This section is from the book "Save It For Winter.", by Frederick Fry Rockwell. Also available from Amazon: Save It For Winter; Modern Methods Of Canning, Dehydrating, Preserving And Storing Vegetables And Fruit For Winter Use, With Comments On The Best ... For Saving, And When And How To Grow Them.
The three methods for drying, as already described, are sun drying, evaporating by artificial heat, and dehydrating-drying by the use of an air-blast-the latter, for home use, usually being produced by an electric fan.
Fig. 46 - Small metal drier with removable trays for using over the stove.
Light frames of wood, with bottoms of muslin or fine mesh wire, and made of any size which will be convenient for the amount of product to be handled, may be used for sun drying, but it will be much better to take the pains to construct a frame with a glass cover which will protect the product from dust, dew and showers.
For drying in artificial heat, a plain, open nest of trays, which can be either set on the stove or hung above it, can easily be made at home. A regular drier, which consists of a set of trays enclosed in a metal case surmounted by a chimney, makes much more efficient use of the heat available. For drying small quantities of food of this kind, a drier which is made on the principle of a double-boiler, with water between the stove and the drying surface, is very convenient, as there is no danger of burning or scorching the product being dried so long as this water pan is kept full. A drier of this kind can be kept in use for a large part of the time for saving small surpluses of the various garden vegetables, which may be prepared for the drier at the same time that the remainder is prepared for the table. These little savings may seem small at the time, but in the aggregate will amount to a great deal.
Fig. 47 - Arrangement for suspending trays over kerosene stove for drying.
Fig. 48 - Two small driers for use on top of stove; the type with the chimney, and a door to protect contents of trays from dust and ashes is the better.
Trays for use with a small electric fan such as is commonly employed in the house can be made about three feet long and a foot to eighteen inches wide. They may be made from any light material with a lath or wire bottom. If all these are needed at one time, place them end to end.
While bags, tin pails, or other containers of this kind may be used for the dried Vegetables or fruits, after they are conditioned and ready to store, by far the most satisfactory containers (unless one has a surplus of glass jars available for use, which is not likely to be the case) are the prepared cardboard or fiber containers of various sizes and shapes which may now be bought at very reasonable prices. They are moisture- and light-proof, easy to handle, easy to keep, and cheap enough so that the products may be put up in small quantities, the advantages of doing which have already been explained. The method of air-drying is comparatively new; and, in all probability, there will be small outfits for home use of this kind put on the market in the near future.
Fig. 50 - A simple tool for crimping in the caps on paper containers, so that a tight, permanent job is secured. A shows the cap put in place by the fingers. B, the same after the bottom has been extended. C, the simple tool for doing the work.
Fig. 51 - Another tool for putting caps on paper or fiber containers.