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Show HOME DRYING OF MANY VEGETABLES WASHINGTON, June 8. Dry vegetables veg-etables and fruits for winter use If tin cans and glass jars for canning are scarce or expensive. This is tho advice of specialists of the U. S. department of agriculture, who recently havo studied the possibilities possibil-ities of conserving food to meet war needs in spite of any difficulties that may be experienced in obtaining canning can-ning containers. Drying was a well-recognized well-recognized and successful way of preserving pre-serving certain foods before canning came into general use, tho specialists point out, and modern methods make it still moro practicable than formerly, either in the homo or by community groups. Methods of Drying. Three methods of drying have been found by tho department specialists to give satisfactory results. These are sun drying, drying by artificial heat, and drying with air blasts, as before an electric fan. Trays for drying dry-ing by any one of these methods, as well as tray frames for uso over stoves or before fans, can bo made satisfactorily at home. Frames and trays for uso with artificial heat may be purchased complete If desired. Home-made trays may bo made of side and end boards three-fourths of an inch thick and two inches wide, and bottom boards of lathing spaced ono-fourth of an inch. If desired, one-fourth-inch galvanized wire mesh may be tacked to the side and end boards to form the bottoms of the trays. Frames for use before fans may be made of wood of convenient size Frames for use with artificial heat should be made of non-inflammable material to as great an extent as possible. pos-sible. As many as six trays may be placed ono above the other when artificial ar-tificial hoat is used. In drying before a fan tho number of trays that, may be placed one above the other will depend, to a largo extent, upon the diameter of the fan. In drying in the sun, trays as described may bo used or tho products to be dried may be spread on sheets of paper or muslins held in place by weights. Preparing Fruits for Drying. Vegetables and fruits will dry better bet-ter If sliced. They should be cut Into slices one-eighth to one-fourth of an inch thick. If thicker they may not dry thoroughly. While drying tho products should be turned or stirred from time to timo. Dried products Bhould be packed temporarily for three or four days and poured each day from one box to another to bring abouL thorough mixing, and so that the whole mass will have a uniform degree de-gree of moisture. If during this "conditioning" "con-ditioning" any pieces of the products are found to beo too moist, they should be returned to the trays and dried further. fur-ther. When in condition the products may be packed permanently in tight paper bags, insect-proof paper boxes or cartons, or glass or tin containers. |