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Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Recipes, Snacks, Special Diets, Vegetarian, Wheat Free

Make your own Dried/Dehydrated Fruit

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Soft fruit season. Part of me loves it and part of me dreads it. What to do with all the fruit off the trees? My new answer – DEHYDRATE it. So if you are in the UK this may sounds a bit crazy, most people who I have mentioned it to have raised at least 1 eyebrow at me. But it’s such a great way to use up that glut of fruit without being swamped in jam. I have already made 1 batch of jam, frozen tubs and tubs or fruit, made fruity flapjacks, cakes and given some fruit away…. and I still have 1 more fruit tree to strip bare. I would be drowning in fruit, except…. drumroll please… the dehydrator of glory is here. 

I  had been slyly eyeing one of these up for months and months, when one night I had a toddler who wouldn’t settle, an Iphone in my hand and an Amazon App. It’s a dangerous combination. Dehydrator researched and bought before the toddler had shut his eyes. My husband’s reaction when it arrived “What on earth is that” has since been turned to “How many tiers does it have and what temperature shall I set it too”. It’s a hit.

The first thing I dehydrated was courgette. Now that was a bit odd I grant you. However tonight I used the dehydrated courgette in our dinner and it was great. Apparently you can dehydrate cheese – which makes no sense to me, why do that to a perfectly good piece of cheese? Dehydrating gluts of fruit makes far, far more sense. You end up with sweet, chewy chunks of goodness that you can use for snacking, baking and storing for future nibbling.

So here is how I’ve done it:

Dietitian UK: Dehydrated Greengages-1

Slice the fruit and destone. With greengages and plums I like to leave them in halves, it takes longer to dehydrate but you end up with a nicer dried fruit. Anything larger you will want to slice up.

If you have a dehydrator then line then either line the trays with baking parchment or be prepared to scrub them a little after 😉

Dehydrate at 65 C for 12-24 hrs, rotate the trays a few times, when they have changed colour and have lost most of their moisture. It really depends on the size of the fruit as to how long they will take. I like popping the dehydrater on on

If you do not have a dehydrator then you can use your oven. I’ve not tried it in the oven with plums/greengages but I have done it with apples. Put your oven on it’s lowest setting and spread the sliced  fruit out baking trays lined with baking parchment. It will take several hours so be prepared to check hourly. 

Store in a kilner jar/sterile jam jar or airtight container.

Delicious, healthy snacking. 

Cooking with Kids, Dairy Free, Eating Out Gluten/Wheat Free, Family Meals, Other, Recipes, Reviews

Sticky and Sweet Greengage Flapjacks

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We are lucky enough to have a large plum and a large greengage tree in our garden. Cue lots and lots of yummy fruit which cannot be wasted. With the immense flapjack love I have and the glut of greengages this one was a no brainer – it worked REALLY well.

These are healthier as I’ve not added any sugar, the greengages and prunes add sweetness. I’ve reduced the butter and used part peanut butter for monounsaturated fats. The oats add wholegrain goodness.

I’m off to sit in the sun, with a cuppa and some flapjack 😉

Dietitian UK: Greengage Flapjack

 

Greengage and Prune Flapjacks
Yields 20
A healthier take on flapjacks that uses the sweetness from the fruit instead of sugar.
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
45 min
Total Time
1 hr
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
45 min
Total Time
1 hr
143 calories
22 g
0 g
5 g
4 g
1 g
54 g
18 g
3 g
0 g
4 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
54g
Yields
20
Amount Per Serving
Calories 143
Calories from Fat 44
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 5g
8%
Saturated Fat 1g
4%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 0mg
0%
Sodium 18mg
1%
Total Carbohydrates 22g
7%
Dietary Fiber 3g
10%
Sugars 3g
Protein 4g
Vitamin A
6%
Vitamin C
4%
Calcium
2%
Iron
7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Does this look wrong?
Ingredients
  1. 450g greengages or plums
  2. 150g prunes
  3. 1 tsp cinnamon
  4. 350g oats
  5. 70g peanut butter
  6. 50g butter/margarine
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6.
  2. De stone the greengages and chop each one into about 8 pieces.
  3. Chop the prunes finely or blitz in a food processor.
  4. Mix the fruit with the cinnamon.
  5. Weight out the oats and then mix in well.
  6. Now measure out the peanut butter and butter, melt in the microwave then mix into the oaty mix, stirring well.
  7. Add about 50ml water to help the mixture bind together well.
  8. Press into a well greased and lined tin.
  9. Cover the top with foil and bake for 30 minutes then remove the foil for the last 15 minutes.
Adapted from BBC Good Food "Sticky Plum Flapjacks"
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calories
143
fat
5g
protein
4g
carbs
22g
more
Adapted from BBC Good Food "Sticky Plum Flapjacks"
Dietitian UK https://www.dietitianuk.co.uk/
Gluten Free, Recipes, Wheat Free

