Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-31

will soon be secured. Small quantities of
different kinds Of vegetables may be dried
and combined for soups and stews.
strong point in drying is the ease with
which it may be done. Nearly all kinds of
fruits and vegetables may be dried at
small cost by means of the ordinary home
utensils The food to be dried may be
placed on dishes in the oven with the oven
door partly open, or on the back of the
stove while the oven is being used for
cooking. 1t may also be done on sheets OF
muslin or paper in the sun.
All material should be washed and pre-
pared carefully. After cleaning, the mate
rial should be blanched and cold-dpped as
for canning and then the regular drying
process carried on.
To be dried quickly most fruits and veg
stables should be shredded or cut into
slices, because large pieces will dry on the
outside, forming skin preventing escape
Of moisture.
Another precaution to be taken, espe-
eislly In artificial drying. is to start with
. gentle heat and raise slowly to higher
temperature after the whole material has
begun to wither.
SUN DRYING-Simplest form Of food
conservation is to place pieces of food on
sheets Of paper or muslin and expose them
TO sun. At all times care should be taken
to protect the product from moisture, and
along toward evening the material should be
taken indoors The food should be carefully
covered with cheesecloth to protect from in
sects. Once or twice day the material
should be turned and the dried pieces re-
moved. No exact time can be given for
drying, but little experience will soon
make It easy to determine when the prod
ucts are sufficiently dried. When first
dried, vegetables should be rather brittle,
but not SO dry as to snap or crackle, and
fruits rather leathery and pliable. Product
will mold IL not dried sufficiently.
DRYING BY ARTIFICIAL HEAT-Cloth
or wire trays may be suspended over the
range or dishes of food may be placed In
the oven, or specially constructed driers
may be made or purchased. In oven drying
the foodstuffs may be placed on dishes or
wire screens In a slow oven with the door
partially open. For drying over stove,
q single tray or series Of trays may be sus-
pended by wire, or specially constructed
top of the stove. In drying by this pro-
cess, care should be taken that the tenn
/ perature Is not too high.
DRYING BY AIR BLAST takes advan-
tage Of the electric fan or some similar de-
vice for creating a Current of air and di-
recting 1t along a series Of trays stacked
one above the other The number of trays
is regulated by the size of the fan. A COM
bination of this method with sun drying
gives excellent results.
HOMEMADE COOKsTOVE DRIER-A
drier that can be used on a wood or coal
range or a kerosene stove can be easily and
cheapy made Dimensions: Base, twenty
four by sixteen inches height thirty-six
Inches A base six inches high is made OF
galvanized sheet iron. This base slightly
hares toward the bottom and has two small
openings for ventilation In each of the four
sides. On the base rests box-lke frame
made of one or one and a half inch strips
Of wood The two sides are braced with
one and one-quarter inch strips, which serve
Is cleats on which the trays In the drier
rest. These are placed at intervals OF three
Inches. The frame is covered with tin OF
Z galvanized sheet iron, which is tackled to
the wooden strips of the frame. Thin strips
OF wood may be used instead OF tin OF
sheet iron. The door Is fitted on small
hinges and fastened with a thumb latch
It opens wide so that the trays can DC
easily removed. The bottom In the drier Is
made Of piece of perforated galvanized
sheet iron. Two inches above the bottom
10 placed a solid sheet of galvanized lror
three inches less in length and width thar
the bottom. This sheet rests on two wires
fastened to the sides of the drier. This
prevents the direct heat from coming II
contact with the product and serves al
radiator to more evenly spread the neat