Random Idea Sept

This is something to remember: Be sure to wash all fresh fruit and vegetables before eating. This includes melons, salad, carrots and potatoes. 

I know this is a pretty basic idea but you just never know who has touched or exactly where your fresh furits and vegetables have come from. People touch the produce before they buy, and you may not see them touching it, but where has their hands been? I personally have seen produce dropped on the floor at stores and customers have just put it back on the shelves; The floors are dirty, people walk on them. Fruits and vegetables come from farms, and are transported. It is just good common sense to wash things before you prepare them to eat.

Random Idea Wash your food before you eat it.

Dehydrated Apricot Recipes

Recipes using Dehydrated Apricots:

Apricot-Applesauce Cake

1 cup all-purpose flour                                               

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons ground allspice                                       

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup sugar                                                              

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup applesauce                                                                    

2 eggs

3/4 cup diced, dried apricots                         

1/2 cup chopped almonds

Confectioners' sugar or dried apricots, cream cheese for garnish

Preheat oven to 350(F. Grease a 12-cup bundt pan or tube pan. Combine flours, allspice and baking soda; set aside. In a large bowl, with a mixer at low speed, cream sugar and shortening; beat in applesauce and eggs until fluffy. Add flour mixture; beat at medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in apricots and almonds. Pour batter into pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes until top

springs back when lightly touched with finger. Cool cake in pan 10 minutes; invert onto serving platter and dust lightly with confectioner's sugar. Makes one 12-inch cake.

From Zoria Farms http://zoria.com/

Apricot Pumpkin Muffins

2 cups buttermilk baking mix                                     

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

1/4 cup sugar                                                              

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger                                                    

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup milk                                                               

1/2 cup cooked pumpkin

1 egg

In a medium bowl, combine baking mix, apricots, sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Mix together milk, pumpkin and egg until well blended. Combine 2 mixtures; beat vigorously 1/2 minute. Fill 12 greased medium muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake in 400(F oven 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Remove from cups and serve warm. Makes 12 muffins. From Zoria Farms http://zoria.com/

Apricot Health Bars

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened                            

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg, slightly beaten                                                     

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups quick or old-fashioned oats, uncooked  

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup wheat germ                                                       

 1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt                                                            

3/4 cup diced, dried apricots

1/2 cup chopped walnuts                                               

1/2 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350(F. In large bowl, cream butter and sugar; stir in egg and vanilla. Add oats, flour, wheat germ, cinnamon and salt. Mix until well blended. Stir in apricots, walnuts and coconut. Spread dough evenly in a 12x8-inch baking pan. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until golden. Cool slightly, then cut into bars. Makes about 2 dozen. From Zoria Farms http://zoria.com/

Apricot Leather

6 fresh apricots - 1 lb                         

3/4  cup sugar

Preheat oven to 200(F and oil a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Pit apricots and oarsely chop. In a 3-quart heavy saucepan cook apricots and sugar over moderate heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Cook mixture at a bare simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 40 minutes more. In a blender puree mixture until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Transfer puree to oiled, solid sheet.  Dry puree until it feels drier but slightly tacky, about 6 hours. Cool leather completely.  Peel leather off  sheet and roll up in wax paper.   Leather keeps, wrapped in plastic wrap, at cool room temperature 1 month. NOTE: This fruit leather  makes a satisfying energy snack and is delicious in place of chutney on a sandwich (we loved it in a ham and cheese wrap). For an easy hors d'oeuvre, spread 4 tablespoons softened mild goat cheese onto an 8-inch square of leather. Sprinkle the cheese with 1 tablespoon chopped pistachios and tightly roll up leather into a log. Chill the log and slice it into 1/4-inch-thick rounds.

Dried Apricots (12 servings)

1/2 cup honey                                     

1/2 cup water

juice of 1 lemon                                             

2 lbs just-ripe apricots, halved and pitted

In small bowl, combine honey, water and lemon. Dip apricots in honey mixture. Spread them cut side up on several large baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Dry in oven @ 225(F 4 hours or until fruit is firm, chewy and shriveled around the edges. Cool. store in self-sealing plastic bags in refrigerator up to 3 weeks.

