Preserving food

[counting]

Is it possible to: Dry or Freeze and thaw weeds and other edible plants to feed to tortoises?There would be obvious texture differences but nutrition should be about equal in a freeze and thaw situation. Curious if this would be possible in order to supplement through the colder months in cool climates. Thinking about harvesting in bulk things like plantain, dandelion leaves, grape leaves, etc, then thawing and mixing with spring mix and prepared pellet foods.

I know it would not suit all animals.

Just curious!

 

[wellington]

Yes you can and some of us do. Will dries cactus and does sell it. I freeze cactus pads whole, chopped and puréed. I also freeze pumpkin. I air dry grass, grape and mulberry leaf for winter feeding. Anything natural tort food you can save to feed thru winter is always good to do.

 

[eric joranson]

I air dried lots of dandelion greens; clover; and grasses last year; and crunch it up and sprinkle it over softened pellet food; and spring mix from the store during winter months. I tried freezing it too; but as it thaws it becomes mushy and tortoise had no interest in it. As for cactus pads they seem to stay good all winter; if stored dry, I have also started 6 cactus pads in soil and used new growth as it appears as food; they seem to root rather easily in most cases. You can also make grass trays with seeding shallow layer of soil ; and keeping moist under light.. But what they do not eat they usually end up smashing up; but its all good. Just doesn't last long. I also have a variety of edible house plants that help keeping up with variety during the winter months.

 

[RosemaryDW]

Prairie Mom freezes lot of foods; here is one of her posts on the subject.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/these-can-be-frozen-thawed-and-retain-good-texture.128563/

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

I prefer drying, as I add the resulting things to wet grocery greens. I do freeze bananas as they go through a food grinder better when frozen. I posted a salad mixed today, the dried thing was store bought Bermuda grass pellets re-hydrated with water and mixed in.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/live-naked-people.126107/page-17#post-1468622
On any one other day during the week I also mixed in dried crumple mulberry leaves. Keeps the flavor for them and it ads fiber.

It's a good thing to have all these kinds of things on hand throughout the year. This goes a long way to making it so the tortoises don't get to fixed on any one diet regime.

 

[Franco F]

Mountain Rose Herbs has a really great selection of tortoise-friendly dried organic herbs.

https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/catalog/herbs/bulk

 

[counting]

Thanks guys! So helpful!