Hi billygirl,
I've found several articles, pictures, and explanations on how to make
and use a frame for sun dried tomatoes. I've posted my findings in no
particular order.
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The Victory Garden Know-How Primers and Projects (pictures here) Amy
explains her method of stacked nylon screens for drying tomatoes in
the sun.
Drying Tomatoes
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/victorygarden/knowhow/pp/tomatoes/index.html
Sun Drying
"Amy uses simple wooden frames with nylon screens, stacked one on top
of the other, to dry her tomatoes, harnessing the power of the sun.
This outdoor method does call for a fairly dry climate, however.
Eliminating moisture is key, as moisture encourages molds and other
problems. To protect against morning dew, Amy covers the stack with a
spun cloth at night or brings her stack of frames indoors."
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You Say Tomato...I Say Tomawto Sun-dried Tomatoes
http://www.dvo.com/newsletter/monthly/2003/august/0803tabletalk.html
"Acquire screens for drying. You can staple clean window screen to
wooden frames or use screens from a dehydrator. Wash, dry and halve
plum tomatoes. Blanch the tomatoes for 30 seconds to improve the
flavor of the end product. Skin, slice in half, and remove the seeds.
Place cut side up on the screens. Move trays outdoors into direct
sunlight. Bring them in at night or if rain is threatening. You can
keep bugs off by making an additional cover of window screen or layers
of cheesecloth. Make sure the cover rests above the tomatoes and
doesn't touch them. Cherry tomatoes take about a day of sunlight to
dry. Plum tomatoes take a few days."
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Out Of The Garden and Into The Kitchen Projects and Other Useful Stuff
http://www.gardenpower.com/projects/kitchen/02096.html
"In order to dry tomatoes or any other kind of fruit, you'll need a
drying frame. I made this one out of untreated lumber with holes
drilled in the side, the holes and the bottom completely covered with
a fiberglass net, not metal. And to facilitate ventilation, I put
little feet on the bottom of it made out of pieces of 2 x 4 so that
air can get in and out of this box very easily.
When you're preparing your tomatoes for sun-drying, you'll need a
good, sharp knife to make good, clean slices, and then wash your
tomatoes and dry them before you put them into the drying frame. Slice
them up in halves or even into smaller pieces that will dry more
quickly, and then line the pieces up in your drying frame. Don't allow
them to touch.
Place the frame in a warm, sunny spot, cover it with a piece of glass,
and in eight to ten hours, you'll have sun-dried tomatoes. If you need
a good recipe, check my website..."
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Kitchen Elf Craft, Cooking & Family Exchange Board
http://www.kitchenelf.com/cgi-bin/mb/4.shtml
The following post is midway down the page... by Kitchen Elf Administrator:
"I am assuming that you are drying the tomatoes out-doors, if you are
not then let me know. I have only dried "Roma" type tomatoes, they are
best for drying for they have a higher sugar content. If you are using
other tomatoes it would be best to dry them in-doors. Here is some
information about sun-drying out side according to US Extension Food
Specialist, Elizabeth L. Andress. Ph.D. and Judy A. Harrison, Ph.D.,:
"The high sugar and acid content of fruits make them safe to dry
out-of-doors when conditions are favorable for drying. Vegetables
(with the exception of vine dried beans) and meats are not recommended
for out-of-doors drying. Vegetables are low in sugar and acid. This
increases the risks for food spoilage. Meats are high in protein,
making them ideal for microbial growth when heat and humidity cannot
be controlled. It is best to dry meats and vegetables indoors using
controlled conditions of an oven or food dehydrator.
To dry fruits out-of-doors hot, dry, breezy days are best. A minimum
temperature of 85ºF is needed with higher temperatures being better.
It takes several days to dry foods out-of-doors. Because the weather
is uncontrollable, drying fruits out-of-doors can be risky. If it
rains while drying, the entire supply of crop can be destroyed."
[edit]
"Fruits dried out-of-doors must be covered or brought under shelter at
night. The cool night air condenses and could add moisture back to the
food, thus slowing down the drying process.
