Comments on: Why drive when you can dehydrate? How to dry fruit in your car http://greenlagirl.com/why-drive-when-you-can-dehydrate-how-to-dry-fruit-in-your-car/ Urban environmental lifestyle blog in Los Angeles Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:11:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Siel http://greenlagirl.com/why-drive-when-you-can-dehydrate-how-to-dry-fruit-in-your-car/comment-page-1/#comment-466676 Siel Tue, 08 Sep 2009 21:17:41 +0000 http://greenlagirl.com/?p=11329#comment-466676 I now wish I had a fig tree! We do have one growing in the sidewalk nearby though -- I should check how it's doing later today -- I now wish I had a fig tree! We do have one growing in the sidewalk nearby though — I should check how it’s doing later today –

]]> By: Bob http://greenlagirl.com/why-drive-when-you-can-dehydrate-how-to-dry-fruit-in-your-car/comment-page-1/#comment-466443 Bob Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:29:17 +0000 http://greenlagirl.com/?p=11329#comment-466443 I should've mentioned - if we just had a few figs or tomatoes to dry, I probably wouldn't have bothered with the "drying frames." But we had *a lot* of fruit all coming ripe at once. Being able to stack several frames allowed us to dry quite a bit in a small space (the back of a Chevy HHR van). I should’ve mentioned – if we just had a few figs or tomatoes to dry, I probably wouldn’t have bothered with the “drying frames.” But we had *a lot* of fruit all coming ripe at once. Being able to stack several frames allowed us to dry quite a bit in a small space (the back of a Chevy HHR van).

]]> By: Bob http://greenlagirl.com/why-drive-when-you-can-dehydrate-how-to-dry-fruit-in-your-car/comment-page-1/#comment-466442 Bob Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:24:40 +0000 http://greenlagirl.com/?p=11329#comment-466442 I guess it depends on what you're trying to dehydrate. If you're drying figs, they tend to be pretty juicy when you slice them up. The netting stretched across the frames keeps the messy, sticky stuff up off the car seats, for one (LOL). Having the fruit slices exposed to the air on all sides, suspended on the netting, also allows it to dry more evenly and more quickly than if it were sitting on a cookie sheet or some hard surface. You don't have to turn the slices over be hand to make sure they're drying evenly. The best thing about using a car, I think, is that it pretty much keeps the insects off of your food while it's drying. Still, to be sure the final product is free from pathogens, it's a good idea to bag it up and put it in the freezer for at least four days. I guess it depends on what you’re trying to dehydrate. If you’re drying figs, they tend to be pretty juicy when you slice them up. The netting stretched across the frames keeps the messy, sticky stuff up off the car seats, for one (LOL). Having the fruit slices exposed to the air on all sides, suspended on the netting, also allows it to dry more evenly and more quickly than if it were sitting on a cookie sheet or some hard surface. You don’t have to turn the slices over be hand to make sure they’re drying evenly.

The best thing about using a car, I think, is that it pretty much keeps the insects off of your food while it’s drying. Still, to be sure the final product is free from pathogens, it’s a good idea to bag it up and put it in the freezer for at least four days.

]]> By: Siel http://greenlagirl.com/why-drive-when-you-can-dehydrate-how-to-dry-fruit-in-your-car/comment-page-1/#comment-466363 Siel Tue, 08 Sep 2009 05:00:46 +0000 http://greenlagirl.com/?p=11329#comment-466363 Interesting info, but isn't just putting stuff in the car easier than installing a dehydrator that requires screwing stuff that then needs to be put in the car? I love the reuse idea for the frames, but I'm having a hard time figuring out what benefits your extra steps add -- Please explain so we can all learn :) Interesting info, but isn’t just putting stuff in the car easier than installing a dehydrator that requires screwing stuff that then needs to be put in the car? I love the reuse idea for the frames, but I’m having a hard time figuring out what benefits your extra steps add — Please explain so we can all learn :)

]]> By: Bob http://greenlagirl.com/why-drive-when-you-can-dehydrate-how-to-dry-fruit-in-your-car/comment-page-1/#comment-466019 Bob Sun, 06 Sep 2009 20:20:14 +0000 http://greenlagirl.com/?p=11329#comment-466019 I think this has become a movement! I read about using parked cars to enhance fruit drying, in an Australian blog somewhere. Handily enough, the advice came just in time to take advantage of a really incredible fig harvest this year at what we jokingly call our One-Acre Ranch down in semi-South Texas. Instructions for rigging up a really cheap, silly, but totally functional food dehydrator: http://www.bobdunn.com/Article/260/drying-figs Putting the contraption into a company news van parked in the sun was, well, the best use I ever got out of that news van. I think this has become a movement! I read about using parked cars to enhance fruit drying, in an Australian blog somewhere. Handily enough, the advice came just in time to take advantage of a really incredible fig harvest this year at what we jokingly call our One-Acre Ranch down in semi-South Texas.

Instructions for rigging up a really cheap, silly, but totally functional food dehydrator:

http://www.bobdunn.com/Article/260/drying-figs

Putting the contraption into a company news van parked in the sun was, well, the best use I ever got out of that news van.

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