I can't believe it has been so long since I posted on this blog... when I started it, I was sure I would post frequently and eloquently.... at least frequently anyway!
Uncle Mikey's going strong, in stores throughout the state of Hawaii and in countries like France, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, Iraq, Turkey.... oh yea, how do'ya like me know! I don't know if it from being persistent or dumb but I love making great Hawaiian dried fruit !!
Speaking of that, what a dismal year for mango and lychee for that matter. People say it's cuz of the decline of the honey bee but if there ain't any flowers.... there isn't any pollenation goin' on! Crazy, throughout the state, growers are saying no flowers came out... If this is some kinda end-o-the-world crap, it figures that mango & lychee would be the first to go. Pretty sketchy for farmers of late, we have had a lot of thunder n lightning shows in the last 3 weeks, more than I can remember... lotsa rain!
Getting back to Uncle Mikey's, we are currently drying pineapple, banana, sunrise papaya & guava leather.... just did some experimetin' with Mountain Apple... pretty sweet....
Hopeful it won't be years til my next post....
Aloha from Kauai
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Thursday, November 29, 2007
The Tao of Dried Foods
In the course of talking about dehydrating foods, Hawaiian Fruit especially, there is a science I have discovered.... and a secret. It took nearly 4 years and a lot of playing around to realize that what our ancestors knew and did to preserve fruit through the cold winter months could be refined to an exact science... well, pretty exact anyway. I have discovered in my trials and tribulations that every fruit I dry has a character, depending on the the variety and ripeness, and has to be treated accordingly.
I am sharing this information so that the nest time you hold a bag of "dried fruit" in your hands, you will be viewing it through different eyes.... you get what you pay for! How important is the food you put in your body to fuel your existence?
Our "daily bread" today looks great but is nearly devoid of nutrition... that is what put the question in my mind of how could Uncle Mikey's, go "against the flow" to create a unique product, a food that is captured in its most edible state, Hawaiian Fruit...( as good as it gets )
and ready to give you an experince that is unsurpassed....
I am sharing this information so that the nest time you hold a bag of "dried fruit" in your hands, you will be viewing it through different eyes.... you get what you pay for! How important is the food you put in your body to fuel your existence?
Our "daily bread" today looks great but is nearly devoid of nutrition... that is what put the question in my mind of how could Uncle Mikey's, go "against the flow" to create a unique product, a food that is captured in its most edible state, Hawaiian Fruit...( as good as it gets )
and ready to give you an experince that is unsurpassed....
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Overdue Post
Uncle Mikey Here,
It has been a couple of months since my last article, mainly due to my lack of Blogeducation!
I have discovered a couple of cool things for instance, I can get 5 lbs. of Uncle Mikey's Dried Hawaiian Fruit in a USPS Flat Rate Box.... vacuum sealed, but of course! That cuts shipping costs down to the lowest, other than being here on Kauai!
The other Big thing is that I am now producing Guava Leather again!!! WooHoo! After Guava Kai Plantation shut down, I was at a loss as to make Guava Puree myself in sufficient quantities to add it back to the line of great, onolicious... Uncle Mikey's Products. Happy to report that I cracked the code on production and the Guava Leather is better than ever! It is actually a Dried Hawaiian Smoothie, with Pineapple,Papaya,Banana added!
Actually, Guava is a unique tropical fruit in that it has the lowest glycemic response of any other tropical fruit! So if you haven't tried Uncle Mikey's Guava Leather yet, whatcha waiting for!
No timeshare tour required!!! No weird stuff added!!
It has been a couple of months since my last article, mainly due to my lack of Blogeducation!
I have discovered a couple of cool things for instance, I can get 5 lbs. of Uncle Mikey's Dried Hawaiian Fruit in a USPS Flat Rate Box.... vacuum sealed, but of course! That cuts shipping costs down to the lowest, other than being here on Kauai!
