DIY Herb Blends

On July 13, 2023November 18, 2023 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Column, dehydrated3 Comments

When I moved into my 500-square-foot cabin, building custom, open shelves for the tiny kitchen was a top priority. I designed them for exactly how I planned to use the limited space, sketching out what would live on each shelf. That included two 3- by 24-inch shelves where I could stack a set of little canisters holding 50 different spices.

I adhere to Madhur Jaffrey’s view on spices: “If you can put one spice into a pan, you can easily put in ten or even fifteen.” So I happily stored individual canisters of each spice and herb I use regularly and had little interest in premixed blends. But I slowly started to see their value: pickling spices for canning, a version of a favorite restaurant’s Cajun mix, za’atar to sprinkle on just-boiled bagels and popcorn, a friend’s sweet spice blend to replace cinnamon in almost anything.

When my parents asked for easy ways to keep their meals flavorful yet simple, my first thoughts turned to spice blends. Mom knows the value and versatility of individual spices, but aging dulls taste and smell and makes small kitchen tasks more challenging. Topping my list to prepare for her was a simple blend of homegrown, home-dried herbs she could sprinkle on anything. I share it this week in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon.
Learn to make DIY Herb Blend

Homemade Fruit Leather: Most Requested

On April 20, 2023November 18, 2023 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Column, dehydrated1 Comment

Homemade jams and preserves are delicious, but they take hours my garden demands I spend weeding and harvesting. As I explain this week in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon, freezing homegrown fruit lets me keep up with the harvest and save that haul to preserve in a different way when I have more time. Two-step preserving may seem like extra work, but it’s really a time saver when that second process needs some dedicated hours and focus, like canning jam and rolling up dried fruit leather.

Berries freeze particularly well for later preserving projects, as well as for smoothies, baked goods, and more. I always spread them on a tray for a first round of freezing to discourage clumping in the freezer bag. Again, what seems like extra work makes pulling out just a few berries for muffins or a galette so much easier. Even defrosting an entire bag for my nephew and niece’s favorite fruit leather flavors seems to happen more quickly if the berries haven’t frozen into a solid brick.
Learn to make Homemade Fruit Leather

Gourmet Granola with Nuts and Fruit

On December 15, 2022November 18, 2023 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Column, dehydrated1 Comment

My food dehydrator sees regular, year-round use: drying homegrown herbs and vegetables during the growing season, making fruit leather to give my nephew and niece for birthdays and Christmas, and dehydrating sourdough starter for my annual January giveaway. Still, I fill it most often with a blend of grains, spices, and sweeteners that become granola.

In my latest Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon, I share one of my favorite granola recipes and explain why I make it in a food dehydrator. If you don’t own one, don’t worry—I give instructions for baking it in the oven too.
Learn to make Gourmet Granola with Nuts and Fruit

Spiced and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

On November 3, 2022November 19, 2023 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Column, dehydrated1 Comment

Roasted pumpkin seeds feature among my favorite homegrown, homemade snacks, not just because they’re delicious but also because they’re easy. You can spice them with so many seasonings and can even roast the seeds of other winter squash in the same way, as I explain this week in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon.

The hardest part of roasting pumpkin and other winter squash seeds is getting the stringy mess out of the squash—which you need to do anyway when you want to use the flesh. As you scrape out the seeds and soft center of the squash, pull off any large pieces of membrane, dump everything else in a bowl of warm water, and let it sit for a couple of minutes. I’ve found it easiest to clean the seeds by plunging my hands into the bowl, rubbing the seeds free of the warmed stringy bits, and then plopping the seeds into a large-holed colander to drain.
Learn to make Spiced and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Drying Fresh Herbs

On May 19, 2022November 18, 2023 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Column, dehydratedLeave a comment

Almost everything I cook has a fresh or dried herb in it—and even if you barely cook, I’d bet you have at least a couple of jars of dried herbs in your kitchen. But as I explain this week in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon, drying fresh herbs yourself, whether homegrown or store-bought, is an easy DIY project that will result in far better flavor and cost far less than commercially packed jars of dried leaves.

The column focuses on tips that will help you successfully dry a range of fresh herbs, but the first step may be to grow your own. Many herbs grow well in pots on a windowsill or deck. If you have more space, you can plant many types of perennial herbs now and see them pop up on their own year after year. Some can even grow until they produce seeds that you can save to cook with or to replant, such as fresh cilantro and its seed, coriander. And like sourdough starter, herbs love to be used: the more you cut them to use fresh or to dry, the more they grow and produce.
Learn about drying and using herbs