Cooking With Tam - Dehydration Basics

[dutchweeks1]

Instead of shelling the nuts all at the same time, put em in a pillow case or similar bag and crush with a hammer or stone. dump the entire contents into a bowl and fill with water, the nuts'll sink, husks'll float, makes the process ALOT easier. By the way, you remind me of my mommy, and that makes me smile :D

Keep on keepin on ya'all!

[katzcradul]

My husband suggests that if you're doing a video, dehydrating acorn flour, that you be sure to put the term 'acorn flour' in the title if only in parentheses, so if later we try to find it, we an use the Youtube search engine. Thank you. By the way, great video. I told my husband, you 'walk the walk'.

[AxiomaticLucidity]

This is really interesting Tam. Thank you!

[trinityisawesome]

I was wondering if you had a preference/knew what the best edible and medical wild plants book was for Tennessee? I know there are a lot out there with only black and white sketches that help very little. Thanks in advance!

[BushcraftOnFire]

@trinityisawesome

The best book in my opinion.. and the one I carry/use is the "Peterson's Guide to Wild Edibles" Hope that Helps

[sraike]

Great video Tam. Thanks! Hopefully you'll show us more on using the dehydrator.

[soarntam]

@sraike Hi there! :) Oh yes, I plan to show how to make total meals to take in your backpack, that are healthy and easy :)

[satan31337]

show how to dehtdrate without modern ovens etc etc thanks

[cslr11]

anouther great vid.

[IamMohawk]

If we dont have elctricity can we have this as a something to eat? I mean how would you do this in a natural way? I love your vids! Jim.

[soarntam]

@IamMohawk Hi Jim, if you check the first three acorn vids I shared (briefly) how to do this primitive style. Collecting acorns and breaking them up, leaving them in running water will remove the tannins. Then you could dry them in the sun and crush them and use them in soups and stews as well.

[OKBushcraft]

Thanks for sharing. Haven't been on YT much for a while, good to see you still on and doing good work.

[soarntam]

@OKBushcraft So good to see/ hear from you again! Blessings to you and yours! Keep in touch! Joyful feast of Tabernacles.

[OKBushcraft]

@soarntam Thanks and you too. I picked a large coffee can of acorns-the cup acorns-they are about as big around as ping pong balls, need to try this with them.

[soarntam]

@OKBushcraft  Wow! A few years back we had picked a few 5 gallon pails full of super long acorns from white oaks. This year they were shorter and rounder. Not sure if the size comes from the weather but I didn't find any long ones this year. We still have heaps of acorns falling but they are the smaller ones. Still taste great after processing them in the mixer with water.

[surviveTHEtimes]

awesome vid Tam!

[Greatbloke]

That a great looking dehydrator.

[enok45]

Thank you I didnt rellize that you could kill the good inzimes in a dehidrator. Great info.

[candiedpecan]

This is a great video. thanks for posting! I have a black walnut in my back yard and I've been wanting to collect and use the nuts for various recipes but am having trouble cracking them. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[soarntam]

@candiedpecan Black walnuts are my next challenge :) If I come up with a good method I'll let you know!

[BillyGoat4x4]

Do you still have to soak the acorns in water to remove the tannins when you make flour this way?

[BushcraftOnFire]

@BillyGoat4x4

Yes.. the same process is used.. just the remaining "flour" is dehydrated instead of using "wet"

[ftcentrepreneur]

Another great vid! Thanks Guys! :o)  Hope everything is going good for you all! God bless.

[bigjim379]

Looks great Tam. Does it have a nut like flavor. It looks like it would make a good dark bread. I bought a food dehydrator but haven't used it yet, I thought it would make good jerky and dried fruit. Love your videos looking forward to more. Thank you for your prayers when I had my surgery everything is going great lost 100 lbs so far only 100 more to go. God bless you and your family.

[soarntam]

@bigjim379 Hi there *hugs* So good to hear from you again! Wow don't disappear on us! The acorn flour makes a darker bread, it has a very mild light nut flavor. Keeping you in our thoughts and prayers, thanks for the encouragement and touching base again. Blessings to you and yours, Tam n family

[Hoffa3381]

Very informative & helpful. Noticed the containers for storage look like my proten containers which my Misses give me a hard time for saving. Let her watch this video. Thanks Tam : )

[BushcraftOnFire]

@Hoffa3381

LOL!! That's EXACTLY what they are Bro.. I use protein every day

[hinckleypoland]

Thanks Tam... very informative. I have been looking for a dehydrator and I think i have found one. Thanks again and be safe out there!

[patje0109]

Thank you for sharing this Tam !!!!!

I remember my mother telling us they were eating acorn bread sometimes during WWII. There was no other bread. A lot of people survived by doing so, i also remember my mother told us about the "ersatzkaffee" (also made of acorn)

Now i know how i can make it myself and try it out sometime

Thanks!!!!