Racks or screens placed on blocks allow for better air movement around
the food. Because the ground may be moist, it is best to place the
racks or screens on a concrete driveway or if possible over a sheet of
aluminum or tin. The reflection of the sun on the metal increases the
drying temperature.
Screens used for drying need to be safe for contact with food. The
best screens are stainless steel, Teflon-coated fiberglass and
plastic. Avoid screens made from "hardware cloth." This is galvanized
metal cloth that is coated with cadmium or zinc. These metals can
oxidize, leaving harmful residues on the food. Also avoid copper and
aluminum screening. Copper destroys vitamin C and increases oxidation.
Aluminum tends to discolor and corrode.
Because birds and insects are attracted to dried fruits, two screens
are best for drying food. One screen acts as a shelf and the other as
a protective cover. Cheesecloth could also be used to cover the food."
Also according to the United Nations FAO:
The main problems for sun drying are dust, rain and cloudy weather.
Therefore, drying areas should be dust-free and whenever there is a
threat of a dust storm or rain, the drying trays should be stacked
together and placed under cover.
In order to produce dust-free and hygienically clean products, fruit
and vegetable material should be dried well above ground level so that
they are not contaminated by dust, insects, livestock or people. All
materials should be dried on trays designed for the purpose; the most
common drying trays have wooden frames with a fitted base of nylon
mosquito netting. Mesh made of woven grass can also be used. Metal
netting must NOT be used because it discolours the product.
The trays should be placed on a framework at table height from the
ground. This allows the air to circulate freely around the drying
material and it also keeps the food product well away from dirt.
Ideally the area should be exposed to wind and this speed up drying,
but this can only be done if the wind is free of dust.
With 80 cm x 50 cm trays, the approximate load for a tray is 3 kg; the
material should be spread in even layers. During the first part of the
drying period, the material should be stirred and turned over at least
once an hour.
This will help the material dry faster and more evenly, prevent it
sticking together and improve the..."
[edit]
"At night the trays should be stacked in a ventilated room or covered
with canvas. Plastic sheets should NEVER be used for covering
individual trays during sun drying.
Dry or nearly dry products can be blown out of the tray by the wind.
However, this can be protected by covering the loaded tray with an
empty one; this also gives protection against insects and birds."
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(cached page) http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:ta8UnslFac0J:ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/filelibrary/742/11202.pdf+drying+frame+sun+dried+tomatoes&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
TO DRY OUTDOORS
"Place the tomatoes cut side up on a dryer or oven racks taken
outdoors. You can sprinkle tomatoes lightly with salt for flavor and
hasten the water-extraction process, but it isn?t necessary for
preservation purposes. In the case of drying, the preservation method
is simply the removal of water. Place the dryer or rack on a piece of
plywood. Leave room between the rack and the wood for air to
circulate. To protect tomatoes from insects and airborn debris, cover
with cheesecloth or nylon netting supported so fabric won?t stick to
the tomatoes. A dryer can be made out of two simple wooden frames with
screen or double thickness of netting stapled to the frames. It may
take two to three days for sun-dried tomatoes to become completely
dry. Take them in at night. Halfway through drying, flatten the
tomatoes lightly with a rubber spatula. If you are unable to complete
the drying process outside, finish drying in the oven. Drying is a
continuous process. You can continue to dry tomatoes you?ve semidried,
refrigerated and put out to dry again until pliable. To eliminate any
insect infestations, freeze the tomatoes in vapor-resistant bags for
48 hours."
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Smoke drying
http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/tomatoes1.html
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Preserving Your Tomato Harvest from Do It Yourself Gardening and Landscaping
http://www.diynet.com/diy/fv_planting_harvesting/article/0,2029,DIY_13828_2269883,00.html
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Harvesting Herbs and Tomatoes
http://www.pallensmith.com/newsletter/2002/news_091202a.htm
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Google search:
sun dried tomato frame
make frame sun dry tomatoes
how to sun dry tomatoes
do it yourself frame sun dry tomatoes
Best regards,
tlspiegel |
