Tomatoville® Gardening Forums


Notices

Information and discussion about canning and dehydrating tomatoes and other garden vegetables and fruits. DISCLAIMER: SOME RECIPES MAY NOT COMPLY WITH CURRENT FOOD SAFETY GUIDELINES - FOLLOW AT YOUR OWN RISK

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old June 29, 2016   #1
pmcgrady
Tomatovillian™
 
pmcgrady's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Central Illinois
Posts: 1,836
Default File' Powder

My tomato garden is surrounded by Sassafras trees, wondering when is the best time to harvest leaves to dry to make File' Powder for gumbo? Last year the leaves had yellowed before I remembered to pick any.
pmcgrady is offline   Reply With Quote
Old June 29, 2016   #2
Rajun Gardener
Tomatovillian™
 
Rajun Gardener's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Tomato Cornhole
Posts: 2,550
Default

Usually it's in the fall before the leaves fall.
Rajun Gardener is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 17, 2016   #3
Worth1
Tomatovillian™
 
Worth1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
Default

No sassafras trees here I miss them.

Worth
Worth1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 30, 2016   #4
Starlight
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: AL
Posts: 1,993
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by pmcgrady View Post
My tomato garden is surrounded by Sassafras trees, wondering when is the best time to harvest leaves to dry to make File' Powder for gumbo? Last year the leaves had yellowed before I remembered to pick any.
Did you watch the same cooking show I did? : ) I was watching Tv and they was using File' to make gumbo and said it was made from the Sassafrass tree. I have lots of trees. I been letting them cultivate around because I heard the Sassafrass tea was good for you and the roots used to make rootbeer. Didn't know til the show it was a spice and was thinking about trying to dry some leaves.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Rajun Gardener View Post
Usually it's in the fall before the leaves fall.
Rajun... Have you tried to dry any before? When I looked on line to see about harvesting the leaves, it said to cut branches off, tie and hang upside down in cool, dry place. I have no problem with cutting the branches, but wondered if you do does it stunt the trees? Will they grow more branches since they a tree and not like a shrub that will easily branch out and grow again?



Quote:
Originally Posted by Worth1 View Post
No sassafras trees here I miss them.

Worth
Worth... If you want a couple of seedlings, just let me know. Be glad to send you some. Have sent seedlings to other folks that had missed them too, usually in the spring when they first emerging.
Starlight is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 30, 2016   #5
Rajun Gardener
Tomatovillian™
 
Rajun Gardener's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Tomato Cornhole
Posts: 2,550
Default

I haven't dried them, File is available in stores but a few people told me that once you eat fresh dried File you won't eat the commercially made stuff anymore.

I wouldn't worry about stunting the tree, you only need a few small limbs to make enough to last a while. There's so many articles but none really specific on how to harvest it so I guess you just need to try and see how it works.

Here's a few
http://www.nolacuisine.com/2006/07/0...e-file-powder/
http://generalhorticulture.tamu.edu/...fras/file.html
http://honest-food.net/2016/07/25/ro...-syrup-recipe/
http://southernforager.blogspot.com/...as-leaves.html
Rajun Gardener is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 01:53 PM.


★ Tomatoville® is a registered trademark of Commerce Holdings, LLC ★ All Content ©2022 Commerce Holdings, LLC ★