[New shoot]

Now as a herb numpty I may just have to try this, once dried could you blitz and turn into mint sauce.

I don't see why not 

I crumble mine up to store and then use in salad dressings, Indian style yogurt based side dishes and pilafs over the winter.  It reabsorbs liquid very quickly, so I don't bother to soak it.  I just chuck it in with whatever liquid is going in the dish, or even just with watery veg like chopped cucumber or tomatoes 

[surbie100]

Now got all 5 trays on mine drying mint at a cool 35 degrees.  Its hard to taste the difference with some herbs between home dried and decent quality shop bought, but home dried mint is just a 'must have' for me now 

I've done loads and chopped the plant down to get a second flush to dry as I ran out last winter    That was with a whole preserving jar full as well 

Am going to have to try this too - just bought some new plants this weekend.  How much do I love this forum... !

[Madame Cholet]

I could do the same with tarragon.

[surbie100]

1.5kg strawberries in the dehydrator...smells good!

[Madame Cholet]

Wow

[New shoot]

1.5kg strawberries in the dehydrator...smells good!

Mmmmmmmmm I love the way drying strawberries makes the house smell 

Oregano in mine at the moment   

I've cut the plant back as it was very tall and starting to flop, so the whole stalks have gone in and I'm going to strip the leaves off once they are dry.  This seemed easier than trying to pick up tiny dried leaves 

[surbie100]

Strawbs dry down to nearly nothing, don't they?! It's a good job I have loads. They are really tasty. Though I am having to swap the trays about a bit to get them to dry evenly.

[New shoot]

The juicier the fruit, the more it shrinks down, so it just means your crop was extra good    They are concentrated little slices of flavour when done though and a real ray of sunshine in the middle of winter when shop bought strawberries are tasteless.

I swap trays about as well.  Only once or twice during the drying process, but it helps everything be ready together.

You need to try tomato slices when your homegrown ones are ready.  Now those are 'munch straight out of the jar' good, especially if sprinkled with herbs before drying 

[Lardman]

Mine arrived late last night, all I've got ready at the moment are raspberries.

[surbie100]

Has anyone done blackberries? Would the pips be an issue? Our site will have a bumper crop of these this year by the looks of the blossom.

[Annen]

I did blackberries last year and then stewed them with apple later in the year, they were lovely

[tosca100]

I desperately want to do some onion before we lose the odds and sods, but OH is not keen on the house stinking of onion when we have our first guests. Can't say I blame him. Had to freeze some instead but they still pong even when treble bagged!

[Snoop]

I desperately want to do some onion before we lose the odds and sods, but OH is not keen on the house stinking of onion when we have our first guests. Can't say I blame him. Had to freeze some instead but they still pong even when treble bagged!

Could you do it outside or in a shed somewhere?

[tosca100]

Ordinarily yes, the sun would do the job (no electricity in the outhouses) but we are having freaky stormy weather and we can't even get on the land so things are starting to rot. A lot of people have died (at least 16) and been made homeless in Bulgaria...which is mad when there are hundreds of empty houses in all the villages, due to flooding. 25% of crops have been lost. So I shouldn't moan about such a small thing, we have been lucky.

[Madame Cholet]

I've made blackberry and apple fruit leathers just press through a sieve.