This article provides instructions to build a solar fruit and herb dehydrator Welcome to Shebang, your free information site.
Build a Fruit Dehydrator on Casters
This simple fruit dehydrator project only requires a few materials.
This mobile dehydrator can easily be pushed, or pulled around with no
strain to the back.
A used filing cabinet makes good dehydrator, and only require a little modification,
to turn them into a dehydrator. Check at the local dump, secondhand stores,
and the newspapers, for used filing cabinets. The one shown in this project was out near
the road with a free sign on it, the people were moving and didn't want to take it along.
Building Instructions
Cut out the bottom of the filing cabinet drawers,
leave a one inch lip for the trays to sit on.
Clean up ragged edges with a file or angle grinder.
Cut a hole 10-1/2 inch by 7 inch hole
near the bottom on the back side, to allow air to enter.
Drill a 7/16 inch hole on all four corners to start the cuts.
Place a louvered grill, 13 inches by 8-1/2 inches over the hole.
Place screen behind the grill to keep out insects.
There is no need for a vent near the top of the cabinet,
as there is enough space around the drawers to exit moisture.
If the dehydrator needs to be moved, build a trolley to move it about.
For this project a set of bed irons with casters was found at the free shed at the dump.
Fabrication and welding was required.
Build drying trays to fit inside the drawers to hold fruit for drying.
Trays for a legal size filing cabinet is 13-3/4 inches by 14-3/4,
Make the frame from 3/4 by 3-1/2 inch material.
Drill finger holes, 1 inch from top, 3 inches from ends, drill 5/8 inch, 1/2 inch deep
Cover the bottom with nylon screen and staple into place.
Do not use galvanized metal screen as it has lead in the metal.
After stapling, nail wood rails (3/4 by 1/4 inch thick) on each bottom side to keep
the tray nylon, away from the metal, and provide for some air movement around the tray.
Tip
Paint the cabinet flat black for better heating.
If the cabinet gets too hot, open the top drawer slightly.
To dehydrate fruit, cut the fruit into small equal sized slices, spread the fruit evenly over the surface of the nylon screen.
Do not pile the fruit.
The dehydrated action concentrates the natural sugars, which gives the fruit extra flavor and sweetness.
Choose the fruit to hydrate, do not use overripe or bruised fruit. Wash all fruit before dehydrating.
Fruit to dehydrate
Bananas, Apples, pineapples, peaches, cherries, mangos, blueberries, plums, and strawberries.
Herbs and vegetables dehydrate well also.
History of Dehydrating Food
Dehydrating food is one of the oldest ways to preserve food. In the Middle Eastern region of the world, grapes, dates and figs fell naturally onto hot sand and dehydrated naturally. The people of that time took note and started dehydrating other foods. Soon seeds, corn, apples, berries, roots, meat, and fish was dehydrated. They spread these foods out on the ground, using the heat of the sun to dehydrate. In 1795, the French invented the first mechanized dehydrator. Dried food keeps well because of the low moisture content. Molds, yeasts, bacteria, and enzymes that caused food spoilage, require moisture to grow.
Feel free to click the +1 button if you found this helpful.
