Now there is a hypothesis I feel the need to test. I haven't eaten them in 20 years. All I remember is little nuggets like hard rabbit poo or hand rolled Bran Flake balls. They don't seem to be a big UK thing. Maybe you should slow-roast some grapes and see what happens.
I'll defend Grape Nuts until the crack of doomsday. The only cereal of this type that keeps its texture. Remember Reddy Brek, that is like talcum powder even before it leaves the packet? Or Weetabix, which comes out of the packet like pre-use rabbit bedding, and after milk turns into post-use rabbit bedding?
(Edit: TBH Grape Nuts always remind me of the kidneystone grandad had in a jar on the mantelpiece, rather than rabbit poo.)
Though I have just put a 2kg bag of frozen "sweet, summer eating berries" and another 2kg of frozen blueberries into my freezer to do summer puddings in the winter.
(Hint: the big freezer bags of Grade B fruit - bought blackberries because I have not made enough blackberry vinegar so they will get potato mashed anyway - have the most wonderful juice in the bag with the slightly squashy fruit).
F
“Rivers know this ... we will get there in the end.”
"But you can build a straw bale house out of Shredded Wheat."
I throw down the gauntlet. Straw-bale-shredded-wheat, eco insulated house? Yes please.
Grrrrrreeattttt !
As an already admitted breakfast cereal detail nerd, my only complaint is that - if it is snowing - they should have used Frosted Shredded Wheat Bitesize, rather than normal Shredded Wheat Bitesize.
Especially (as a slight eco-building nerd) well-insulated roofs keep their snow longer.
*innocent face*
I would still eat it, though.
“Rivers know this ... we will get there in the end.”
Mmmm Chilli Apple Jelly, a family favourite with lots of recipes on line. Lovely with cheese or cold meats. OR cider made from the juice made In one of those large wine making bottles with the correct top to prevent contamination. I have made some simply with apple juice only and it was delicious.
Brief reflections on making dehydrated fruit slices in a warming drawer.
1 - I think a warming drawer is more efficient than a 70C oven.
2 - It is also far more controllable within the narrow temperature range needed.
3 - Wire cooling trays are preferable to baking trays, as it probably avoids the need to turn over the slices which are dehydrating. I have ordered a set of these close spaced cooling trays to get more in my shallow (6in deep) warming drawer.
On thread I've been a bit nerdy about use of power, but it matters to me. I think it does use a fair bit (I estimate 4-5kwh for 20 hours in my fan assisted warming drawer, which is 60-75p or so, is a lot extra on my daily usage for my decently efficient 4 bed house), so I would try and do a lot at once. If I did 150-200 items in one go I would be happy with that. If it was 40-50 items I would not be happy.
Suspect an oven would use far more power, but I could not measure it easily.
4 - Some ventilation is needed to remove the moist air - I remove the rubber seal from my warming drawer to facilitate this.
5 - I think that 5mm or so is about the right thickness, and for me I would want them chewy inside.
6 - I am fairly happy with the bananas, apples, figs and pears.
7 - I think I prefer cookers over eaters, though there may be something to be said for eg brushing bramley slices with a sugar water or glaze at the start. Have not tried it.
8 - It seems to be a productive use for those hard traditional pears with slightly leathery skins.
9 - The cooking apple slices may be interesting added to eg the top of a pork chop for the last couple of minutes of cooking.
10 - I would start it such that so that it was finishing during the morning or whenever I was around.
11 - I tried them out on a couple of lunch visitors, and they were liked.
12 - I cannot really comment on the quick method using a 200C oven, as I got the timing wrong and burnt them all to a crisp.
13 - Have collected the dehydrator, so more fun beckons.
F
“Rivers know this ... we will get there in the end.”
The half price food dehydrator has arrived (ok been collected) from Appliances Direct so the next stage in the experiment has started.
Apples, lemons, and lemon peel.
There is alleged to be something cosmetically wrong with it .. if anyone spots the problem in a piccie could you let me know, as I can’t find it.
