PART II 



HOME DRYING MANUAL 



Drying vegetables and fruits for winter use is one of the vital national 

 needs. As a national need it becomes a patriotic duty. As a patriotic 

 duty it should be done in every family. 



Failure to prepare vegetables and fruits for winter use by Drying is one of 

 the worst examples of American extravagance. During the summer nature 

 provides an over-abundance. This year, with the planting of 5,285,000 home 

 food gardens, stimulated by the National War Garden Commission and the 

 United States Department of Agriculture, this abundance will be especially 

 large. The excess supply is not meant to go to waste. The over-abundance 

 of the summer should be made the normal supply of the winter. The indi- 

 vidual family should conduct Drying on a liberal scale. In no other way can 

 there be assurance that America's food supply will meet our own needs. In 

 no other way, surely, can we answer the enormous demands made upon us 

 for furnishing food for our European Allies. 



IMPORTANCE OF FOOD THRIFT 



Winter buying of vegetables and fruits is 

 costly. It means that you pay transporta- 

 tion, cold-storage and commission merchants' 

 charges and profits. Summer is the time of 

 lowest prices. Summer, therefore, is the time 

 to buy for winter use. 



Every pound of food products grown 

 this year will be needed to combat Food 

 Famine. The loss that can 

 be prevented, the money 

 saving that can be effected 

 and the transportation relief 

 that can be brought about 

 make it essential that every 

 American household should 

 make vegetable and fruit 

 Drying a part of its program 

 of Food Thrift. The results can be gained 

 in no other way. 



Vegetable and fruit Drying have been 

 little practiced for a generation or more. 

 Its revival on a general scale is the pur- 

 pose of this Manual. There is no desire 

 to detract from the importance of canning 

 operations. Drying must not be regarded 

 as taking the place of the preservation of 

 vegetables and fruits in tins and glass jars. 

 It must be viewed as an important adjunct 

 thereto. Drying is important and economical 

 in every home, whether on the farm, in the 

 village, in the town, or in the city. For city 



FIG. 1. Carrots cut lengthwise. 



dwellers it has the special advantage that 

 little storage space is required for the dried 

 product. One hundred pounds of some fresh 

 vegetables will reduce to 10 pounds in dry- 

 ing without loss of food value or much of 

 the flavor. 



This year's need for vegetable and fruit 

 Drying is given added emphasis by the 

 shortage of tin for the man- 

 ufacture of cans. This con- 

 dition has created an un- 

 usual demand for glass jars. 

 For this year, therefore, Dry- 

 ing is of more than normal 

 importance. Dried products 

 can be stored in receptacles 

 that could not be used for 

 canning. This is excellent conservation. 



DRYING IS SIMPLE 

 A strong point in connection with vege- 

 table and fruit Drying is the ease with 

 which it may be done. The process is simple. 

 The cost is slight. In every home the neces- 

 sary outfit, in its simplest form, is already at 

 hand. Effective Drying may be done on 

 plates or dishes placed in the oven, with the 

 oven door partially open. It may be done 

 on the back of the kitchen stove, with these 

 same utensils, while the oven is being used 

 for baking. It may also be done on sheets of 