The other Big thing is that I am now producing Guava Leather again!!! WooHoo! After Guava Kai Plantation shut down, I was at a loss as to make Guava Puree myself in sufficient quantities to add it back to the line of great, onolicious... Uncle Mikey's Products. Happy to report that I cracked the code on production and the Guava Leather is better than ever! It is actually a Dried Hawaiian Smoothie, with Pineapple,Papaya,Banana added!
Actually, Guava is a unique tropical fruit in that it has the lowest glycemic response of any other tropical fruit! So if you haven't tried Uncle Mikey's Guava Leather yet, whatcha waiting for!
No timeshare tour required!!! No weird stuff added!!
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Location, Location, Location
The title says it all, Hawaii is truly a special place for many reasons, like for instance, weather... we have four seasons like everyone else, only here in Hawaii, we have early summer, mid-summer, late summer and next summer !
I moved to Kauai in 1970 for the surf, the ocean in Northern California is beyond cold. I fell in love with Kauai and have called it home since.
Everyone of the Hawaiian Islands is different with a whole range of climate, from desert to snow-capped mountains. Kauai boasts one of the wettest spots on earth, Mt. Wai'aleale sits in the middle of the island and is 5,200', which is the the perfect height to catch the moist trade winds and turn them into rain, lots of rain... between 400-800" a year ! If that mountain wasn't there, Kauai would receive 15-25" yearly. Amazing stuff, combine that with sun and rich volcanic soil and you end up with the best tasting tropical fruit !
Uncle Mikey's "mission statement" was to capture the essence of that great tasting fruit, dried at the peak of ripeness so that folks could enjoy a taste of the islands wherever they are, with "no weird stuff added !"
I moved to Kauai in 1970 for the surf, the ocean in Northern California is beyond cold. I fell in love with Kauai and have called it home since.
Everyone of the Hawaiian Islands is different with a whole range of climate, from desert to snow-capped mountains. Kauai boasts one of the wettest spots on earth, Mt. Wai'aleale sits in the middle of the island and is 5,200', which is the the perfect height to catch the moist trade winds and turn them into rain, lots of rain... between 400-800" a year ! If that mountain wasn't there, Kauai would receive 15-25" yearly. Amazing stuff, combine that with sun and rich volcanic soil and you end up with the best tasting tropical fruit !
Uncle Mikey's "mission statement" was to capture the essence of that great tasting fruit, dried at the peak of ripeness so that folks could enjoy a taste of the islands wherever they are, with "no weird stuff added !"
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Food For Thought
The purpose of these posts and blog actually is to tell people about Uncle Mikey's and provide info on what I have discovered on this amazing adventure. It is always better to be munching on some dried Hawaiian pineapple while reading this.... gives it a whole other level ! Let me offer right here, a "free sample" of Uncle Mikey's... 1st sample is always free...
Basically, as far as the "dried fruit" industry goes, there is a lot of smoke and mirrors, and I am sure, bending of the intent of the rules governing the production of dried fruit. I see it as basically two different philosophies, either it is produced in foriegn countries at higher temperatures that produces a end product that is so dry and discolored.... and tough, that you have to chew it for while to get any life at all out of it and it also helps to keep reading the label to remind you of what you are eating! The other level is a product that is more "preserved" the "dehydrated". They full well know that you lose between 80-90% to water weight so if you use chemicals to preserve it, you retain the water weight = profits... but you have lost the color, bouquet and basically, the "essence" of the fruit ! They add food coloring to make it resemble the original and of course, consumers are dumb, so the load it with sugar because fruit is sweet right??
Uncle Mikey's is unique because we do none of the above... when the label says "Pineapple", the ingredients say: Pineapple...
When I started making Uncle Mikey's, there were no guidelines regarding the drying of fruit...
so, like any old time surfer, I just paddled in and went for it !
What I discovered over time was that there is some pretty deep science behind doing it right!
