My Garden

fruit glut

Last post 02-09-2005 8:41 AM by ken69. 9 replies.

• 31/08/2005 11:06 AM
  ken69 Location: Norfolk UK Joined on: 23 Nov 2004 Posts: 405	Reply | Contact Good in a way, but what can I do with a surplus of Victoria Plums and Desert Laxton Fortune apples.Freezer full, got in a muddle preserving the plums, (they started to ferment)so made it into wine.Am going into the economics of buying another freezer, the present fridge/freezer (half and half) costs £20 a year to run.Has anyone gone into this sort of thing ? Discussion welcome.

• 31/08/2005 11:13 AM	In reply to
  miranda Location: Oxfordshire Joined on: 17 Nov 2004 Posts: 2,971	Reply | Contact Hello Ken, we had too many apples for the freezer and have dried them, cut into rings. Don't think they'll last long, they're strangely addictive. We dried some in a dehumidifier and the rest we cut into rings and strung on bamboo poles, which are hung in the airing cupboard - it reeks.

• 31/08/2005 04:25 PM

  In reply to

  ken69 Location: Norfolk UK Joined on: 23 Nov 2004 Posts: 405

  Reply | Contact Yes Miranda..have heard about de-humidifiers, probably a better bet than another freezer. Am presently making a solar oven that might to the same job, sun permitting.A box inside a box with heavy insulation bottom and sides, plus foil glued on the inside to reflect heat.A piece of sheet steel in the bottom painted matt black, and a reflector flap.Plus a plastic top.(got it off a downsizer site) Maybe wooden skewers holding the apple rings. Plums would become prunes??. At least a de-hum wouldn't be on all the time, so can see a gain there.

• 31/08/2005 04:42 PM	In reply to
  miranda Location: Oxfordshire Joined on: 17 Nov 2004 Posts: 2,971	Reply | Contact That sounds very interesting, Ken. We've looked at various designs of solar oven and have wondered about trying one ourselves. I'd be interested to hear how you get on with yours.

• 01/09/2005 01:13 PM	In reply to
  ken69 Location: Norfolk UK Joined on: 23 Nov 2004 Posts: 405	Reply | Contact Solar oven design is on Selfsuffintish..type in solar oven/this site..he is talking of boiling taters in two hours...see tho commercial ones for sale. I got it wrong..dehydrators not dehumidifiers.

• 01/09/2005 02:26 PM	In reply to
  miranda Location: Oxfordshire Joined on: 17 Nov 2004 Posts: 2,971	Reply | Contact Of course - dehydrator not dehumidifier (sigh...). Got a url for that site, Ken?

• 01/09/2005 03:43 PM	In reply to
  ken69 Location: Norfolk UK Joined on: 23 Nov 2004 Posts: 405	Reply | Contact http://www.selfsufficientish.com/............and looking into dehydrators...something cheap..did I tell you I don't have a cooker, otherwise could use the oven.

• 01/09/2005 03:45 PM	In reply to
  ken69 Location: Norfolk UK Joined on: 23 Nov 2004 Posts: 405	Reply | Contact ................with door open, so as not to cook 'em.

• 01/09/2005 08:00 PM	In reply to
  miranda Location: Oxfordshire Joined on: 17 Nov 2004 Posts: 2,971	Reply | Contact Thanks for the url Ken. It looks great, just my kind of thing actually :-) We use a Stockli dehydrator, which does the job. It wasn't cheap but it's useful. You don't have a cooker? Really? Why not?

• 02/09/2005 08:41 AM	In reply to
  ken69 Location: Norfolk UK Joined on: 23 Nov 2004 Posts: 405	Reply | Contact Never bothered to replace the cooker, prefer seperate auto cut off appliances. Rely heavily on the slow cooker in the winter and microwave and steamer otherwise.Your dehydrator is the most 'optional' I've seen yet. With or without a timer, and additional trays if needed.From £89.Most seem from £125.