Greeting from Belgium

Patje

[soarntam]

@patje0109 Nice to meet you Patje! I was just reading an article how acorn's were used for flour during the war and how back then it was poor man's food, and now it's being sold for incredible amounts as a health food item. The coffee really isn't too bad. We all love acorn bread here, so I'm thankful I could harvest so many this year. Let me know how yours turns out and do send me a message if you need more information! Blessings to you and yours, Tam

[patje0109]

@soarntam Thanks Tam!!!

In the mean time, i found out we have quercus Rubra ( we call it american oak and is your red oak, nowadays we are trying to get rid of the American Oak) ,Quercus robur (summeroak) and quercus petrarea (winteroak) growing in Belgium. Do you know anything about these european sorts???

I guess you can use all of them but i am not sure????? I have seen a lot of acorn in the woods!!!

Love u all

[soarntam]

@patje0109 Here we have conservation websites that list each species. I'll see (((Patje)))if I can find anything similar for you. When it comes to eating from the wild it's always best to be 100% positive that food is edible. Would love to see pics of your acorns!

sending love and blessings,

Tam

[soarntam]

@patje0109 I found this:

Main Address:

National Botanic Garden of Belgium

Domein van Bouchout

Meise

B-1860 Belgium

Telephone Number: 32 (0)2 260 09 20

Fax Number: 32 (0)2 260 09 45 botanicgarden (dot) be

[wkgm11]

this is the same dehydrator as mine except its white its great

[soarntam]

@wkgm11 I've tried others, but this truly is the best! I'm so thrilled and will be using it A LOT! :)

[nedeljkomostar]

I love acorns. Great video Tam. thank you for sharing.

ron

[stonybrokebushcraf]

cool vid tam i love the cooking thing

[andy1orlast]

you can make a cheap dehydrater by buying a box fan and some air filters. Stack the air filters up and put the fan on the bottom. elevate the fan and your done. it costs about $20. thats how i make beef jerky.

[wkgm11]

@andy1orlast I love making jerk but i have found a side mounted fan is much better

[survivalmike]

@soarntam Hi Tam!

The temperature dropped down to 3°Celsius........It should get warmer the next days (up to around 10 degrees Celsius)! But in a few weeks I think its getting cold - really cold (-10°C) and lots of snow :-)

But We´ll see!

all the best to you and yours

Mike

[henrycems]

Great video would that work to make jerkey?

[soarntam]

@henrycems This Excalibur makes awesome jerky :) 

[henrycems]

@soarntam Thanks I may just get on, have a good one take care.

[henrycems]

@soarntam Thanks I may just get on, have a good one take care.

[jbr1074]

Could you use silpat for the liners?

[soarntam]

@jbr1074 Yes you could. If you type in silpat and dehyrator in your google it shows you can. Hope this helps

[12GaugeLosAngeles]

Wow... i'm surprised you don't have companies calling to make a reality style survival documentary with you guys. Again.... real relaxing videos.

[soarntam]

@12GaugeLosAngeles Thanks for the encouragement. I'm happy just sharing from my kitchen and yard

[survivalmike]

@soarntam Hi Tam!

Yes I said snow :-) yesterday the snow is falling under 1000m and today it even fall under 500m - so I can say that winter has arrived :-)

It´s a little too less for an igloo but if enough snow has fallen I´ll make you a nice video!

all the best from Austria

Mike

[soarntam]

@survivalmike I look forward to it! We used to make them in Canada after large snow falls by cutting out cubes of snow!

Have a wonder filled day enjoying the snow, whats the temperature?

[ArtisanTony]

I am trying to understand the difference between living and no living food? Most of the food we eat was a living plant at one time. We harvest the food and at that time it becomes non-living. I am not being sarcastic here. I am trying to understand your terms and what you mean by them. I guess I am wondering when you would ever put a living thing in the dehydrator and why they feel it necessary to make the distinction.

[soarntam]

@ArtisanTony Good question. By living things, I mean taking something that was alive and dehydrating it.

Non living foods are made in a factory, living foods are found in nature.

One chemicals and processed foods are added to living food, it rarely if ever holds any good food value.

When I dehydrate, I use fresh food. The Excalibur removes all moisture so it doesn't spoil. I place the dehydrated foods in water, and they soak up moisture and are still healthy foods.

[ArtisanTony]

@soarntam ok, I think I understand you now. Of course the foods that are processed in a factory were living at one time also :) I guess your distinction is when they add chemicals for preservatives.

[soarntam]

@ArtisanTony Drying the foods preserves the natural enzymes. There are awesome studies how eating "live" foods gives your body life, while consuming all the preservatives and chemicals in processed foods, helps speed death. For example cancer cells feed off sugars and chemicals, while they cannot survive eating live foods.

[ernest302]

Great video / when the video got started a spark lit up in my brain / instead of throwing away the shell after removing the acorn it can be ground up or smashed into fine pieces and placed in a ankle high nylon and used as an oil absorber if you have a oil spill in your driveway or garage / that makes a no waste of your gathering

[soarntam]

@ernest302 That would work :)

I use the shells in my garden they make awesome fertilizer too. By Spring there is no trace of them.

[sum1else83]

i love all of the Alternative food's videos and preservation. all of the info is great after all you cant do anything if you cant eat. thnx for the video!

