EAT
16
WELL+GOOD
If raw food is better than cooked food, why dehydrate?
A raw food dehydrator uses very low temperatures and a fan to remove the water content from food. Keeping the temperature below 48 Celcius or 118 Farenheit means that the digestive enzymes are retained.
Dehydrating means we can enjoy more plant-based foods in a whole new way. You can make dry fruits but also crackers, breads, desserts, and more! With no preservatives.
What is the difference between a blender and a food processor?
The blender and food processor can overlap in performing a few similar functions like mix, chop, and blend. But they do it completely differently and can affect the quality of what you are making.
The most fundamental difference between the blender and the food processor is that the blender is designed for liquids and the food processor for non-liquids and heavier foods.
To blend, you need either some liquid or high water content ingredients. You can get a really nice smooth consistency and it is best for smoothies, nut milks, soups, sauces, and salad dressings. A high-speed blender is able to burst open the cell walls of fruits and vegetables, releasing maximum nutrition - a task regular blenders just aren't up to speed on.
The food processor basically takes over when the knife just doesn't do the trick. It chops, mixes, and pulverizes the food, giving great texture. Best for desserts, crusts, nut butters, and veggie patties.
It comes with accessories that make food prep a breeze. A shredding disc grates or juliennes carrots and the slicing disc gets you perfectly even slices of sweet potatoes and apples. This is something a blender (not even the Vita-Mix) can do!
What is a nut milk bag?
This is a handy tool for making fresh, living, and highly nutritious milk from nuts and seeds. Or use it to sprout your own seeds, grains, and legumes.
To make nut milk, soak some nuts or seeds overnight in a bowl with about an inch of water above the nuts/seeds. Rinse them in a strainer and then blend them with three to four cups of filtered water. Sweeten with coconut palm sugar, a couple of dates or a sweetener of your choice. Then just pour the mixture through the nut bag into a container and squeeze the bag to get the liquid out.
How long can I keep raw food? What is the best way to store it?
Raw food is best eaten fresh! Dehydrated foods can be stored for months in an airtight container. Cold-pressed fresh juices can be kept for up to two days when stored in a Ball Mason Jar with its vacuum seal lid.
Tools of the Raw Food Trade
The 101 on Raw Food Equipment by Sharon Galistan of Rawlicious.