The greenhouse hits some terrible summer temperatures so I have to move plants out totally.
Early in spring, I put up the shade cloth and move the more tender plants out or else the
leaves get scorched. By early summer all the green stuff is outdoors.
It seems a waste to let it sit empty in summer so I am planning to hang 'rainy day' laundry in it.
It will accomodate two 20 foot clotheslines.
But what has really been on my mind is to use it as a nonelectric solar food dryer. I prefer to be
electrically independent as much as possible.
I posted in the GH forum but will hope there are more homestead folks with experience in solar
food dehydration on their homesteads. Indoors or out...
It should be feasible. The greenhouse is completely screened for cross ventilation and has a ceiling
fan in there which should help circulate the hot dry air. Any thoughts?
Does anyone have any experience with doing this or any other ideas in the off season greenhouse?
Solar food dehydrators?
Pod, do you have sun dried tomatoes on your mind too? :0)
I think it would work well since you have circulation. I ran across an article (no clue where) describing a wood frame, the shelves made from window screen and the entire box had screening to keep the bugs out. I have no idea how food safe window screen is?
Sun dried tomatoes sounds wonderful... other things too. Fruits, figs, vegies, meats ~ you name it. I think it should be a good location for drying foods.
Window screen is o.k. but fiberglass screen is not recommended as it can leave tiny shreds of fiberglass in the food products. I was reading a bit about proper drying trays. I have a stack of plastic bread trays that I have been contemplating. I wonder how safe they are.
I know I can use cheesecloth to cover them. Was also considering using the liners that are used in electric drying trays. Lots to learn before I get there.
I'll be following this thread with interest.
Well... I don't know about you but I hate to be totally dependent on the electric company as in needing a freezer. By the same token, I am stingy enough to try to use what I got. We'll see ~ lol
And, I am open to ideas and suggestions! 8 )
I stumbled across this link http://thetanglednest.com/2009/08/drying-food-in-car/ which made me get to studying on it.
I had already used the greenhouse for drying herbs last summer and I thought why not veggies and fruits.
Haha. I can attest to that. I once found a wayward orange under the seat of our car. Have no idea how long it had been there or a what temp, it was hard as a rock!
I would love to conserve energy. The kids are old enough to turn out the lights behind them, but now they're too old to share baths. We always seem to stay in the same energy usage range, no matter what I try to conserve.
I don't know how we are going to handle our food storage. I'm not that fond of dried fruits. Still have dried figs from last year, no one has touched a single one. Not much use if we won't eat them.ugg
Last year I had to go back to work. Minimum wage was all I could find. That was enough for groceries and a few bills. I had a long talk with dh and decided to see if I could earn my keep this year by providing and growing all our own groceries. Between the tractor, more canning jars, more freezer space needed, more animal feed, another fridge as a cheese cave...on and on. I may need my old job back. lol
Not fond of dried fruits as in preferring fresh fruits? I like to rehydrate dried fruit to use in cobblers, pies and such.
I also like to add them to a hot breakfast cereal. And I like some just to nibble on.
I applaud you for staying home and exerting the effort to provide for your family. I may step on some other folks toes but... I have always felt that staying home is financially more feasible. You don't need extra clothing, a spare ride, convenience food or any other niceties that go with working outside the home.
OTOH, I feel you are feeding your family far better with home grown and home cooked foods. You are there when needed by your family and will have a grip on what your children are doing in their spare time and who their friends are. I think when one works, one misses out of the most formative and special years of your childs' lives.
Hang in there... there is light at the end of the tunnel!
I tried so hard not to raise picky eaters and I created little food monsters. They only like fresh foods. I never imagined having that problem.lol My mother watched Supersize Me with them when they were really young. They're are convinced McDonalds is death food.lol It's not like they won't eat junk, we just don't bring it the house much. Yet, you couldn't pay them to eat a big mac :0)
They won't eat hot cereals either *rolling eyes, but I was wondering about creating some sort of rehydrated fig pulp and using as sort of a glue for a granola cereal?
Having been raised by a hard working single mother, I know how fortunate I am to be able to stay home. Time is so short, I love being home with them. They'll be gone soon enough and the lower electric bill won't be worth it :0) I think it is cheaper being home. You have to run it like a business to make it work tho.
I also feel fortunate that most of our recent purchases are investments in providing. If we should loose our home, we own the land. We would pick up and move the garden a 100' over.
Hmmm... maybe dried fruit leather. Made like rollups.
Maybe if the kiddos had a hand in the creation of it? Just a thought...
Wow! I'd adopt them both at that rate. LOL
My mom makes a homemade fig newton that is to die for!!!
I love dried fruit. Cherries are my fave right now.
My best friend from HS lives in CA not far from a date farm. She sent me a sampler box of dates and they were fantastic.
Dried pineapple is my weakness but I've eaten cherries and they are good too!
I've heard dried cherries are good for diabetics but would think one has to be careful how they are dried, like with or without sugar.
I had not heard that. I would like to try dried watermelon.
I hadn't heard of dried watermelon but like it so well there wouldn't be any left to dry. LOL
Not a fruit but I've also heard dried and seasoned okra is like eating popcorn. I would like to try that.
I'd like to try that too.
If I manage to grow a crop and to dry it and it is edible, I will share. LOL
Oh Cajun, do think she'd share her fig newton recipe?
I can not wait to try dried okra! It's on my planting list this year. And is one of those foods the entire family is picky about, we'll only eat it pickled or fried. I can see how it would be like popcorn. How cool! Thanks!
