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The summer is ending, and it's time to clean up my vegetable garden. I don't particularly appreciate throwing away food, and all my friends have gardens, too, so I can't give the excess vegetables away. So, I created an easy dog treat recipe that incorporates vegetables. This year, I used zucchini and yellow squash.
Making homemade dog treats for your dogs is easy and fun, but that's not the only benefit. By making dog treats, I control the ingredients, I can make healthier options for my dogs, I can avoid allergens, the treats are fresher, I avoid wasting food, and I save a lot of money.
Easy Dog Treat Recipe
The following recipe cost $10, and I made enough treats to fill a 14-cup storage container. These are crunchy treats that my dogs love.
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds of ground turkey
- 3 sample packages of Grandma Lucy's freeze-dried pork
- 1 zucchini (shredded)
- 1 yellow squash (shredded)
The ingredients are all optional – feel free to use a different protein, freeze-dried recipe, or vegetables. I got the freeze-dried samples from a rep for Grandma Lucy's. I didn't rehydrate the freeze-dried food; I mixed it directly into the ground turkey and vegetables from the package.
Directions:
- combine ingredients in a large mixing bowl
- put half the mixture on parchment paper, cover with another sheet of parchment paper, and roll flat using a rolling pin
- once plat, remove the top parchment paper and slice into strips using a pizza cutter or knife
- transfer slices to a dehydrator tray using a spatula
- dehydrate at 145-155 F (63-68 C) in a food dehydrator for ten hours – I use a LEM dehydrator because it has a timer
When the treats are finished, transfer them to a storage container and freeze them until needed. You can also store them in the fridge. I like to keep them in storage containers using moisture packs. I quickly go through the treats because I live in a multi-dog home and have friends with dogs.
