vegetable powders

[sarah31612]

I have dehydrated many fruits, veggies and herbs;
apples, celery leaves, mushrooms, sage, potatoes, corn .... etc.

This is the approximate amount of herbs we use;

1 tsp powdered = 1 Tbsp dried/crushed = 1/3 c fresh

I haven't dried spinach.
I know that it can be added to many things like bread, noodles, soups etc.
A pound fresh is equal to 1 cup or 5oz. cooked and squeezed "dry" and or frozen.

My question is, "How much dried spinach powder is equal to what fresh?"

I web searched for hours on its nitrate content vs. meat curing, etc. Don't ask me where I read it was used for such a purpose.
I don't remember, because I digested too much info. with no notes.
The gist was that we eat more nitrite/nitrate in our veggies than in our processed meats.
Oxalic acid or nitrate sensitive people shouldn't eat it.

Any information [other than where to buy it] on making, measuring or using any vegetable powders is welcome!
I've seen the paprika post and have Aliza Green's "beans" book.

[manchester-sara]

Hi Sandy!

Originally posted by sarah31612:

I web searched for hours on its nitrate content vs. meat curing, etc. Don't ask me where I read it was used for such a purpose.

Are you saying that you read that people use dried spinach powder to cure meat in place of nitrites? Maybe you aren't saying that...

I don't remember, because I digested too much info. with no notes.
The gist was that we eat more nitrite/nitrate in our veggies than in our processed meats.
Oxalic acid or nitrate sensitive people shouldn't eat it.

I just read about nitrite/nitrate content of leafy green veggies as a cause of "blue baby syndrome", nitrite/nitrate poisoning, which babies can get from homemade baby food made with leafy greens. The gist of the article was that as long as the leafy greens were grown organically, this wasn't a worry and that the high nitrite/nitrate content came from growing with nitrogen fertilizer. Organically grown greens should be safe.

I also was reading about cooking and eating stinging nettle which is very good for you because of its high iron content. There was a warning that because nettle usually grows in swampy areas, there is a risk of high nitrite/nitrate content because swampy areas are naturally high in soil nitrogen.

So, I'm guessing that nitrogen content of soil is the important factor and that the problem comes from high nitrogen content, whether it be naturally or artificially high

Any information [other than where to buy it] on making, measuring or using any vegetable powders is welcome!
I've seen the paprika post and have Aliza Green's "beans" book.

I've dried and made powdered kale for the last two years and have added it to bread, cream cheese spreads, dips, biscuits, soup, spaghetti sauce and scrambled eggs. I almost always add it to homemade pizza crusts. (Of course my whole goal is to sneak kale into food my toddler will eat. As a side note, I also add frozen kale to frozen fruit and milk to make very popular fruit smoothies.)

I don't mean to be such a cheerleader for kale, but unlike spinach and Swiss chard, kale has no oxalic acid!

-Sara

[dcarch]

I make powdered tomatoes.

Very good to sprinkle on dishes.

Takes a lot of tomatoes to make powder.

dcarch

[sarah31612]

Originally posted by dcarch:

... Takes a lot of tomatoes to make powder ...

I dried 1 1/2 gal. of Amish pastes, in an electronic dehydrator.
They still look good vacuum packed.
Were yours brittle or a little leathery?
What did you grind them with?

Powdered, dried mushrooms are great to add to a white sauce, instead of buying canned mushroom soup!

I get away with putting celery in by crushing the dried leaves like an herb.

Has anyone dried & powdered squash?

[dcarch]

Originally posted by sarah31612:

I dried 1 1/2 gal. of Amish pastes, in an electronic dehydrator.
They still look good vacuum packed.
Were yours brittle or a little leathery?
What did you grind them with?-------?

After I sun dried them, I put them in the oven to make them crispy (not brown), then I just grind them in a blender.

Picture of chicken salad with powdered peas and powdered tomatoes:

dcarch

[sarah31612]

Aforementioned paprika thread;
http://forums.seedsavers.org/showthread.php?t=434

Originally posted by dcarch:

... oven to make them crispy (not brown), ... Picture of chicken salad with powdered peas and powdered tomatoes...

