WHEELING & DEALING - KEEPING IT GOING

It's always something around here.

Today was no different than other days. It's been a random collection of duties and tasks, but sometimes you really want to continue on with something. If you saw my video a while back, then you know that I'm trying to develop some sort of "dill pickle chip" made from dehydrated cucumbers. If you missed the video, then here it is.

After the preliminary development and testing, I thought certain improvements could be made and I had a few ideas. Apparently, I was not alone in those ideas as @cecicastor chimed in with a comment that looked like she she was reading my mind!

I have been sitting and thinking while I watched. (I know, bad combination!) You have your vinegar and salt that you marinate them in. Adding lemon sounds good, but you might get a better dill flavour if you stuck some fresh dill (fresh from the garden) in the bag with the marinade. Also, I would marinate them for hours, say put them in the brine in the morning so it is ready for the dehydrator in the evening. Just some thoughts...

That was just about EXACTLY what I was thinking, and so the R&D continued.

OUT OF CUCUMBERS?

There I was, ready to continue my important research, but I was fresh out of cucumbers. I'm no longer watching three gardens at once, so the cukes aren't exactly coming in like they once were. I desired to continue my dehydrating and taste testing... but, alas, I had no cucumbers.

Thinking quickly I gave @allforthegood a call. On the homestead of @bluerthangreen & @allforthegood they've got lots of cucumbers growing. Perhaps they would have extra, and maybe I could strike up a trade. Thinking back to harvesting their garden while they were gone, I considered what my garden may have to offer them in exchange that they were not already growing. Suddenly, it hit me...

Toothache plant flowers! With a family as large as theirs perhaps someone would need a numb mouth in the future. These flowers can not only be used fresh but they can also be dehydrated, so I offered them up in an exchange. Thankfully, @allforthegood accepted and soon I had them harvested and I was heading down the road.

In exchange I received a very nice handful of cukes, just ready to be researched and developed in my kitchen experiment. After the deal was done and some conversation was had with a read-weary @bluerthangreen, it was back to my laboratory... or kitchen if you prefer.

Soon they were getting sliced and ready for the marinade. I think I've actually perfected this now, and we've been rather pleased with the results. With a creative mind, an open-minded family, and some helpful neighbors, life can be a lot of tasty fun!