Re: Some help needed please
Re: Some help needed please
I read some of Dutchy's links and in
http://peacecorpsonline.org/messages/messages/467/2020289.html
found the following, written by a Peace Core Worker in
Malawi:
To make a simple solar dryer, start by obtaining a split bamboo basket (the ones we use in the village are about 2-1/2' long, 1-1/2' wide, and 1-1/2' deep) or other medium-sized wooden box. Cut ventilation holes towards the bottom edge of one side of the box, and towards the top edge of the opposite side to allow heated air to escape and cooler air to enter from below. This removes moisture from the fruits or vegetables placed on a rack suspended inside the box. Screen your ventilation holes with mosquito netting to prevent flies from entering.
Next, poke two sets of holes across from each other to hold the sticks that will support the removable interior drying rack. Cut four more straight sticks to size and lash them together with twine or the inner bark of the Mombo tree to make a rectangular frame. Carefully bind stretched mosquito netting over the frame you have just built to construct a mesh rack upon which you will lay the items you want to dry. Or, if you are lucky enough to have old galvanized steel window screens lying around, use one of those for your drying rack.
Cut and sew a black plastic liner for your box so that it fits neatly inside, and secure it around your ventilation holes and two interior struts. Now the inside of the box is a black hole that will soak up energy from the sun to dry your produce. Instead of using plastic, you can simply paint the interior black, using only paint which will not fumigate your fruits and vegetables with noxious chemicals. Black paint in the village is made from powdered charcoal and turpentine, which, when heated, gives off gasses undesirable to combine with food.
Finally, cut a piece of clear plastic a bit larger than the top of the box to serve as a lid. The plastic can be tightly fixed to the box by means of a thin strip of old tire, or a bungie cord if you have one. Slice your fruits or vegetables and soak them in a solution of half lemon juice, half water, for five to ten minutes depending on the size of the pieces. This reduces unsightly browning. Place the slices on your mesh rack so they are not touching each other. You can dry anything that doesn't have too high a moisture content, like pumpkins, sweet potatoes, onions, leafy vegetables, herbs, tomatoes, and almost all fruits. If the remaining moisture content is too high after you have dried the foods, they will mold when stored. If you have dried them thoroughly, however, they will keep for years when stored in an airtight plastic bag.
