Time to go Chopping...

[wrench13]

Wow - 38 bags of chop, poof gone. Last bag tonight. It looks like that lasts about 2 months, for us. Salty get either thawed chop mixed with something ( Avicake, softened pellets, or rarely a finely chopped walnut) or a cooked item ( squash, sweet 'tater or pumpkin or baby food mixed with pellets) . It's time to go Chopping ! What I have been putting in:

Kale
Carrot
Carrot greens
Dandelion greens
Red, green and yellow pepper
Jalapeno, chile, habenaro and ghost peppers
Broccoli
Califlour ( diff type and colors if available)

All raw and uncooked, I've never tried adding cooked items - can you? Suggestions?

At any rate, its a fun way to spend the afternoon, Salty gets to be on the big kitchen table for this, other times he is banned.

 

[chris-md]

What exactly are you looking to cook? I add cooked grains (quinoa, rice,barley, take your pick), beans, among other things. What concerns do you have?

 

[wrench13]

Can you mix cooked and fresh stuff and then freeze them?

 

[plumsmum2005]

Yes find that any cooked items are best left to drain and cool before adding to the raw ingredients as that helps to reduce wetness.

Chris's suggestions are great btw. NB re beans allow enough time for soaking and then cooking. I started with a basic mix the other day and then divided it into two bowls and then each one got different final items to help achieve a bit of variation.
Happy chopping!

 

[Scott]

Cooked beans freeze and thaw well, though garbanzos survive their deep sleep a bit soft. Fruits are a bit less hardy, particularly those with soft flesh. If Salty likes melon seeds, they freeze nicely. Cranberries are about the worst as the outer shell turns to mush.

 

[wrench13]

Salty gets fresh fruit for lunch every day, so none is in our chop. I'm adding edamame, Quinoa ( cooked) and a few other things. No Dandelion greens ( grrr) . Just got back, so a chop chop chopping I go.

 

[plumsmum2005]

Salty gets fresh fruit for lunch every day, so none is in our chop. I'm adding edamame, Quinoa ( cooked) and a few other things. No Dandelion greens ( grrr) . Just got back, so a chop chop chopping I go.

Do you feed a pellet that contains soy? If so go easy on the (cooked) Edamame (soy) beans, reading some conflicting stuff at the mo. How about some chard?

 

[wrench13]

Well 3-1/2 hrs later, we are 65 bags of chop richer. Edamame - only used maybe a cup and a half for the whole batch, that shouldn't be too much. I used quinoa for the first time - sorry them little buggers look weird when they sprout. 65 bags, frozen, should last about 3-1/3 months. Good practice bagging it up for when I become a major weed dealer. This batch turned out a lot drier then the previous one because I kept the green, red and orange peppers down, and put in more broccoli and cailflour, and thats a good thing. For those wanting to try making chop - make sure you have a good food processor - I burnt ours out last time. Salty, bon appetit'.

 

[Kentuckienne]

Btw - I do have a food processor, an ancient quisinart. Some how I found out the blade was recalled...if your processor has a riveted blade, go check their website to see if it's on the recall list. They will send a replacement free of charge.

 

[wrench13]

I actually blew the motor out on our old one, making chop, so this batch was made with a brandy new one with a solid molded in main blade. Thanks for the heads up though, perhaps other members will find that info useful!

 

[Scott]

Btw - I do have a food processor, an ancient quisinart. Some how I found out the blade was recalled...if your processor has a riveted blade, go check their website to see if it's on the recall list. They will send a replacement free of charge.

I actually blew the motor out on our old one, making chop, so this batch was made with a brandy new one with a solid molded in main blade. Thanks for the heads up though, perhaps other members will find that info useful!

The gold standard for mixers/choppers is either a Vitamix or Blendtec. Brutally expensive but durable, there are specialty blades and slow speeds for more gentle treatment of food.

 

[Kentuckienne]

Btw - I do have a food processor, an ancient quisinart. Some how I found out the blade was recalled...if your processor has a riveted blade, go check their website to see if it's on the recall list. They will send a replacement free of charge.

I actually blew the motor out on our old one, making chop, so this batch was made with a brandy new one with a solid molded in main blade. Thanks for the heads up though, perhaps other members will find that info useful!

The gold standard for mixers/choppers is either a Vitamix or Blendtec. Brutally expensive but durable, there are specialty blades and slow speeds for more gentle treatment of food.

I have a Vitamix but never used it to chop things. I have the regular and the dry blade. What settings do you advise for chop making?

 

[Scott]

Btw - I do have a food processor, an ancient quisinart. Some how I found out the blade was recalled...if your processor has a riveted blade, go check their website to see if it's on the recall list. They will send a replacement free of charge.

I actually blew the motor out on our old one, making chop, so this batch was made with a brandy new one with a solid molded in main blade. Thanks for the heads up though, perhaps other members will find that info useful!

The gold standard for mixers/choppers is either a Vitamix or Blendtec. Brutally expensive but durable, there are specialty blades and slow speeds for more gentle treatment of food.

I have a Vitamix but never used it to chop things. I have the regular and the dry blade. What settings do you advise for chop making?

I have a Blendtec and use the grating blade in pulse-mode to chop firm veggies. TBH, I generally make chop from scratch by slicing and dicing the fruits and veggies with a standard sharp knife.

 

[Doublete]

FYI I add cooked and diced butternut squash and sweet potato to mine. Along with lots of other things. Some things are cooked, some not.

 

[Gdp2016]

My Lola and Mango love the chop I made. I give pellets and a little fruit in the morning and chop for dinner. I was afraid they may tire of it, but they haven't yet. Mango seems to love it more though! I found that one snack size bag, which was about a cup is good for two meals for my two.