OTOH there is less gubbins in this than in a £30-40 microwave from Argos so anyone charging more than about £50 for one is probably making a very nice margin thank-you-very-much.
So the £40 paid is probably about right for a reasonable retail price.
“Rivers know this ... we will get there in the end.”
Posts
(Edit: TBH Grape Nuts always remind me of the kidneystone grandad had in a jar on the mantelpiece, rather than rabbit poo.)
And sorry - no grapes grown Chez Ferdinand. Try @burgess8bs who was casting around the other day for uses for his 41 bunches of Cheshire grapes. Here:
https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/comment/2258987#Comment_2258987
Though I have just put a 2kg bag of frozen "sweet, summer eating berries" and another 2kg of frozen blueberries into my freezer to do summer puddings in the winter.
(Hint: the big freezer bags of Grade B fruit - bought blackberries because I have not made enough blackberry vinegar so they will get potato mashed anyway - have the most wonderful juice in the bag with the slightly squashy fruit).
F
But you can build a straw bale house out of Shredded Wheat.
Crunchy Nut Cornflakes - yay as a flavour. Nay for the sugar.
3pm
9:15 pm - 6 hours
Midnight - 9 hours in
11:00am 20 hours in
Showing the fruit tried ... eaters and cookers, those slightly hard traditional pears, ripe figs - use by date 4/9, ripe bananas.
(Lesson 1 - Start them at a time that lets watch the period from say 15 hours to 20 hours whilst you are around.)
(PS Have just heard from Appliances Direct that my dehydrator has arrived, so plenty more experiments to do
Ferdinand
As an already admitted breakfast cereal detail nerd, my only complaint is that - if it is snowing - they should have used Frosted Shredded Wheat Bitesize, rather than normal Shredded Wheat Bitesize.
Especially (as a slight eco-building nerd) well-insulated roofs keep their snow longer.
*innocent face*
I would still eat it, though.
1 - I think a warming drawer is more efficient than a 70C oven.
2 - It is also far more controllable within the narrow temperature range needed.
3 - Wire cooling trays are preferable to baking trays, as it probably avoids the need to turn over the slices which are dehydrating. I have ordered a set of these close spaced cooling trays to get more in my shallow (6in deep) warming drawer.
On thread I've been a bit nerdy about use of power, but it matters to me. I think it does use a fair bit (I estimate 4-5kwh for 20 hours in my fan assisted warming drawer, which is 60-75p or so, is a lot extra on my daily usage for my decently efficient 4 bed house), so I would try and do a lot at once. If I did 150-200 items in one go I would be happy with that. If it was 40-50 items I would not be happy.
Suspect an oven would use far more power, but I could not measure it easily.
4 - Some ventilation is needed to remove the moist air - I remove the rubber seal from my warming drawer to facilitate this.
5 - I think that 5mm or so is about the right thickness, and for me I would want them chewy inside.
6 - I am fairly happy with the bananas, apples, figs and pears.
7 - I think I prefer cookers over eaters, though there may be something to be said for eg brushing bramley slices with a sugar water or glaze at the start. Have not tried it.
8 - It seems to be a productive use for those hard traditional pears with slightly leathery skins.
9 - The cooking apple slices may be interesting added to eg the top of a pork chop for the last couple of minutes of cooking.
10 - I would start it such that so that it was finishing during the morning or whenever I was around.
11 - I tried them out on a couple of lunch visitors, and they were liked.
12 - I cannot really comment on the quick method using a 200C oven, as I got the timing wrong and burnt them all to a crisp.
13 - Have collected the dehydrator, so more fun beckons.
F
Apples, lemons, and lemon peel.
There is alleged to be something cosmetically wrong with it .. if anyone spots the problem in a piccie could you let me know, as I can’t find it.
OTOH there is less gubbins in this than in a £30-40 microwave from Argos so anyone charging more than about £50 for one is probably making a very nice margin thank-you-very-much.
So the £40 paid is probably about right for a reasonable retail price.