Harvest: Custom Cutting, and Dehydrator Experimentation!

Harvest unofficially began yesterday for my crew.  I need someone who has been around longer than me to let me know if it's "official" if you're custom cutting for someone else, or not until you are cutting your own crop.  Any other rural readers out there have any thoughts?

Jeff and his dad are custom cutting for our landlord.  His wheat is ready now and ours won't likely be ready for a while yet.  I have learned that it's called custom cutting any time you are cutting someone's crop other than your own. Some people make a seasonal career out of custom cutting and follow the wheat harvest from Texas north all the way to our fair state.  I'm glad my husband just sticks close to home. It's nice when we can help cut for someone and hopefully in return they will help cut for us.  This is another example of how community minded people seem to be around here.

Since the crew is working so close to where Jeff and I live, I have been on supper duty last night and tonight, and possibly tomorrow night too.  I have said this before, but I enjoy cooking for others.  Providing food for someone is a great service; sharing a meal and conversation is an act of fellowship and love.  We are fortunate enough to be so bountiful not only in our fully stocked refrigerators and cupboards, but also in the income we make and the harvest we reap.

That being said, I better get started working on tonight's meal!


On another note: Food Dehydrator Experimentation!

We received a food dehydrator as a wedding gift from my parents and I have been very excited to use it! Today was it's inaugural run.  I experimented with drying apples and oranges.  The oranges were sliced and both sides dredged in sugar. I was hoping for a 'candied' effect with those.  The apples were also sliced and one side dipped in sugar and sprinkled with cinnamon.

I cooked (is cooked the proper term?) them in the dehydrator for 8 hours.  I think the apples are good-- they may  not have even needed the sugar.  I suppose it depends on the variety of apples used, however.  In an effort to keep them as a healthy snack, next time I will try less sugar or no sugar, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.  The oranges are pretty good too, but I think I used too much sugar there as well, and I think I should leave them in longer next time.  I do like the contrast in taste and texture between the sweet pulp and the more tart rind.

Any of my readers have any tried and true food dehydrator recipes or techniques?? I would be anxious to hear all about it!  Today was one of many trials with the dehydrator!