Drying Crafts - Nesco American Harvest Guía Del Cuidado/Del Uso

these substitutions will work just as well in this recipe and your dog will be just as
enthusiastic about it. I grew the spinach, green beans, zucchini and summer squash
in my garden so while making these treats, I just use what is ready to be picked. If
you don't have a garden, check at your local farmer's market for what's fresh.
1. Substitute turkey for the chicken.
2. Substitute green beans, cooked, finely chopped, for the spinach.
3. Substitute grated fresh zucchini for the spinach.
4. Substitute grated fresh summer squash for the spinach.
TINY SHRIMP TREATS FOR CATS
This very simple recipe was a favorite with many of our taste test cats. Havoc, a
huge, 13 year old Russian Blue, ate this with gusto and he's usually very picky!
Makes as many treats as there are shrimp in the can; usually at least two dozen.
1 four ounce can small peeled shrimp. 1/3 cup catnip flowers, fresh. Open the can
of shrimp and pour out the water the shrimp were packed in. Put the shrimp in a
small bowl. Chop the catnip flowers into 1/4 inch pieces. Although some leaves are
fine, discard any stems. Add the flowers to the shrimp and mix, taking care not to
break up the shrimp. Some of the flowers will stick to the shrimp; others will not and
that's fine. Put the shrimp and flowers onto the dehydrator rack. The shrimp and
flowers should remain in the dehydrator for about two hours or until thoroughly dry.
Remove shrimp and flowers from the rack and store in an airtight container in the
refrigerator. One or two shrimp and a pinch of flowers makes a good treat for most
cats. Variation: If you can't find any fresh catnip flowers, you can use dehydrated or
dried catnip, just add it to the dehydrated shrimp as you serve your cat a treat
CRUNCHY SALMON CIRCLES FOR CATS
Many cats like crunchy foods; after all, they're used to hard kibble cat food. These
treats combine the crunchiness they like with a strong salmon taste and smell.
Makes 4 to 5 dozen treats, depending upon how thin you roll the dough.
1 six ounce can of salmon packed in water
2 cups oat bran flour
Put the salmon, including the water in the can, in the food processor or blender. Puree
until a thick paste. If the mixture is too heavy, add a small amount of water, up to 1/3
cup. But only add as much water as needed to puree the fish. Spoon the paste into a
bowl and add the flour, mixing well. The dough will become thick and stiff. If it isn't,
because you needed to add more water, add a little bit more flour until you can form
a ball with the dough. Place the ball of dough onto a floured bread board and roll out
to about ¼ inch thick. Using a round, inch across cookie cutter, cut out the dough
circles and place them on the dehydrator rack. With a sharp, pointed knife, gently score
each circle crosswise both directions so that when done, the cookie can be broken
into four pieces. Leave in the dehydrator for 4 to 5 hours or until the dough circles are
thoroughly dry, crispy and crunchy.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator; they will remain good for three weeks.
1/3 cup water
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DRYING CRAFTS

You've all seen a flower so perfect in form, color, and texture that you wish you could
keep it forever. With a dehydrator, it now can become a reality.
Drying Flowers
Preserve garden and natural favorites for attractive dried flower arrangements,
Christmas and holiday decorations, party favors, place cards and corsages. Help your
children dry specimens for their science class. Many lovely flowers, foliage, flowering
grasses, seedheads, cones, and non-flowering plants may be dried simply by placing
on drying trays and drying until no moisture is evident. This is wonderful for those of
us who are too busy to experiment with other techniques, and also for the beginner
who has not attempted preserving flowers before. Quite interesting arrangements
can be made with these dried materials. Materials suitable for drying by this method
are bracts, cultivated and wild grasses, seedheads, foliage, and everlasting flowers.
Using Desiccant
For flowers with petals, leaves, ferns, fungi, and some varieties of mosses, the
best way to preserve them is to use a desiccant powder. A desiccant is a substance
which absorbs moisture. It speeds the drying process, espe cially when used in a
dehydrator, preserving the vibrant colors and delicate structure of the flower. The
longer the drying process, the more colors will fade. Using a desiccant in your
dehydrator will allow flowers to dry in a day instead of a week or two. There are
several brands of flower desiccants available from craft stores. They may seem a
little expensive, but can be reused indefinitely. Silica gel is the generic name and
absorbs up to 50 percent of its own weight in moisture. Have perfect flowers, fresh
and free of moisture. Yellows and blues maintain their color better than reds or
whites.
Remove stems from flowers and insert a short 20-gauge stub wire. (Add a longer
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stem when arranging later.)
Place 1⁄2" desiccant in bottom of containers that are no higher than 3-1⁄4".
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Place flat-faced flower face-down, with petals resting easily on the sand. Rounded
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double flowers such as roses and daffodils should be dried with their heads
upwards. Flowers which are trumpet or bell-shaped should be laid on their sides.
Gently sprinkle desiccant between the flowers and into every petal and crevice,
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with about 1⁄2" desiccant covering top. Do not cover. When desiccant drying is
done outside of the dehydrator, containers should be covered.
• Place containers on the dehydrator tray. Place lid on top of dryer and plug in
dehydrator. Most flowers will be totally dry in 24 hours or less.
To test for dryness, gently scrape back the desiccant and remove one flower. Hold
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the flower to your ear and give it a gentle tap. If it is dry, it will sound crisp and
papery.
Remove remaining flowers by carefully pouring off desiccant, letting it fall slowly
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through your fingers, catching each flower and carefully removing it by its stem.
Stand preserved flowers in a block of flower foam until arranged.
• Store in airtight tins until ready to use. In humid climates, protect loose-petal
flowers with a light application of finishing spray to prevent moisture absorption.
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