Sri-Lankan Plum Chutney

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We’ve had a right plum glut this year, after making much plum jam I decided something else was needed. We love a good chutney….along with cheese, fresh salads and maybe a little wine. For me a chutney needs to be thick, fragrant and a bit spicey, so here is my take on a chutney recipe, inspired by my Sri-Lankan roots.  I’ve added in some spices from the Spice Isle.

It took me flipping ages to make, but having tasted it I can say it was well worth it. A labour of love to make and a labour of love to eat.

Sri-Lanka Plum Chutney Recipe:

1 kg plums – halved and destoned

2 large cooking apples peeled and chopped

2 large onions finely chopped

4 garlic cloves crushed

250g dried prunes

150g sultanas

500g brown sugar

1 cinnamon stick

1 heaped tsp mixed spice

1 tsp ground cardomom

1/2 tsp groound cloves

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

575ml malt vinegar

  • Chop, destone and crush all the ingredients – it’s a lot of prep but put on some music and dance whilst you do it 😉
  • Place in a large pan and bring to the boil.
  • Reduce to a simmer and cook for 2 hrs or until thick enough to leave a trail when you run a wooden spoon through it. Be warned, the chutney will thicken a bit more once you put it in jars.
  • Keep stirring occasionally as it simmers.
  • Taste before potting up, add extra cayenne if wanted.
  • Pour into sterilised jars and seal. This will improve over time and keep for at least a year.
Dietitian UK: Sri-Lankan Plum Chutney
Dietitian UK: Sri-Lankan Plum Chutney
Gluten Free, Recipes, Wheat Free

We’re jammin’ Plum stylee

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I love my house and I love my garden. We’re fortunate enough to have 2 ancient yet bountiful fruit trees, a greengage and a plum. All that fruit is amazing and super tasty, but it can be hard work knowing what to do with it all. Today was PLUM DAY. It’s a day I both love and dread. I love eating the picking, eating and planning, I’m less keen on the destoning and preparation of fruit. I’ve officially decided you can get RSI from plum destoning.

This year I decided to make plum jam – it’s an old recipe that we’ve used several years in a row, requires only 3 ingredients and I think it’s pretty fool proof. If you’re someone who hasn’t made jam before then give it a go. I made 2 batches of this so now we have plenty of jars for us and some to give away too. I know jam has a lot of sugar in but a little also goes a long way. In our house, it’s a treat 😉

With still more plums to use I had to consult the recipe books….and found a yummy sounding Prune Chutney, which of course I have adapted to suit me as I never actually follow a recipe. I can’t wait to try this one. Cheese, cold meat….and chutney – OH YES.

Plum Jam Recipe (makes about 8 jars):

3kg plums (no need to destone or chop – WHOOP)

2 kg sugar

500ml water

  • Use non squidgy, unblemished plums for this, not qute ripe ones ill work well as well as ripe ones.
  • Place the plums and water in a large pan (I use my pressure cooker pan) with the water and bring to the boil, bubble for 30 minutes.
  • Remove from the heat and add the sugar, stir in and then place back on the heat and bring to the boil.
  • Boil for 10 minutes and stir, continue to boil and stir, gently removing the stones as they come to the surface, but keep the rest of the fruit in the pan (sounds obvious but a certain husband removed stones plus fruit leaving no jam!).
  • After about 20 minutes it should be ready, look thickened and jam like 😉 I don’t do any jam tests but can tell when it’s ready.
  • Pour into sterilised jam jars and seal.
Dietitian UK: Plum Jam
Dietitian UK: Plum Jam

Do you have fruit trees in your garden? What do you do with all your fruit?