft.  Drain.  Alternatively, blueberries may be simmered on the stove to rehydrate.

My Favorite Freeze Dried Blueberry Recipe

Blueberries and Cream Cookies

Other Freeze Dried Blueberry Recipes You Might Like

Blueberry Bagels from The other side

Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes—with Freeze Dried Blue Berries from Every Day Food Storage

Berry Barbecue Glazed Chicken from Why Just Eat When You Can Thrive

Everything You Need To Know About Freeze Dried Mangoes

Freeze Dried Mangoes are one of my favorite things.  Definitely my favorite freeze dried food.   I like regular mangoes, but I have a hard time finding good ones, and I hate cutting them up.  Freeze Dried Mangoes are shelf stable so I always have them on hand and they are already cut up so they are easy to use.  Freeze Dried Mangoes are diced into medium sized pieces, tangy, sweet.     

Cost – Based on Fall 2011 Shelf Reliance Price List

Freeze Dried Mangoes cost per serving $0.49

Freeze Dried Mangoes cost per cup $1.96

How to Cook With Freeze Dried Mangoes

	Makes	Amount	Water	Instructions
Freeze Dried Mangoes	1 c.	1 c.	1 c.	Combine FD mangoes and water in a sauce pan, simmer uncovered for 5 minutes or until soft. Drain and rinse in cool water.  Drain and pat dry.   Alternatively  place Mangoes in hot water and allow to sit 10-12  minutes until soft.  Drain.

My Favorite Freeze Dried Mango Recipes

 Mango  Shaved Ice

  Mango shaved ice is actually pretty simple to make.  It is a great summer desert. It only takes a few minutes to make.  I think you will love it.

Mango Chicken Stir Fry with Coconut Rice

 The coconut rice is delicious on its own but put together with the mango chicken stir fry it is a great combination.

Coconut Mango Lime No Bake Cookies

I am so happy with this recipe.  I know the cookies aren’t much to look at but they are heavenly. They were so good I didn’t share any of them with my kids. I just ate the last one and now I wish I had more.    

This recipe is super-fast and easy and amazing. It makes about 10 cookies, and they need to refrigerate for a while, as the mangoes soften and then honey solidifies.  An hour or two in the fridge is ample.   

 Other Freeze Dried Mango Recipes

Pacos (pancake tacos, the filling is mangoes, peaches and strawberries) from Your Own Home Store

Coconut Mango Bark from About.com

Mango Macarons from The Daily Pallette

How To Use Dehydrated Apples

 source: YoTuT

This is the first in a new series focusing on how to use common food storage ingredients.  If you have something that you would like to know more about please let me know. 

Everything You Need to Know about Dehydrated Apples

 There are two main types of dehydrated apples, chips and slices.  They are both good and I personally store both.  I find that they can be used almost interchangeably.  The main differences are the color (apple slices are darker and have the peal attached) and the flavor (chips are sweet and slices are a little tart)

 

The Specs:

Apple Chips  –thin  like  potato  chips,  thinly  slices  no  peel,  great  for  tarts.  Apple chips have a sweet apple taste and are best used for baking, but they do make a nice snack.   

	Makes	Amount	Water	Instructions
Apple Chips	1 c.	1 ½ c.	1 ½ c.	Add boiling water and let set for 15 min.

Apple Chips Cost per serving $0.31

Apple Chips Cost per cup $1.25
*prices based on Fall 2011 prices

Apple Slices  –  organic,  dehydrated  slices  with  peel  (which means more  fiber), the slices are thicker than the apple chips.  When re-hydrated they are brown.  Best used for snacking but can be used for baking.  Apple slices are made from Granny Smith Apples and are a little bit tart.   

	Makes	Amount	Water	Instructions
Apple Slices	1 c.	1 ½ c.	1 ½ c.	Add boiling water and let set for 15 min.

Apple Slices cost per cup $1.31

Apple Slices cost per serving $0.33

*prices based on Fall 2011 prices

My Favorite Dehydrated Apple Recipes:  

• Carmel  Apple Cookies   
• 6 Grain Apple Pancake Bars
• Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies (Clafoutis)

Other Dehydrated Apple Recipes you might like:

 

Apple Crisp from Anissa’s Kitchen

Apple Stack Cake from About.com

Elizabethan Buns Recipe from The Inn at the Crossroads

Apple Scones from Shelf Reliance

Do you store dehydrated apples?  What is your favorite way to cook with dehydrated apples?