DRY ALL FOOD THAT CAN BE DRIED 



19 



paper or lengths of muslin spread in the sun 

 and protected from insects and dust. 



Apparatus for home Drying on a larger 

 scale may be made at home or bought at 

 small cost. Still larger equipment may be 

 bought for community drying operations in 

 which a group of families combine for co- 

 operative work, at a school or other con- 



FIG. 2. Potatoes prepared by use of meat chopper. 



venient center. This latter is especially rec- 

 ommended as giving the use of the most im- 

 proved outfits at slight cost to the individual 

 family. See "Community Work," page 3. 



Best results are obtained by rapid drying, 

 but care must be taken not to let the tem- 

 perature rise above the limit specified in the 

 directions and table. 



One of the chief essentials in Drying is free 

 circulation of air, in order that the moist air 

 may escape and dry air take its place. 



METHODS OF DRYING 



For home Drying satisfactory results are 

 obtained by any one of three principal 

 methods. These are: 



1. Sun Drying. 



2. Drying by Artificial Heat. 



3. Drying by Air-blast. (With an electric 

 or other motor fan.) 



These methods may be combined to good 

 advantage. 



FIG. 3. Apples peeled and sliced for drying. 



SUN DRYING 



Sun Drying has the double advantage of 

 requiring no expense for fuel and of freedom 

 from danger of overheating. For sun Dry- 

 ing of vegetables and fruits the simplest form 

 is to spread the slices or pieces on sheets of 

 plain paper or lengths of muslin nailed to 

 strips of wood and expose them to the sun. 

 Muslin is to be preferred if there is danger of 

 sticking. Trays should be used for large 

 quantities. Sun Drying requires bright, 



hot days and a breeze. Once or twice a day 

 the product should be turned or stirred and 

 the dry pieces taken out. The drying prod- 

 uct should be covered with cheesecloth 

 tacked to a frame for protection from dust 

 and flying insects. Care must be taken to 

 provide protection from rain, dew and moths. 

 During rains and just before sunset the prod- 

 ucts should be taken indoors for protection. 



TRAYS FOR SUN DRYING 



To make a tray cheaply for use in sun 

 drying, take strips of lumber three-quarters 

 of an inch thick and 2 inches wide for the 

 sides and ends. To form the bottom, laths 

 should be nailed to these strips, with spaces 

 of one-eighth of an inch between laths to 

 permit air circulation. A length of 4 feet, 

 corresponding to the standard lengths of 

 laths, is economical. Nail 3 strips across 

 the bottom in the opposite direction from 

 the laths to prevent warping and to allow 

 space when the trays are stacked. The 



FIG. 4. Small outdoor drier, easily made at home. 

 It has glass top, sloping for exposure to sun. Tray 

 is shown partly projecting, to indicate construction. 



trays should be of uniform size in order that 

 they may be stacked together for conve- 

 nience in handling. Never put trays directly 

 on the ground. They should rest on supports 

 a few feet above the ground and should face 

 the south or southwest so as to receive the 

 sun's rays the longest possible time. 



A small homemade Sun Drier, easily 

 constructed (Fig. 4), is made of light strips 

 of wood, a sheet of glass, a small amount of 

 galvanized wire screen and some cheese- 

 cloth. A convenient size for the glass top 

 is 18 by 24 inches. To hold the glass make 

 a light wooden frame of strips of wood > 

 inch thick and 1 inch wide. This frame should 

 have legs of material 1 by 1^ inches, with a 

 length of 12 inches for the front legs and 18 

 inches for those in the rear. This will cause 

 the top to slope, which aids in circulation of 

 air and gives direct exposure to the rays of the 

 sun. As a tray support, nail a strip of wood 

 to the legs on each of the four sides, about 



