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Podcast Episode 1:
How to Dehydrate Pumpkins,
Make Spice, Dog Treats!

SEASON 2

Susan Gast, founder of Easy Food Dehydrating

by: Susan Gast / Author, Blogger at Beesville Books, Bored Boomers, and a Food Dehydrating Fanatic!

Dehydrate Pumpkins, Make Spice, Dog Treats!

Dehydrating Pumpkin Podcast, Season 2, Episode 1Podcast Created With Google's AI NotebookLM

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Read the Full Transcript, Below:

00:04
Hello, and welcome to Easy Food Dehydrating, the show that teaches you how to safely dehydrate and store fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables along with cooked meats. Let's get going!

00:21
Welcome to the deep dive. Today, we're, diving into something kinda different, something you might not expect, dehydrating pumpkin.

It's funny how something we mostly think about for decorations can become such a versatile ingredient, you know, with the right techniques.

00:36
Right. Beyond, like, a pumpkin spice latte, how often do we actually, like, cook with pumpkin outside of October? But we found this website, Easy Food Dehydrating. And they've got this whole thing about making the most of your pumpkins, even, well, the ones that don't become jack o'-lanterns.

00:51
And doing it safely, which is really important. They're big on using fresh pumpkins specifically for dehydrating, not leftovers. It's about flavor, sure, but also, like, food safety. We're talking about storing the stuff long-term.

Yeah. That makes sense. You don't wanna be, like, pulling out a funky pumpkin chip months later. So okay. Say I'm at the pumpkin patch ready to stock up. How do I know which pumpkin's destined for dehydration?

01:14
Good question. It's not just grabbing the biggest one, though size does matter, kind of. Easy Food Dehydrating says to look for a pumpkin that feels heavy for its size. Also, you want a nice smooth skin, vibrant color, no blemishes or anything.

Basically, like, the beauty pageant winner of pumpkins.

Pretty much. You want that perfect specimen.

01:33
Okay. So we've got our prize pumpkin. Now what? Mhmm. The website breaks the dehydrating process down into four main steps. They seem to emphasize getting these steps right is, like, super important for good results.

Yeah. It's tempting to just jump in, but those little details really make a difference in the long run according to them. Like, they were really into even-slicing. They even suggest using a mandoline if you have one.

Oh, for those perfect thin slices.

Exactly.

That makes sense. I could see how that would be important for drying everything evenly.

One hundred percent. And then those slices go onto your dehydrator trays, no overlapping or anything. Then it's low and slow, 135°F for about nine to eleven hours.

02:12
Low and slow. Got it. It's like barbecuing, but for, you know, pumpkin. So we're waiting patiently, letting those pumpkin slices dry. I'm already picturing, like, a big bowl of pumpkin chips. But Easy Food Dehydrating, they've got this whole other thing about flavoring the pumpkin, like, before you dehydrate it.

Yeah. It's all about infusing more flavor right from the start. They talk about going sweet or savory depending on what you're into.

Okay. Now I'm really curious. What kind of flavors are we talking? Give me the rundown.

02:38
So for the sweet route, think warm spices, cinnamon, or they even suggest, like, a whole pumpkin spice blend sprinkled on before it goes in the dehydrator.

Oh, that sounds amazing. I bet that intensifies the flavor a lot.

They say it does. Yeah. The flavors get way more intense during drying, so you gotta be careful not to overdo it.

Good point. So I'm guessing savory is a whole other ballgame.

Totally. They start simple, like salt and pepper, but then they get into smoked paprika, even chili powder.

Chili powder. Now that's interesting. What would you even use that for?

03:12
Right. It's like suddenly you've got this ingredient that could go in soups, salads, all sorts of things. It's not just a sweet treat anymore.

That's so cool. I never would have thought of that. So you'd literally just sprinkle it on, like, before they go on the trays.

Yep. But like I said, a little goes a long way, so maybe start small, taste as you go. You know?

03:29
Solid advice. Okay. So all this talk of pumpkin snacks has got me thinking, what about my dog?

She loves pumpkin. Does Easy Food Dehydrating say anything about that?

They do. They've got this whole recipe for pumpkin purée dog treats.

03:44

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04:31
Oh, so, like, not just giving them our spice chips.

Right. Probably best not to do that. This recipe is just for dogs. Uses fresh pumpkin purée, some whole wheat flour, oats, that kind of thing. Seems pretty healthy.

Makes sense. You wanna be careful what you give them. Speaking of, why is pumpkin supposed to be good for dogs anyway?

04:48
It's mostly the fiber, I think. Helps their digestion. And it's got vitamins and stuff too, like Vitamin A.

Good to know. Always looking out for my pup's health.

04:57
Okay. So say we've dehydrated our pumpkin, made some dog treats. Now we gotta make sure it all lasts. Right?

How do we store this stuff?

05:05
Airtight containers. That's the big thing. They seem to like those glass Mason jars, which makes sense.

Yeah. Those are always good to have around. But are they enough, you think, for, like, long term storage?

They say for the really long haul, you wanna use oxygen absorbers too.

Oh, right. Those old packets. I think I've seen those in, like, seaweed snacks and stuff.

Exactly. They basically suck out all the oxygen in the jar, which keeps the pumpkin fresh longer, keeps it from going bad.

So you just toss one of those in with the dried pumpkin and seal it up tight.

That's all. Easy peasy. And then, of course, store them somewhere cool and dark, like your pantry or a cupboard.

Out of sight, out of mind. Mhmm. Right. Well, we've covered a lot from picking the right pumpkin to, like, advanced storage techniques.

05:46
Oh, there's this whole section about making pumpkin powder. Okay. I've never even, like, thought about that.

It's basically taking those dehydrated slices and, like, pulverizing them into a powder.

And what would you even use pumpkin powder for besides, like, maybe more pumpkin spice lattes?

That's the thing. You can actually use it for so much more than that. They were saying it's really good for, like, smoothies or soups. You could even bake with it.

Oh, so it's like adding a little boost of pumpkin flavor Yeah. But, like, in a really concentrated way.

Yeah. Exactly. Plus, it's a way to have that pumpkin-y goodness all year round, not just in the fall, which, now that I think about it, kinda gets to the heart of why people dehydrate food in the first place.

06:28
Right. Like, making the most of what's in season, reducing food waste, all that good stuff.

Exactly.

Man, this has been eye opening. I always thought of pumpkins as kinda one dimensional.

But this whole dehydrating thing really opens up a world of possibilities.

It's amazing, right, what you can do with a little creativity and, like, a good dehydrator.

06:47
Well said. Alright, listeners. We hope this deep dive has inspired you to maybe look at your pumpkins a little differently this year. Check out Easy Food Dehydrating if you wanna learn more about dehydrating pumpkin and a whole bunch of other foods. And until next time, happy dehydrating.

07:03

Closing:
Thanks for listening to the Easy Food Dehydrating podcast.
Visit Easy-Food-Dehydrating.com for much more information on how to dehydrate food and the best way to safely store it.

Head on over to our Podcast Host to see a list of all our Easy Food Dehydrating episodes... or go to our hub page on this site. Please note that for your convenience, the episodes on our site contain the Podcast transcripts, too!

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