We watched a tv show called Shark Tank last night. Please don't judge us on viewing habits..we only get one channel and it's very limited.lol Anyway, Inventors try and sell theirs ideas to investors. After the show we started coming up with ideas for a granola cereal everyone would like. It turned into a family comedy...the kids were negotiating their cereal ingredients for portions.
"i don't like honey"
"i do"
"fine, if you get honey in cereal. Then I get a larger portion and more cherries"
We decided on a cherry, pecan, oatmeal and brown sugar, with equal portions for all. I will be sneaking in figs.lol
I'm sure she would be glad to. I will call her as soon as I get the time. Remind me. They are delish!!!
I'll second that... please post it if you get it and give her our thanks!
I want honey with my cereal please??? I love locally harvested honey ~ the store can keep the store bought honey.
I do too! I don't know whats wrong with that kid ;0)
There were some recent reports about road side honey vendors cutting their goods with corn syrup....sheesh! I would love to keep some hives, yet I'm holding out hope that a friend of ours will move his to our property. He said we would get a percentage of the harvest in exchange for the space. Keeping fingers crossed.
Here's my favorite snack with honey and fresh figs. I make little hot water cornbread cakes, top with strained yogurt (like greek yogurt) a slice of fig, drizzle of honey and cracked pepper.
Hmmm..I wonder if I can put the dried figs in a skillet cake. Ya'll got thinking here! Might need to go thu the freezer and see if you can help me get rid of some other things.lol
Stop with the luscious fig talk already woman....LOL! And then a photo fit for a gourmet mag to make me drool on the keyboard. We had figs back in Georgia, both a tree on property, and then down the street a huge tree whose owner didn't eat them and let them all fall, but refused to allow us to pick them when we inquired.
I used to sneak over after dark while he was gone and gather some...I'm such a rebel. Hah! They were delicious, and nothing like what you get in the store. I did find some very good ones at the Decatur Int'l Farmer's Market one year though.
Fruit stock is a long way off in my planning. I have to master the yard care and a little garden first, although I do plan to get some blackberries from my wild patch this year, and I am planting three raspberry bushes (sticks). My one additional concession while unemployed was strawberry plants. First batch is in their burlap bag home already and I have green leaves...yay! I love them, and the organic ones here are terribly expensive, if/when you can find them.
How's the solar dehydrator coming Pod?
LOL, I pointing the finger at Podster. She mentioned figs first, and we know what a trouble maker she is ;0) I just got light headed thinking about them and ran with it.
I love you sneaking in for those figs.He probably thinks he has raccoons. Serves him right.lol And I'm down right envious of anyone who can grow raspberries. I so wish I could have them here!
Figs? Did I mention figs? Hmmm...
I think (with fingers crossed that the little peach tree will deliver its' first crop.) but I do need to add another plum... thanks to Lizards_Keep trying to educate me.
Right now I am watching the dewberry crop patches loaded with blooms. It is looking good and the bees seem to think so also.
Speaking of bees, there is a local grower that lets me sell his honey. For every dozen quarts I sell, I get a quart free. He was amazed but I sold him out of honey right before Christmas and could have sold more. Now with all the pollen, many folks with allergies are coming by looking for the honey. I did inventory my stash and am doing o.k. but always want to hoard more.
On the solar dehydrator, no forward motion. Still reading and thinking. I have and will continue to dry herbs in the summer GH and hope to put my best foot forward on some fruit and vegies later in the year. Providing I can eke out a decent crop...
Going to talk to Mom tomorrow. I'll have to write a note to ask for the recipe. You guys will love it! We had 2 HUGE fig trees down the bayou and a pecan tree. I miss them.
Friends brought me a sack of golden raspberry canes about 3 eoot tall and leafing out. I have to get them planted tomorrow. It's so hard to plant anything in the ground here with all these rocks!
Hi, the fig burglar. LOL You go, Girl. Old stingy neighbor. That is a sin and a shame to let food go to waste.
I have to move my strawberries. Can't get enough water to them where they are now.
So, Pod... here's my take on using the GH as a solar dryer: As long as you have a vent at or near the apex, and a vent or two in the lower walls (pref, near the floor) it should work. The normal thermal currents will bring the moisture up and out the top vent. Otherwise, the GH will stay too humid and not properly dry veggies.
I also expect the spacing of trays (if stacked) needs to be a lot more than in a mechanical forced air dryer, and if the trays are not stacked, they still need ample room under them to facilitate the slow convective currents.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge on this. In summer I will have ample room to spread trays out in one layer.
What space would you consider "ample room" under the trays?
I may have to monitor the humidity in the GH first before I attempt it.
Gee, with an adequate air flow (one you can just barely detect on a wet finger), I'd think 6 inches or so. Also, the higher the trays (relative to the top of the GH) the better it should work.
The RH shouldn't matter too much as long as it's not stagnant humid air.
edited to add: I can dry cured meats in 80% RH as long as there is some air movement.
This message was edited Apr 3, 2011 8:32 PM
Ideally I would prefer to be electrically independent on this endeavor but could arrange slow air motion with a fan if necessary. It is worth a try.
Nah... Convection is free... use it! As long as there are openings low, and an opening high, and the Laws of Physics don't fail, hot air will rise... and exit, taking moisture with it.
Thanks much. Now if it will only rain so I can be assured of produce.
I guess I am putting the 'drying' cart ahead of the growing' horse here.
LOL!