I wanted a solar dehydrator so that I could put fresh fruit into storage without using electricity or gas. Some months back I was able to make a trade with a dog training client - he bought the supplies and put it together for me in exchange for training lessons. I waited until a harvest of fresh organic fruit was on sale at the grocery store to test it out. Finally, peaches arrived!
And the dehydrator worked TOO well. Due to a busy schedule, I left them inside for about 36 hours, on a day that reached a high of nearly 100 degrees.
Surprisingly, the blackness is mostly cosmetic - they still taste like peaches, just a little less so than the non-burned slices.
Besides figuring out the optimal temperature and length of time for various types of fruit, there's one more thing I need to do. If you look closely at the first picture, you'll see that the lid does not sit flush with the frames that hold the screens. It used to, but the wood has warped a bit during its time in storage. I purchased silicone sealant to close off a couple of spots where the wire came away from its frame, and foam weather stripping to seal the gaps between the frames and lid. That will keep bugs away from my precious fruit!
No comments:
Post a Comment