Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-06-08
HOME DRYING
OF VEGETABLES
Expensive if Tin Cans and
Glass Jars Are
Scarce

Washington, d. c., June S.-Dry
Vegetables and fruits for winter use
if tin cans and glass jars for can
ming are scarce or expensive.
This is the advice of specialists of
the United States Department of Ag-
riculture, who recently have studied
the possibilities of conserving food
TO meet war needs in spite of any
difficulties that may be experienced
in obtaining canning containers. Dry
ing was a well-recognized and sue
cessful way of preserving certain
foods before canning came into gen.
eral use, the specialists point out,
and modern methods make it still
more practicable than formerly, eth
er in the home or by community
groups.
Methods of Drying
Three methods of drying have
been found by department specialists
to give satisfactory results. These
are sun drying. drying by artificial
heat. and drying with air blasts, rs
before an electric fan. Trays for
drying by any one of these methods,
as we'll as tray frames for use over
stoves or before fans. can be made
satisfactorily at home. Frames and
trays for use with artificial heat may
be purchased complete if desired.
Homemade trays may be made of
side and end boards three-fourths of
an inch thick and two inches wide,
and bottom boards of lathing spaced
one-fourth of an inch. If desired,
one-fourth-inch galvanized wire
mesh may be tackled TO the side and
end boards 10 form the bottoms of
the trays. Frames for use before
fans may be made of wood of con- |
Venient size. Frames for use with |
artificial heat should be made of nom !
infiammabie material to as great an
extent as possible. AS many as six
traSs may be placed one above the !
other when artificial heat is used. |
In drying before fan the number |
of trays that may be placed one |
above the other will depend, to a |
large extent, upon the diameter of
the fan. In drying in the sun, trays
as described may be used or the |
products to be dried may be spread |
on sheets of paper or muslin held |
in place by weights.
Preparing Products For Drying
Vegetables and fruits will dry bet
ter if sliced They should be cut into /
slices one-elghth to one-fourth of an
inch thick. If thicker, they may
not dry thoroughly. While drying,
the products should be turned or
stirred from time. Dried products
should be packed temporarily for
three or four days and poured each
day from one box to another to bring
!, s,-fr Il CO hot
the whole mass will have a uniform
degree of moisture. If during this
conditioning any pieces of the |
products are found to be too moist,
they should be returned to the trays
and dried further. When in condi-
ton, the products may be packed |
permanently in tight paper bags, in
sect proof paper boxes or cartons,
or glass or tin continers.
RECEIPTS
Spinach and Parsley
Spinach that is in prime condition
for greens should be prepared by
careful washing and removing the
leaves from the roots. Spread the
leaves on trays to dry thoroughly.
They will dry much more promptly
if sliced or chopped.
Garden Bects. Onions, Carrots, Tur-
nips. Parsnips. Cabbage
Beets - select young, quickly
EIOWll. tender DeelSs WHICH SnOulu
be washed, peeled. sliced about an
eighth of an inch thick, and dried.
Turnips should be treated in the
same way as beets.
Carrots should be we'll grown, but
varieties having a large, woody core
should he avoided. Wash. peel and
slice crosswiSe into pieces abount
an eighth Of an inch thick.
Parsnips should be treated in tho
same way as carrots.
Onions-Remove the outside pa
perry covering Cut off tops and roots.
Slice into one-eighth-inch pices and
dry.
heads of cabbage and remove all
loose outside leaves. Split the cab
hage. remove the hard. woody core.
and slice the remainder of the head
with a krautcutter or other hand
slicing machine.
All the products under this head
ing should he conditioned" as de-
scribed above.
Beet Tops, SWISS Chard, Celery and
Rhubarb
Beet Tops-Tops of young beets,
in suitable condition for greens,
should be selected and washed care
fully. Both the leafstalk and blade
should be cut into sections about one
fourth inch long and spread on
screens and dried.
Swiss chard and celery should be
prepared in the same way as beet
tops.
Rhubarb-Choose young and sue
culent growth. Prepare as for stew
ing by skinning the stalks and cut
ting into pieces about one-fourth
inch to one-half inch in length, and
dry on trays.
All the products under this head
ing should be conditioned" as de-
scribed.
Raspberries
Sort out imperfect berries. spread
select berries on trays, and dry. Do
not dry so long that they become
hard enough to rattle. The drying
should he stopped as soon as the
berries fail to stain the hand when
pressed. Pack and Condition"