I HATE IT when that happens... LMAO

I HATE IT when that happens... LMAO

After they are done, chocolate cake is going in for the meet.

Mmmmm strawberries and chocolate cake 🙂

Howdy folks

I am new here and this topic really caught my eye. I am always on the net trying to learn new stuff
I have an idea that may help you preserve food with no electricity and with the cost of power now a days
Try typing in DIY SOLAR DEHYDRATER in to your browser (also good ideas for diy solar furnace)
Hope this little tip helps some one out there
Hobo

Hello Hobo welcome to the group.

At the moment I am working on designing a folding solar dehydrator. I got some free 1" x 1" wood to use to hold shelves. I have some "butter board" ready to go for the box, screening for the trays and glass for the top. What I need now is the time to figure out the build and to actually build it. 🙂

I agree it's a great idea.

Hello Hobo welcome to the group.

At the moment I am working on designing a folding solar dehydrator. I got some free 1" x 1" wood to use to hold shelves. I have some "butter board" ready to go for the box, screening for the trays and glass for the top. What I need now is the time to figure out the build and to actually build it. 🙂

I agree it's a great idea.

I built one useing a seperate heat source and had a 12 volt fan run off a solar cell to cerculate the heat
Run it off my solar furnace for heat, heat is attached at the bottom of the dehydrator in my case a old fridge with up to 15 shelves

Wow Hobo. Could you post a few pictures? It sounds like you have done an outstanding job of it.

So Hobo as I understand it you need to dry heat the air without actually cooking the product. You may be needing a tall column angled with a glass front over black screen so that the UV doesn’t destroy all the vitamins looking almost like a 30/60 angle. I can see what you might need but cant really describe it properly. I can draw it out though, incorporating a positive air flow and a possible humidity trap at bottom. I'm a mechanical designer by trade and trait.
Any who, good luck, I will be showing how to make a solar oven at the 2 June meet.

I will be showing how to make a solar oven at the 2 June meet.

Please, please, please - I really, really, really want to see the step by step photo's of this project - not a techie but soooo interested in being able to make my own (really cheaply). And I hope you don't all get rained out at the meet!

I know this has nothing to do with dehydrating but I am new at this and don't know where to ask this question. Does anyone know the shelf life of package stuff such as barley, pasta and navy beans?

I know this has nothing to do with dehydrating but I am new at this and don't know where to ask this question. Does anyone know the shelf life of package stuff such as barley, pasta and navy beans?

It's a two part answer. It really depends on how the food is stored. Grouchyprepper will be bringing samples to the meet of various storage methods.

So Hobo as I understand it you need to dry heat the air without actually cooking the product. You may be needing a tall column angled with a glass front over black screen so that the UV doesn’t destroy all the vitamins looking almost like a 30/60 angle. I can see what you might need but cant really describe it properly. I can draw it out though, incorporating a positive air flow and a possible humidity trap at bottom. I'm a mechanical designer by trade and trait.
Any who, good luck, I will be showing how to make a solar oven at the 2 June meet.

Would be interested in talkin at the meet about humidity trap
Fridge door intact and its more about the circulation of the air as apposed to (cooking) heat. Actually works like covection heat
Door is original fridge door and proped open so air can circulate hot air in at bottom out as it works its way up
Workin on the kinks
Thanks for the idea's will try useing solar oven for heat source the solar furnace may be to much heat

Even a solar oven is too hot and too small. You want airflow more than just heat. What you want is a solar hot air heater with the outlet piped in to a dehydrating box.
Good pic here
http://www.saveourskills.com/building-a-solar-dehydrator

I just found this I don't know if anyone else has seen it. My brother is going to try and build one for me. http://naturewitch.blogspot.ca/2008/10/solar-food-dehydrator.html

I just found this I don't know if anyone else has seen it. My brother is going to try and build one for me. http://naturewitch.blogspot.ca/2008/10/solar-food-dehydrator.html

I really like this one. Thanks for the link.

This has been stuck in my mind and I've been scouting out materials.
I was in Canadian Tire today and found some grilling racks. Very small mesh, not stainless but chromed steel 11" x 15" and fairly sturdy. $5 each. I would build a tall wooden box with slats to hold many of these racks(maybe 20?) with a chimney at the top and pipe heat from a solar collector in the bottom. Have a large adjustable air inlet at the bottom of the collector for plenty of airflow and to regulate temperature.