No this isn’t a post about savings accounts. It’s about taking advantage of produce sales now to have yummy, preservative-free snacks this winter.
I love it when bananas go on sale because my family loves banana chips. Not those crunchy, oily ones you buy in the store, but the ones you get using a home dehydrator. Today, cherries were also on an amazing sale so I bought some of them too. They will be the start of a variety of dried fruits that will all be combined to make “Backyard Bounty Trail Mix” for snacks and gifts later.
This is so easy!!
CHERRIES: I use a cherry pitter to remove the pit then cut the cherries in half. Spread evenly on dehydrator tray and dry according to dehydrator manual. Usually takes about 24 hours.
BANANAS: Peel bananas and slice about 1/4-inch thick. Put in pie plate of water with lemon juice mixed in to prevent bananas from darkening. (I have also used lemon-lime soda for this purpose.) Spread evenly on dehydrator tray and dry according to dehydrator manual. Usually takes about 24 hours.
I’ll be combining these with dried peaches, nectarines, apples, pears, and more to make trail mix. After sealing in small bags with my Food Saver, it will make great stocking stuffers for my family of golfers.
Happy Homemaking!