I will delve in in later posts. Hope you enjoy this and please contact me to get a taste!
taro@hawaiian.net or 808 645 1928
Aloha from beautiful Kauai
Basically, as far as the "dried fruit" industry goes, there is a lot of smoke and mirrors, and I am sure, bending of the intent of the rules governing the production of dried fruit. I see it as basically two different philosophies, either it is produced in foriegn countries at higher temperatures that produces a end product that is so dry and discolored.... and tough, that you have to chew it for while to get any life at all out of it and it also helps to keep reading the label to remind you of what you are eating! The other level is a product that is more "preserved" the "dehydrated". They full well know that you lose between 80-90% to water weight so if you use chemicals to preserve it, you retain the water weight = profits... but you have lost the color, bouquet and basically, the "essence" of the fruit ! They add food coloring to make it resemble the original and of course, consumers are dumb, so the load it with sugar because fruit is sweet right??
Uncle Mikey's is unique because we do none of the above... when the label says "Pineapple", the ingredients say: Pineapple...
When I started making Uncle Mikey's, there were no guidelines regarding the drying of fruit...
so, like any old time surfer, I just paddled in and went for it !
What I discovered over time was that there is some pretty deep science behind doing it right!
I will delve in in later posts. Hope you enjoy this and please contact me to get a taste!
taro@hawaiian.net or 808 645 1928
Aloha from beautiful Kauai
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
About Uncle Mikey's
Have you ever wondered what you are putting in your mouth when the label says "dried fruit"? Well..... I did. My name is Mike Stewart, aka Uncle Mikey, and I started a journey making dried Hawaiian fruit here on the island of Kauai, Hawaii that has become a lot more than I thought it would be, a lot more! I moved to Kauai from San Francisco, Ca., in 1970, on a 1-way ticket from my Dad, a graduation present actually. I fell in love with the Kauai, her people and the Hawaiian lifestyle... surfing in warm water and great waves wasn't bad either! My younger brother David, aka Captain Dave, moved over as soon as he got out of High School and we got "adopted" by some great Hawaiian families in Ha'ena, on Kauai's North Shore and we lived and worked on a taro farm for many years, taro or kalo is the hawaiian staple that is used to make poi. I could write a book about the adventure that is living on Kauai but not here.
In 1986, I met a Vietnamese lady in San Clemente, Ca. that made an incredible line of dried fruits. I was not a big fan at the time but this was different, and I was intrigued. Well, nearly 18 years later, I was helping a good friend make a Hawaiian Noni Juice in his certified kitchen. One day I asked about making dried bananas there.... that was the start. I started fooling around on my little home dehydrator and decided to make a dream into reality. I searched and found a commercial dehydrator, secured a commercial kitchen at the Lighthouse Bistro in Kilauea, Kauai. Big Mahalo to good friend and owner, Matt Ernsdorf for believing in my dream and giving me a chance. Getting certified by the Health Dept. and working with the FDA on Oahu for labeling guidance, I was ready to start drying fruit only there was no real manual for the process. I knew I didn't want to use sugar or preservatives or food coloring so I just started cutting fruit and drying it. Gotta tell you, the first results weren't the Uncle Mikey's of today!
For that reason, I am starting this Blog to really talk about dried fruit, what is and what isn't!
In 1986, I met a Vietnamese lady in San Clemente, Ca. that made an incredible line of dried fruits. I was not a big fan at the time but this was different, and I was intrigued. Well, nearly 18 years later, I was helping a good friend make a Hawaiian Noni Juice in his certified kitchen. One day I asked about making dried bananas there.... that was the start. I started fooling around on my little home dehydrator and decided to make a dream into reality. I searched and found a commercial dehydrator, secured a commercial kitchen at the Lighthouse Bistro in Kilauea, Kauai. Big Mahalo to good friend and owner, Matt Ernsdorf for believing in my dream and giving me a chance. Getting certified by the Health Dept. and working with the FDA on Oahu for labeling guidance, I was ready to start drying fruit only there was no real manual for the process. I knew I didn't want to use sugar or preservatives or food coloring so I just started cutting fruit and drying it. Gotta tell you, the first results weren't the Uncle Mikey's of today!
For that reason, I am starting this Blog to really talk about dried fruit, what is and what isn't!
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