Lemons aren’t something I have on hand at all times, which is why dehydrated lemon zest is a staple in my kitchen! Lemon peels dehydrate beautifully, and I love using the zest to add a hint of lemon to my favorite glaze recipe, cakes, and even homemade vinaigrettes!
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What Equipment Do I Need?
To dehydrate lemon zest, it’s helpful if you have a zester, a dehydrator, and silicone dehydrator sheets that fit in your dehydrator or parchment paper cut to size. If you don’t have a zester, you can use a food processor after dehydrating to break up the peels and turn them into zest!
Recipe Video
Instructions
Ingredients
Instructions
Using your zester, zest lemons.
If you don’t have a zester, the peels off of lemons and cut into small strips.
Using a silicone dehydrator sheet or a piece of parchment paper cut to size, cover a dehydrator tray.
Add the lemon zest to the covered dehydrator tray and spread the zest evenly.
Ensure no clumps of zest are sticking together.
Dehydrate at 135 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 hours.
Remove the tray from the dehydrator and check to see if the zest has dehydrated and ensure there are no clumps.
If the zest isn’t fully dehydrated, dehydrate at 135 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 more hours.
If the lemon zest is thoroughly dehydrated, store the zest in a covered, glass container in a cool, dark location for up to a year.
Lemonade concentrate is one of my favorite things to can! It comes together quickly and is convenient to have on your shelf when the heat of summer hits!
How Can I Use Lemonade Concentrate?
Simply add 1 part lemonade concentrate to 2-3 parts water, adjusting to your personal taste, for a delicious lemonade! For a sangria mocktail, add the concentrate to fruit juice and fruit.
You can also use it in cocktails, like margaritas, to make water kefir drinks, or even as the acid in a homemade dressing or marinade!
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What Do I Need To Make Lemonade Concentrate?
To make this lemonade concentrate you need jars, clean, new lids, and bands! If haven’t read my post about my favorite canning supplies, I recommend taking a look for items that will make canning this recipe easier!
Measure lemon juice to determine how much sugar or honey to add.
You can add one part sugar to one part lemon juice or two parts honey to one part lemonade. You can safely reduce the amount of sweetener if preferred. I prefer .5-part sugar to 1 part lemon juice.
Add lemon juice and sweetener to a pan.
Heat to a rolling boil, stirring until sugar dissolves.
Canning Instructions
Fill clean, warm half-pint-sized jars with lemonade concentrate, making sure to leave 1/4-inch headspace.
Clean jar rim off to ensure no lemonade concentrate is on it.
Put a clean lid on and screw on band until fingertip tight.
Put in water bath canner.
Fill remaining jars until mixture is gone.
Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude.
Remove jars and set on towel or wooden cutting board to cool for 12-24 hours.
Remove bands and check seals. If any jars failed to seal, store in refrigerator and use first.
This is a delicious and unique preserve to make with pears! It “pears” (pun intended) perfectly with pork and chicken as a savory marinade or sauce!
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What Do I Need To Make Pear-Roasted Garlic Preserves?
To make this pear butter you need jars, clean, new lids, and bands! If haven’t read my post about my favorite canning supplies, I recommend taking a look for items that will make canning this recipe easier!
I modified the original recipe, but, if you’re following the original, then you will also need pectin.
This pear honey marmalade is sweet, delicious, and great in yogurt, on toast, or right off the spoon! You only need 3 ingredients to make this wonderful preserve–pears, crushed pineapple, and sugar!
When we were planning what to preserve with fresh pears this season, my grandpa, who is 94 years old, requested “pear honey,” like his grandma used to make. After asking him a series of questions–what color was it, did it have pieces of fruit in it, what consistency did it have–I finally found a safe canning recipe that fit the description!
This is my variation on the original recipe, which requires less prep for the same delicious product!
What Do I Need To Make Pear Honey Marmalade?
To make this pear butter you need jars, clean, new lids, and bands! If haven’t read my post about my favorite canning supplies, I recommend taking a look for items that will make canning this recipe easier!
Pear season is upon us, and this pear butter is a delicious treat! It’s cinnamon-y with a hint of orange and oh-so-delicious! If you have a steam juicer, this is a great way to use up the leftover pear pulp.
Another reason I love using the leftover pear pulp from the steam juicer is because most of the juice has been extracted. That means you don’t have to wait for hours for the pear butter to reduce!