When I went to grind the paprika, it was a little leathery. I put them on top of our wood-stove and they got a little crispier. It reminded me of the smokiness talked about in the paprika thread. So I ground it up afterward and it turned out great! thanks for the idea : ) YUM to your picture!

Originally posted by manchester-sara:

... spinach powder to cure meat in place of nitrites? ... nitrite/nitrate poisoning ... powdered kale ... a cheerleader for kale, but unlike spinach and Swiss chard, kale has no oxalic acid!
...

I found the article I'd been reading late at nite...
it and the other are extensive nitrate/nitrite information!

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distrib...on/DJ0974.html

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/nitrate/nitrate.html

I DO NOT advocate using spinach powder as a curative. It was something I was going to try, but chickened out. It DOES NOT sound appetizing anyway. However, after the meat is cooked, some powdered dark veggie mixed in a white sauce & horseradish, sounds rich!

I like shredded kale in my scrambled eggs with some Bulgarian carrot hot peppers & cheese!

[sarah31612]

Originally posted by dcarch:

I make powdered tomatoes...

how much do you use to make a cup of soup?
it sounds really good right now..

i got a cup of tomato powder out of a quart of dehydrated slices
the kale dried nicely, going to grind it next

[pleemee]

I use powdered veggies in my green smoothies. This the first year i have done this. So if i usually use 2 handfuls of spinach would i use 1Tbsp of powder? I am also as i type drying kale to grind. Any help on measurements to use would be wonderful. Thanks so much. I understand you don't lose as much nutritional value dehydrating as you do in freezing. Truth?
thanks a million

[karellongan]

I do regularly dehydrate and crumble up my zuchinni/squash. I crumble all excess veggies I dont think I can eat within the week and dehydrate. I throw them in a jar and when I make soups or need a stock, the crumbled chard, onion, garlic and squash go in. Yum Yum, the squash gives it a silky texture that really thickens the soup.

[sarah31612]

sorry it took so long to answer. welcome both of you to the SSE forum!

Originally posted by karellongan:

... dehydrate ... zuchinni/squash... excess veggies ... in a jar ... soups ...

do you peel it 1st? soup starter sounds delicious! i don't keep up on the dehydrating as much in the summer, but when fall hits, the 100* temps help warm the kitchen a bit

Originally posted by pleemee:

... 2 handfuls of spinach would i use 1Tbsp of powder? ... nutritional value dehydrating as you do in freezing...

chop that up slightly & see how much it measures. sometimes i use a stick blender, but it doesn't pulverize as good as the big one. the powder in a smoothy is a GREAT idea! wouldn't need to be grinded like a fresh piece of celery.

Originally posted by sarah31612:

...approximate amount of herbs we use; 1 tsp powdered = 1 Tbsp dried/crushed = 1/3 c [chopped] fresh ~ I haven't dried spinach ... A pound fresh is equal to 1 cup or [[5oz. cooked and squeezed "dry" and or frozen.]] My question [ALSO] is, "How much dried spinach powder is equal to what fresh?" ...

i guess spinach would be like an herb once dried, sooo... i shoulda thought ahead a little more

Originally posted by manchester-sara:

... nitrite/nitrate content of leafy green veggies ... nitrogen content of soil is the important factor and that the problem comes from high nitrogen content ... frozen kale ... cheerleader for kale ...

someone needs 2 b one

do you know what 2 do with leaf miners? their not hitting the kale as much, but really getting 2 our sweet potato vines! i just been pinchin off the leaves as i find them & tossing them in2 the worm compost barrel.

how long do u blanch kale b4 freezing? i assume u only cut it to the size that fits in2 freezer container...

we starting 2 build an aquaponics system. good blog on it;
http://www.aquaponics.net.au/forum/index.php
i only have one post so far, same id..

i will finally get to grow ALOT of my leafy greens with proper amount of water! it is good 2 know about the n/n content, cus we'll need extra in starting the system. both are necessary 4 good biochemical balance.