Freeze Dried Algodones

Since several people asked how this freeze drying works, I did some homework last night.  First off, let me just say this is not exactly a cheap hobby.  Not as expensive as horses, but a bigger layout than just fabric.  The money saving part comes in when you buy groceries on sale and make double batches.  One to eat and one to freeze dry.

You cut your fruit into smaller pieces, or pour your casserole onto the trays in a thin layer.  To make the process shorter, you put it in your freezer on one of these trays and freeze it first.  Then you place it in the machine where it takes it down to -40 degrees (yup that a minus), then it heats the bottom, turning the ice into a gas (least that's the way they described it) which freezes on the walls.  It removes absolutely ALL the water while leaving 95% of the nutrients and flavor. 

Dehydrating and drying food is a completely different process, with an end result nowhere near as tasty or healthy.

The cycles run anywhere from 20 to 40 hours, depending on what you are drying.  Once done, you place the product into a special bag or glass jar and remove as much air as you can.  If not, the product will become soft and soggy.  

I ate a piece of strawberry that tasted like it was just picked.  I ate yogurt with berries that tasted just like fresh yogurt.  Of course there are some things you cannot really reconstitute ... like the pizza.

They come in three sizes.  Will I buy one for around $2500??  Maybe, maybe not.  It's pretty pricey for a single person.

So bright and early, we took off for Algodones.  It wasn't as chilly there, but I wore a big coat anyway.  I felt pretty freeze dried in about ten minutes.  

For those that haven't gone recently, they now have a machine at the gate to pay for parking.  The nice lady inserted the money for us, but it does take credit and debit cards also.  Go early because you KNOW it's going to take three times as long for us old folks to figure out how to use the machine.

The guards are also checking purses, so smile and say something nice.  We headed right out to Tury's Pharmacy.  I can't tell you how to get there because I always get lost.  I think you go in, cross the street and turn right.  They seem to be a little cheaper and are VERY friendly!!  In ten minutes we were on our way out the door.

We didn't find Snowbirds Alley, but when Cindy asked where she could buy some flower pots, one of the guys from the Pharmacy walked us down the road while telling us the history of the Police Department, all of which I couldn't hear.  I heard BARS on the building and decided I better mind my P's and Q's.

This area used to be called Cottons because the local Indian tribes cultivated the property for wild cotton.  During Prohibition, Los Algodones became a tourist destination with it's open cantinas and bars.  It wasn't until the 80's that it became popular for dental work and meds.  I tried to find more info on the town, but there is little out there.  It says the population is about 5400.  

Inside the shop where you could barely move without knocking something off the shelf, they said the pots were $25 each.  Cindy said no.  I said ten.  He said $20.  Ray just shook his head.  Cindy said $10.  We kept that up until she got three pots for $10 each.  Gotta love bargaining in Mexico.

We didn't stay, but we did have to scout out the exit since the big gate was closed.  That's the first time I've ever seen THAT!  In two minutes we were back in the U.S. headed home.

Well not quite home ... we had time to stop by a couple of garage sales and this big building full of stuff.  You'd be proud ... I didn't buy a thing!!!

But I did head back to the Arizona Marketplace for some sticky paper.  It's a sewing thing.  Yikes ... there was a really big fire right next to the marketplace.  Apparently it was a control burn of some kind?

I walked up and down all the aisles and completely missed the fabric store.  I tried on a couple of shirts that always look so great hanging on the wall, but terrible on me.  There were wood carvings .....

plenty of socks ... Karmel Korn ... a few veggies and lots of RV stuff.  Out at the front, I ran into a couple giving away pork sliders for FREE.  Who could turn THAT down??  Unfortunately it was WAY too greasy, but that didn't keep me from eating most of it.  You never know what you are going to find.

Need a wine bottle holder?  It seemed there was not as many vendors as in the past, and since it was so early in the morning, the band had not started.  They didn't even have the pretzels out for the dip!!  Yes, the same ones I bought in Indio.

I headed back home with nothing really exciting ...  maybe 2 yards of white material ... and I sat on the patio with Miss Penny while she soaked up the sun.  She is such a sweet thing you just want to hug her.

Believe it or not, it's only 12 o'clock ... so lets go have shrimp tacos!!!  This is Tacos El Cositas.  A terrible picture, but this is what you look for when driving the frontage road between Fortuna and Foothill roads.  Best tacos in the country and really reasonably priced.  There are lots of other things on the menu and they all look delicious.

Check them out!!!  There are probably ten different sauces and salsas you can adorn your tacos with.  I think I'd go there every day if I lived here.

Finally back home, I spent the next two hours playing with Cooper before crashing in my chair.  I passed on dinner since I already ate four times today!!

This morning I'm heading out to visit Elva and Jerry in Wellton.  Elva invited me to lunch, followed by "nothing is open on weekends".  I offered to bring a loaf of bread.  This is going to be an interesting visit!