Apricot Nut Supreme Brownies

1/4 lb white chocolate or white baking bars              

1/3 cup margarine

1/2 cup sugar                                                                          

2 eggs

1/4 teaspoon almond extract                                                  

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder                                                  

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup California dried apricots, quartered and divided                     

1/2 cup dried apricots, quartered and divided                                   

1/2 cup slivered almonds, divided

Preheat oven to 350(F. In small sauce pan, melt white chocolate and margarine over low heat. Stir constantly until mixture becomes a curdling consistency; remove from heat. Add sugar, eggs and extract; stir quickly to blend. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into white chocolate mixture; add half the apricots and almonds to the batter. Pour into a greased 10 1/2" X 7" X 1 1/2" pan and sprinkle the top with the remaining apricots and almonds. Bake 25 minutes, or until golden and brownies begin to pull away from the edge of the pan. Makes 18 brownies. Optional: Drizzle top of brownies with melted white or dark chocolate.

From Zoria Farms http://zoria.com/

Apricot Whole Wheat Bread

3 cups whole wheat flour                                           

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon                                                 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg                                                  

1 1/4 cups milk

1 cup honey                                                                

1 egg, slightly beaten

2 tablespoons salad oil                                               

1 cup chopped dried apricots

1 cup chopped walnuts

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Combine milk, honey, egg and oil; pour over dry ingredients. Stir just enough to dampen flour. Gently fold in apricots and walnuts. Pour into greased 93/4 x 133/4 loaf pan. Bake in 350(F oven 60 to 70 minutes or until done. Remove from oven; let stand on rack about 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Store overnight for easiest slicing. Makes one loaf. (This high-fiber treat is especially delicious buttered and warmed under the broiler.)

From Zoria Farms http://zoria.com/

Dried Apricot Pie

Dried apricot pie filling:         

2 1/2 cups dried apricots                                

Water

1 cup sugar                                                     

1 tablespoon cinnamon

2 1/2 tablespoons Minute tapioca

Put dried apricots into microwave safe bowl, add just enough water to cover fruit. Microwave for 15 minutes or until tender. Add sugar, cinnamon and tapioca. Set aside.

Dehydrated Apple Recipes

Here are a few standard recipes for Dehydrated Apples.

Apples, Dry

To rehydrate dry apples: Use equal volume food and water.  Wait 20 minutes.

Apple Pie

One 9-inch pie crust                                       

1/4 lb dried apple slices (3-1/2 cups)

2 cups water                                                   

1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon                                                          

Crumb topping:

1/2 cup flour                                                   

1/4 cup brown sugar

2-1/2 tablespoons butter or margarine            

Cook dried apples in water until soft, about 1 hour. Add additional water, but not an excessive amount. Do not drain.  Add sugar and cinnamon.    Pour into prepared pie shell.  Mix topping until crumbly and sprinkle over pie.  Note: Either sweet or sour apples may be used in drying. Sweet apples such as

Red Delicious are used for sweet schnitz (dried apples), and the peel is left on to ensure a rich flavor. If a tart flavor is preferred, use late fall or early winter fully matured apples. No research is available on the suitability of current commercial varieties of apples. Dry a small amount of a variety and test

by using it in one of your favorite recipes before drying large amounts of that variety.

Apple Coffee Cake (serves 18)

2 cups dried apples                                        

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 cup margarine                                                       

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs                                                             

1-1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt                                                        

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup milk                                                   

1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:         

1/2 cup sugar                                                  

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Place dried apples and lemon juice in a bowl. Add enough water to cover and soak for 1 hour.  Cream margarine and sugar.  Add eggs and beat well.  Sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Add to creamed mixture.  Add milk and vanilla. Beat well.   Pour into two 9-inch greased and floured cake pans.

Top with drained, rehydrated apple slices.  Combine sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over apples. Bake at 375(F for 35 to 40 minutes. 

Apple Cream Leather

6 ea  apples                                                                 

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4  tsp cloves                                                            

1  c nonfat yogurt -- (plain)

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Puree ingredients in food processor or blender until smooth. Place fruit leather sheets in dehydrator trays. Spread puree over fruit leather sheets, 1/4" thick. Dry until leathery (pliable but not sticky).

Apple Crisp

3/4 Cup Flour                                     

3/4 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Tsp Cinnamon                                          

1/2 Cup Margarine

3/4 Cup Dehydrated Apples

Water -- as needed at least 3/4 cup to rehydrate, then add 1/2 to 1 cup more. Simmer apples in water according to package directions. (or soak dehydrated apples in equal amount of water for 30-40 minutes, then simmer in water.) When well heated, but not completely cooked, add the sugar/flour mixture and spread in a frying pan. Continue cooking until mixture is bubbly and thickened. As an alternative this may be baked in a reflector over. Spread the apple mixture in a baking pan and pat out the flour/sugar mixture over them. Bake in front of a good high fire, turning the pan once or twice to assure even baking. Makes about 6 cups.

Do not know where the recipes came from. These recipes are something I have had for many years.