179. Dried Foods

(not my image)

This is my blog focusing on gratitude and sometimes I think I forget to be grateful for the most common things that we have. For me some of those things include dried foods. While it’s true that in this era most people don’t worry so much about whether or not fruit is in season because we can get it, thanks to refrigerated transport, from other parts of the world right in our local grocery store. But it hasn’t been that long that apples were available in March. Not so long ago the only apples in March would have been those preserved in a hard cider, a can, or dried. That also went for every other fruit or vegetable that wasn’t in season, so it’s no surprise that the season of Lent and giving up foods such as meat occurs at the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Very few foods are available at this time of year except the preserved varieties. That, right there, should alert me to a reason to be grateful for pretty much every food I get at this time of year.

Right now I’m especially grateful for dried fruits and meats. While I’m not a huge fan of any dried fruit, I do enjoy an apple chip or a chewy dried apricot. I’m also especially fond of dried jerked meats. Beef jerky is a great snack to have at any time of year, to take on a hike or to munch on during an afternoon. It goes good with bread and cheese, or cheese and crackers. I can easily imagine it being my main meal with some dried apples, a sharp cheddar and a hunk of sourdough bread (a sort of ploughman’s lunch if you’ve been to a British pub) on an evening when the power is out and I’m stuck eating by candlelight. It would go nicely with a good glass of merlot or a beer.

Of course, that last bit is just my imagination. The truth of dried meats and fruits for me is that I typically buy some beef jerky for hiking and I might throw in a few raisins or dried cherries. Sometimes I’ve made fruit leather from pureed fruits. They aren’t a regular part of my diet aside from a few raisins thrown on a salad, but I know such forms of preservation are what sustained my ancestors and I’m glad we still have them around to enjoy every once in a while.