Here are three kitchen tools you can use for fruits and vegetables.
Dehydrator
A dehydrator can help when you have more fresh strawberries than you can eat. Dehydrated food can be stored without refrigeration, and, unlike preserves, you don’t need to add sugar. Excalibur has been making dehydrators for more than 50 years and offers models ranging from four to 10 trays. You can turn those berries into powder for smoothies, dry your own fruit puree for roll-ups, dehydrate that bounty of figs next fall, and make your own jerky or pet treats.
From $129.99 for a four-tray model to $799.99 for a 10-tray model. Available at Amazon and excaliburdehydrator.com.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Cutting board
Working with produce requires a food-safe, knife-friendly surface, such as the 17-inch-by-30-inch maple cutting board that’s in our kitchen. It’s from Mike “Doc” Davis, who uses mostly wood from around the Southeast, crafting bowls, pens, peppermills, signs and cutting boards in his Nickelsville shop. The large surface of this board makes it perfect for chopping vegetables for soup. And the grooves around the perimeter catch the juices when pineapples or oranges are sliced for a fruit salad. Davis has boards ranging from our large one to 6-inch-by-8-inch cheese boards. They also are great as gifts, since Davis will make a board to your specifications, including custom engraving.
$34.50-$199. Available at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market and docswoodturning.com.
Credit: Katherine Dickson Yarbrough
Credit: Katherine Dickson Yarbrough
Compost bin
Whether you’re composting at home or doing so through a community garden or commercial program, you need something to hold the food scraps. Bonus points if the bin is attractive enough to sit on your kitchen counter. This elegant, dishwasher-safe compost bin from North Carolina-based Bamboozle is made of bamboo fiber, cornstarch and melamine. Hemp filters prevent odors, can go in the dishwasher and also can be composted when they’re worn out. The bins come in a dozen colors, from pink blossom to forest green.
$40 per bin, $15 per six-pack of hemp filters. Available at food52.com and bamboozlehome.com.
Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.
About the Author