[Krylon103112]

how much did the dehydrator cost?

[soarntam]

@Krylon103112 This model is $249, comes with a 10 year warranty!  This company has been in business for over 35 years and their service is totally outstanding!

[nicolasss82]

This is great!! Learning soo much, plz make more videos :D

[wizardangel]

Thank You 4 posting - I have a 10 tray with temp settings but no timer ,,but it's on the 4th year of heavy use and still works great--We all need to learn how to DIY food long storage ,I date as I storage and have used items up to 3yrs with no problem just placeing in freezer ziplock bags and then into metal snap tight trash cans to keep mice out ! I also got needle point mesh to place on my large holed trays for berries,wonderful to toss a few into oatmeal as it simmers with a few bannanachips

[soarntam]

@wizardangel You need that temp control. According to research, if you seal the dehydrated foods in in good ziplocs it lasts indefinitely, while canned and frozen both have shelf lives.

[wizardangel]

@soarntam YES ,,I know differnt temps needed ,,Hey ,I'm in the southern Ozarks AR,and the wild persimmons are almost ready ,,YA might want to check your woods for them .,,critters grab them quick once ripe around here !! Tasty treats fully ripe !!Thanks Tam for all your works ,that goes to the better-half too !!

[soarntam]

@wizardangel Most of ours have fallen, I'm still hoping to find some, they are great to dehydrate as well! My better half sends his regards ;)

[godsend420]

nice dehydrator and vid

[anyonefindAMERICA]

Thanks Tam! Another great informative video! I need to get into that dehydration process.

[soarntam]

@anyonefindAMERICA Oh it's been an awesome adventure here, the lists of food that can be dehydrated is amazing!

[Trailtraveller]

Very good explaining of the dehydrating process !

[BushcraftSoutheast]

Awesome vid, that is really cheap to run 24 hours. I want that dehydration unit

[soarntam]

@BushcraftSoutheast I do a lot of canning, each year I need to buy jars, and lids and seals, the pressure cooker runs full steam for hours on end, not cost effective but a way to keep food should we loose power. The Excalibur is so cheap to run that it will quickly pay for itself.

[Waldhandwerk]

Thanks for showing, good to know! Regards Sepp

[ironlionkalo]

why do you have to rinse the meal after it has been ground up?

[soarntam]

@ironlionkalo Hi there, I show it in the previous acorn videos. I grind the acorns in water, then rinse, that remove the bitter tannins.

[ironlionkalo]

@soarntam oh ok just like in the wood. i didnt know the acorns had tannin as well. thanks

[survivalmike]

Thank you Tam for showing us this great knoweledge and your skill to make flour :-)

Really appreciate it!

All the best to you and yours from the snowy Austria

Mike

[soarntam]

@survivalmike Hi Mike, did you say snow??? I grew up in Northern BC I miss snow falls! We are in the middle of a beautiful fall display here. Could you do an igloo video? :)

[anyusmoon1]

Tam did I miss the steps of wet grinding ie how many parts water to nuts in the blender- and is the water simply a medium to carry the nuts evenly across the blender blades or..., then sieving in the knee-high- do you pour the blended nuts into the sock or is it more of a dough consistency when it comes out of the blender and finally did you say it requires rinsing the filled knee-high under the faucet?

[soarntam]

@anyusmoon1 Hi sis :) Those steps are found in the 3 other acorn videos I did recently. For me, the fastest easiest way to remove the bitter tannins is breaking the acorns up with water in the blender, then pouring them in and rinsing them with a knee hi pantyhose under running water. Not primitive but awesome for home use. Check the other 3 vids ;)

[lonestarskywatcher]

Really cool....will watch again when I have more time. ....Thanks

[medicjimr]

Thats a great dehydrator Tam. I have a nesco harvester now But will be upgrading to one of those somewhere down the line. It has payed for itself already

[soarntam]

@medicjimr Thanks so much. Discovering this Excalibur has me wishing I had spent less time canning this summer.

I'm looking forward to a new set of video's making meals to take hiking :) Full meals.

[medicjimr]

@soarntam Yes I do need to get cracking and make some more meals I am running low on spanish rice and I have a few I want to experiment with a stuffed pepper casserole for one

[wmdrtr]

Excellent. Thank you.

[survivalweb]

I would love to see one on your dehydrated Cheddar cheese

[anyusmoon1]

@survivalweb Me too! Very curious to know if your goat cheese has enough solids to produce a dehydrated product or...?

[soarntam]

@survivalweb Hi there, with this unit it will be so much easier! I'm nearly out of cheddar cheese powder, so hopefully I'll get a video out soon.

[JimboJitsu]

great video! Loved it all the way through, wonderful job Tam! wut did u do with David? hehehe

[soarntam]

@JimboJitsu Jim? He's not at your house???? Hmmm I'll have to go search!

[JimboJitsu]

@soarntam No, Pappy hasn't made it this far, better send out the search parties! 

[centervilletn]

i dont often comment but i always watch and enjoy your great videos.

[soarntam]

@centervilletn Thank you so much for your encouragement. That's what makes it worth making these videos.