Monday, January 31, 2022

It slices! It dices!

We were getting low on canned carrots. I only had a few quarts left in the pantry. Since fresh home-grown carrots are at least nine months away, last time I was in the city I picked up a 25-lb. bag to can up.

The bag had been sitting outside on the porch, through temperature changes, for the last couple weeks (fortunately carrots are very forgiving). I finally had a free day when I could get them processed.

First step: peeling. Takes hardly any time.

In the process, I discovered something: Darcy loves carrots. I didn't give him too many (didn't want a "clogged" dog), but goodness he sat and watched me the whole time just in case, y'know, something fell on the floor.

Then I started the tedious process of dicing the carrots. With 25 pounds to get through, I figured this process would take me through at least the next day.

After I'd diced the first few carrots, Don passed through the kitchen and asked the obvious question: Why didn't I use the food processor to slice the carrots?

To be honest, I'd forgotten about the food processor. We bought it a couple summers ago (before moving) to handle some garden surplus. I've used it once or twice, but it's not normally on my "radar" of kitchen appliances.

My first inclination was not to bother, since I'm a Luddite at heart. But then I changed my mind. We'd spent good money on this gadget. Why not use it?

I finished peeling the carrots...

...and trimmed the ends.

Then I cut each carrot in half and fed it into the food processor. Hey, yowza! It slices! It dices! It took literally two seconds to handle what might take me three minutes by hand.

Seriously, I finished slicing all 25 pounds of carrots within minutes. It would have taken me hours by hand. Why am I such a stubborn Luddite about using modern conveniences? (I can hear my mother chuckling from here. She loves her food processor.)

Since I wasn't expecting to be able to get things canned so soon (figuring it would be a two-day process just to dice things up), I was able to fetch jars from the barn...

...remove the peelings from the sink...

...get some jars washed...

...and get the first batch in the canner.

I even got the batch processed before it was time to take Mr. Darcy for his evening walk.

A food processor. Who'da thunk.

6 comments:

  1. Canned carrots, even dry packed, aren't my favorite for texture. I just pulled all mine from hay/snow covered garden plot and dry pack canned them whole (peeled, topped, end cut off). OK for adding to soups, stews or for the dogs.

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  2. I'm a man of the old ways. I appreciate a good tool.
    I use plenty of them and have plenty of them. I'm also big on passing along recommendations for good tools. There's a kitchen gadget commonly sold at swap meets and county fairs. It's got a chopping blade, a slicing blade, and a shredding blade. It has a clear container with a hand crank on the lid. It costs about $25.00. Frankly, it looks like cheap, Chinese ...um... ...er... excrement... BUT... My wife and I saw a guy demonstrating the thing at a flea market. I skeptically watched the guy work the thing. No tricks. No slight of hand. My wife was sold. Frankly, I was too, and I don't even cook. My pocket was emptied accordingly. We haven't used it as a shredder or slicer yet, but I'm here to testify that if you need a TRUE TIMESAVER for CHOPPING, look no further than one of these gizmos! 'Chopping up onions, Jalapenos, or whatever? This thing will do it in SECONDS! Even if that's all you use it for, it's WORTH THE MONEY! Oh; and it's SUPER EASY TO CLEAN! How long it will last is anybody's guess, but there's not a lot to go wrong with it. Keep your eyes out for one of these, folks. It's truly a WINNER!

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  3. I received a manual pull chopper for Christmas and I love it! It's non electric, you just pull the handle the way you would start a push mower. Two or three pulls and I have perfectly chopped onion, celery, whatever.

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  4. I have had a food processor since I got married in 1984. I believe I am on my 3rd one, it could be my 4th. It is my go to kitchen appliance. I even make my pizza dough (ala Amy Dacyczyn "Tightwad Gazette" style.
    Debbie in MA

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  5. And I thought I was the only one to use my porch as a temporary fridge. And my vehicle depending on what it is.
    Canned carrots are ok, but I slice mine up on a mandolin, which also goes very fast, then dehydrate. Dehydrated carrots take up a lot less space and I like them better in stir fries and such. I do like canned carrots and veggies in soup because it doesn't take long for it to make since they're precooked. But dehydrated foods have less cleanup. I like to keep quart jars of carrots, celery, onions, broccoli and zucchini and just shake out whatever is needed for a dish. Jars don't need washing nearly as often as canned.
    My lab used to love an occasional carrot to gnaw on and it never stopped her up.
    Now to Google "Luddite".

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  6. Carrots don't clog me, so I suspect that is not a drawback for dogs either. I sliced about ten carrots for soup and suffered for my efforts. I need something to shop with or pass the job on to Tommy. Good information about the chopper.

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