Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-07-22

dried successfully. But corn, peas.
beans, carrots and okra have been
most successful. Leafy vegetables.
such as spinach and broccoli, REQUIRE
q little more care. The fruits
which may be dehydrated are: ApA
Piles, pears, peaches. apricots, cher
ries, plums and prunes. Several
kinds of berries-such as dewber-
ries, blackberries, gooseberries and
raspberries-also dry satisfactorily,
Strawberries? No, they lose too
much of their flavor and color.
Food may be dried either outdoors
or indoors. But on the basis of
intensive research. indoor drying
has a decided edge over outdoor
drying for several reasons: 1t Is
much faster, much more depend
able since it Is not affected by the
weather and saves more vitamins.
So, unless indoor drying is out Of
the question, don't attempt outdoor
drying.
OF course, indoor drying requires
controlled heat from source other
than the sun or warmth of the
room in which the drying is done.
Four different sources OF artificial
heat are recommended: % oven OF
range; CD electric light bulbs; CD
portable heaters; 90 surface heat
from range.
Each source Of heat calls for a
special type OF dehydrator, or for
oven drying, drying rack. For
full particulars about building de-
hydrators, consult your local public
utility company, State agricultural
college, or send for Farmers Bulle-
tin of the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture, No. 1918. With
building instructions will come d.
rections for drying many different
fruits and vegetables.
When drying vegetables, as when
canning them steam blanching Is far
more satisfactory than blanching in
boiling water because it saves
greater amounts of Vitamin c. The
rules are worth repeating: Use
large utensil with tight-fitting cover.
Place sufficient water in the utensil
to cover the bottom by at least one
half inch. Put the cleaned and pre-
pared vegetables In a wire basket or
colander and place that in the uten-
sill. Cover. Keep water boiling
briskly.
steam blanch vegetables depends on
the vegetables. Generally speaking,
a vegetable must be steam blanched
until practically ready to eat-that
Is, until it feels soft but is not com.
pletely cooked.
How long does it take to dehy-
drate? That again depends on the
kinds of fruits and vegetables, and
also on the size of the pieces and
the type of drier. But drying time
will average anywhere from 4 to IL
hours. To test for dryness, cool
sample for 10 minutes and then .
vegetables should snap when broken
between the fingers. Carrots and
beets are an exception-they will be
slightly leathery. Fruits are tough
and leathery when ready for stor-
age-tor example, roll a piece OF
fruit between the fingers and II 1t
springs back into shape without
cracking, it Is dry enough. If it
cracks, it Is over-done
Dried fruits and vegetables will
keep several months, but only if
they are packed Immediately after
drying and sealed in insect-and
moisture-proof containers.
Tin cans with tight-fitting lids
make excellent containers, but lids
must be sealed with Scotch tape or
paraf1n. You can use glass jars if
you have them to spare. But wash
them thoroughly, wipe bone-dry,
seal with caps screwed down over
rubber rings and wrap in paper to
keep out the light Whatever the
type Of container, store it in a COOL
dark, dry place.