These nectarine segments have been outdoors less than 24 hours now, and they are clearly drying, not rotting.This picture is taken through the mesh of the white garment-washing bag, and I used the "enhance" feature on my photo app to punch up the color and contrast. The fruit is resting on the plastic screen and support shelf of my electric dehydrator, removed from the power-sucking beast for this experiment, and the mesh bag is supported up off the fruit with an overturned wire letter basket. It's all perched on a garden chair with a breezy seat, so there's air underneath too.
I'm so happy. I don't really "need" dehydrated food, because my garden is not producing enough stuff to swamp me. In fact, I bought the nectarines. But I wanted to save some for later, just because now I know I can.
Later on this summer I'll try genuine home-grown sun-dried tomatoes. The only kind I've ever made has been oven dried. Feh!
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8 comments:
I'm very impressed with your ingenuity!!
You always inspire me! I want to "sun dry" some tomatoes, too, but not until later in the summer when they're super-sweet. So far the ones I've gotten have been a little "eh" in terms of flavor...
Ummm. If you find that you have too many sun-dried tomatoes...
It's not about needing it - it's about being clever and doing it...
Although, sometimes I get too clever and end up eating my cleverness (so to speak) for months... and months...and months...
Love the idea! I have a ton of those bags from working with fleece. If you want an incredible treat in the winter, dehydrate some watermelon this summer. Talk about an *intense* flavor, it's amazing.
ChrisB: You wouldn't believe this, considering what a simple device I rigged up, but I was stumped for quite a few days, trying to decide how to go about it.
Thank you!
Jennifer: There's just something a little "mad scientist" about me. Cranky is so pleased, he wants to buy three more laundry bags and three more letter baskets.
Dagny: You know what? It could happen! :D
Katie: You're right, it's the "doing." Fun. I'm not as industrious as you, though. I'm not all about "overdoing." :-)
Annamarie: OK, just get yourself some food-safe racks (I hear that conventional window screen is not safe) and zip 'em up!
I can't believe you can dehydrate watermelon! It would take me a year. So much, um, water. But of course, now I want to try.
I see that solar power can be used in different spheres. Solar energy is the source of all energy on the earth (excepting volcanic geothermal). Wind, wave and fossil fuels all get their energy from the sun. Fossil fuels are only a battery which will eventually run out. The sooner we can exploit all forms of Solar energy (cost effectively or not against dubiously cheap FFs) the better off we will all be. If the battery runs out first, the survivors will all be living like in the 18th century again.
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