Monday, October 24, 2011

More Dehydrator Juice Pulp Uses

Oatmeal made with addition of apple pulp from juicer

The juicing continues!  The resulting juicer pulp also continues!

The  nice thing about juicing is that it fits into any diet, ramping up the veggie and fruit content considerably.  We're all for eating those good things fiber and all (fiber's good!).  It's just that we're concentrating our nutrition for some specific targets nutritionally for the time being, and the concentration of fresh juice is really benefitting our bodies (they can really feel the difference).

I did a practice round with the pulp (as written about in my last post) by mixing it with oatmeal and seeds/nuts and dehydrating.  They turned out pretty well, but for it to be perfected I'm going to have to play around with it some more. 

In the meantime, we separate the apple pulp (as it comes out of the juicer) and save it since we remove the seeds before juicing.  The pulp itself is sweet and pretty moist, so it certainly merits some dehydrator experimentation, something maybe with cinnamon? 



But anyway, the pulp has never made it yet as far as the dehydrator...it's the perfect pairing with hot cooked oatmeal.  When cooked up with some oatmeal, it actually lightens the oatmeal ( I was surprised), giving it a texture less gummy (quite pleasant, really!).   It's wonderful with some walnuts and maple syrup, or raisins and honey, or cinnamon, etc.  It's a great homemade "apple cinnamon oatmeal" and cooks up in no time if your oatmeal is the faster cook kind (but if not, is great in the slow cook kind, of course).

Next up for experiments will be some of that lovely soft fruit/veggie pulp mixed in with seeds and nuts and oats and raisins to make homemade granola!  I'm not sure what additional pulp we'll use besides the apple, maybe a little carrot?

So....what to do if you are inundated with extra pulp and you don't have time to do any particular experiments those days??

I'm mulching a tree seedling that's suffered a bit.  Lots of lovely veggie pulp right around the root line.  And the wonderful surprise that greets me these days as I go to empty the overflow there again?

Butterflies!!  The viceroy butterflies seem to love carrot pulp!  There are usually a half dozen or more at a time, perched on the fluffy orange compost, finding some way to feast on their own version of a carrot juice pick-me-up...ha :)  I'll try to capture that on camera if I can soon...so pretty!  And the tree seems to be holding is own...I know the microbes and little crawlies must be enjoying a new lease on life as the fertility ramps up.  (It's the lazy woman's composts, indeed).

If you have any suggestions for uses for the good juicer pulp, let me know!  I'll post the results of the granola experiment, if any of the apple pulp makes it that long without being snacked on beforehand.  Chilled in the fridge, it's almost like apple sauce.


Hope your fall is refreshing and full of color!

3 comments:

Texan said...

I am enjoying seeing what you are doing with your juicer pulp! I too juice on a regular basis and have experimented with ways to use that pulp!

One thing you can do is freeze it in cubes and put them in a baggy. You then have flavored ice cubes for smoothies etc. I juice melon, citrus, pears (I use pears where most use apples as I am allergic to apples) and save that pulp together. Freeze it. Its sweet and taste great.

Then I juice out the carrots. That pulp thus far I have not come up with a great use. Except to sprinkle it in my garden rows. Yep straight in them. Being its ground so fine it compost very quickly.

I read someone said they dehydrated that carrot pulp and added it in soups and even spaghetti sauce a couple tablespoons. That it added nutrients and fiber and you never knew it was there. I have not tried this yet.

I did experiment using some grapefruit pulp as fruit roll ups. I put it with some agave nectar in the dehydrator. It was not horrible but it needs work. I think using the pulp in fruit roll ups would work really well if a person could get the ingredients just right!

Keep up the good work I can't wait to see what you come up!

jean said...

Using the apple pulp in oatmeal is a great idea! It looks good.

Robbyn said...

Texan, thanks! what great idea about the ice cubes! I have so much carrot pulp I dont think I can store it all, so much of it does get used as compost. I found a couple of recipes I'm going to try, and I still have yet to try making it as an ingredient in granola, some muffins or cookies, bread and so on. Also had thought of dehydrating it and adding it as a unique fiber in handmade papers or in handmade soaps?? I dont have much expertise in either, so it bears some investigation :)

Pilgrim, it is good! And the dog loves it as a treat...honestly, so do I...the apple pulp, that is, just cold and good almost like applesauce.

Thanks for your comments!


:) Robbyn/thebackforty