Pecan-Orange Granola, page134-135

I've always wanted to make granola but never have had the nerve. It seems like lots of granola I get that isn't in boxes in the cereal isle tends to be a tad limp. I figured whatever I would make would turn out the same. Here's another benefit of our Woods to Food project: It has helped me try cooking methods and kinds of recipes that I have been fearful of-like bread dough and granola, for instance.
I made a 1/2 batch of the granola because a whole batch makes a gallon and that seemed like a lot of potentially soggy, expensive ingredients. The granola was easy and fun to make, heating oil, orange juice and honey and pouring it over the dry ingredients and then baking it. I probably overbaked the granola a bit because I was waiting for it to crisp up, but that happened in the cooling process, not during baking. The granola baked while dinner was baking, we added the dried fruit and orange zest once cooled, and it was ready to jar up by the time dinner was over. I brought the jar of granola with us to visit Fred's parents at their farm this weekend. We had it for breakfast and to snack on. So far it is keeping it's crispness nicely. I do wonder how granola you buy at the store is clumpy. This granola is loose and therefore as a snack is a bit hard to eat. When the oats, nuts and fruit clump together, it does make chunks to grab hold of.
At any rate, I like traveling with a jar of homemade granola. Sometimes eating the way you like to eat is difficult when traveling, but not so with 1/2 gallon of granola at your side.