Mint & Taters

I finished dehydrating the onion crop and have now started on the mint and potatoes.

Rebecca and I picked a couple grocery bags of mint from the mint bed.  Originally, it had been my herb bed, but the mint sort of took over, so I moved things around so they could have their own bed.

Then I rinsed it off with lots of cold running water, and striped the leaves off.  Any brown leaves I discarded, along with a couple of ants that rode in the house on them.

The leaves then went into the dehydrator.

So far I have several quarts of mint, and it will continue to grow.  We only picked a small portion of it.  It should keep me in tea all winter long.

As an experiment, I also started one batch of dehydrated hash browns (with onions).  I tried it several ways--blanched part of it, and part I did not blanch but treated with lemon water, and part I did not blanch but soaked in lime water, and then I blanched and limed the 4th tray.  It had been several years since I dehydrated potatoes and onions, and I tried all 3 methods before, but could not remember which worked best.  So, I had to repeat.  the winner is blanching them first then treating them with the lime water (ascorbic acid).  So, I will be doing up more, now that I know the correct way.  Incorrect will still work, but you will have discolored (black) potatoes instead of nice white ones.

One quart jar of dehydrated hash browns, or sliced potatoes, will feed our family.  It will double to 2 1/2 quarts when soaked with water prior to cooking.