Using Pulp From the Steam Juicer
If you have ever used a steam juicer, then you know that, after the juice is extracted from the fruit, you’re left with a ton of pulp! Most people recommend throwing it out, but, if you’re like me, then throwing out that pulp isn’t an option. That’s why I decided to make pear butter with it!
The concern with using leftover pulp from steam juicing is that there won’t be much flavor left. So, instead of letting my steam juicer run until there was absolutely no juice left in my pears, I took it off of the heat once the juice production started slowing down.
For another way to use leftover fruit pulp, check out my fruit leather recipe here!
Can I Change the Spices?
You may add up to 3 teaspoons of cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves, or you can leave the spices out altogether!
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What Do I Need to Can Pear Butter?
To make this pear butter you need jars, clean, new lids, and bands! If haven’t read my post about my favorite canning supplies, I recommend taking a look for items that will make canning this recipe easier!
You will also need a food mill (I use one that attaches to my KitchenAid Mixer) and a steam juicer!
I also highly recommend purchasing either a steam canner or the Ball freshTECH Electric Water Bath Canner and Multi-Cooker, if you are interested in another way to save stovetop space or if you have a glass stovetop and don’t want to put a heavy canner on top of it. I use it exclusively for anything I water bath can. The best feature of this canner is that it can easily hold 12-14 half-pint jars!
When it comes storing food long-term, the best course of action is to store them in sealed Mylar bags! Dry goods that contain very little moisture can be successfully stored for up to 25-30 years or longer, including sugar, oats, white rice, dry beans, ground coffee, and wheat berries.
NOTE: If storing sugar, do NOT add an oxygen absorber. It will make the sugar extremely hard.
Long-Term Food Storage Materials
To store food long-term in Mylar bags, you need Mylar bags, oxygen absorbers, and an impulse sealer or another way to seal your Mylar bags. Some people report success using a hair straightener or a clothes iron.
When it comes to Mylar bags, you want quality! You can find cheap Mylar bags, but they are often thin or not durable enough to store food long-term. One of my favorite brands to purchase Mylar bags from is Wallaby. They often have discounts, bundle packs, and even free oxygen absorbers with purchase! I’m not sponsored by them nor do I receive anything in return for promoting the brand. I just love the products!
Help! My Mylar bag is full of air!
If you have a Mylar bag that you filled with dry goods, added an oxygen absorber, sealed, and it is still puffy, have no fear! This is completely normal!
Oxygen absorbers only absorb, you guessed, it, oxygen! And the air we breathe is only about 21% air. So your sealed Mylar bag may be completely free of oxygen but still contain air, and that’s okay. To prevent this, press as much air out as you can before sealing. Some people even go as far as to use a vacuum to suck out excess air!
Is it enough?
If you want to protect your food from pests, such as mice, it is a good idea to go the extra mile and store your sealed Mylar bags in food grade storage containers. Some people have reported mice chewing through even food grade containers, so, if you live in an area where mice are rampant, you may want to opt for a glass or metal option with a locking lid.
How many oxygen absorbers do I need to put in my Mylar bag?
The chart I use to help me determine how many oxygen absorbers are needed for any particular Mylar bag can be found at this link.
However, you can never add too many oxygen absorbers! It is always okay to err on the side of caution and add extra absorbers, as the recommendations on the list are intended for individuals at sea level altitude or lower.
How To Video
Instructions
First, ensure you have Mylar bags, oxygen absorbers, a way to seal your Mylar bag, labels, and the dry goods you’re going to fill your Mylar bags with.
Fill your Mylar bag or bags with your dry goods. It’s a good idea to fill all of the bags you’re going to use in this step, as you’ll need to work quickly once you open your oxygen absorbers.
Write your labels and label your Mylar bags. Make sure to complete this step before sealing!
Working quickly, add suggested amount of oxygen absorbers to your Mylar bag(s). If using sealable Mylar bags, press any excess air out before sealing.
Using your heat-sealing mechanism, seal each Mylar bag.
Gently pull the top apart to ensure a good seal and to check for any gaps indicating that the Mylar bag did not completely seal.
If there is no seal or if you see any gaps, use your heat-sealing mechanism to seal the bag until no gaps remain.
Store sealed Mylar bags in a glass, metal, or food-grade container.
