Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Adopted Motto

"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Dehydrating Onions ~ Making Onion Powder


My garden may have produced small onions, but boy they are potent.  You would have had a good laugh, if you were here to see my 14 year-old and I, cutting them up for the dehydrator.  



She had goggles on, and I was trying to fan my eyes, but that failed.  We had tears, and tears and more tears. Sorry for the bad, blurry photographs.  We were laughing so hard at the time.


Words from my 14 year-old:

"Oh, I got it on my mouth, it stings!"

"Shake it off, shake if off.....I got this!"

"I will win this battle!"

"Ugh, this is sooooooooo painful"

"Mom, plug your nose and open your mouth.  You can taste it!"

"Gosh Mom, stop laughing, you're gonna wet yourself!"

"Oh my eyeballs!"

"Why did I volunteer for this?!"

.....and we get to do this again a few more times. 


With 4 trays of chopped onions, I filled one recycled spice jar, plus some in another, plus a 1/2 jar of onion flakes.  

I ground the dried onions on a coffee grinder to make my onion powder.  You can also dehydrate your onions in rings, but they will take longer to dehydrate.



 This was one tray of ground, dehydrated onions. 


This year was the first year to make either of these from garden bounty.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

I've drained two rain barrels now.  There is a chance for rain today.  I am having to water the flower beds, herb gardens and strawberries often.  

The goat fencing has been started again, but we lost our post hole digger.  My guess is that the last person using it left it lay out there, and now it's buried in 5 feet of grass.  We borrowed one until the goats get into their new fencing and start munching down the grass.

I've been searching for organic granny smith apples, but so far I am not locating any (unsprayed).  I think next spring, I will be planting two granny smith apple trees (if not this fall).  As a young girl, I learned how to make applesauce with my Grandparent's apples, using the stove top.  Now I make it using a crock pot.  I hope to share more recipes using granny smith apples this fall.



Today I am thankful for:
~the refund the school is giving me for overcharging fees on two of the girls - YAHOO!
~ for delicious, healthy honey
~allergy eye drops






6 comments:

Sandra said...

I do not like cutting onions. Maybe I should try goggles :)
I never thought of making my own onion powder. Great idea!

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Sandra,
It's incredibly easy. I dehydrated my onions until they were very crispy. They dry much quicker if chopped vs. cut in slices too. The flakes smell like onion rings. Mmmm!

Candy C. said...

Good for you guys for chopping all those onions! The jar of onion flakes is lovely. :)
One of our friends has a couple of Granny Smith apple trees and they are so good! They don't taste anything like the ones in the grocery store.

Michelle said...

Do the goggles work?

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Yes the goggles work, but if there are any gaps around the seal, against your face, it will get inside them.

Anonymous said...

I really need to get myself a de-hydrator! Happy for you on the refund for the overcharge! Things like that are always a nice surprise!
Those onions look like a lot of work but then who said anything was easy?!
Hugs,
Beth P