Homemade dryer for vegetables and fruits - assembly procedure

A homemade dryer for vegetables and fruits made from standard purchased parts will be no worse than an industrial one.

Homemade drying chamber

Before you start making a dryer for vegetables and fruits, familiarize yourself with the main requirements for drying. You can dry any fruits, vegetables and fruits that contain moisture:

• berries;
• mushrooms;
• apples;
• fish.

The drying principle is simple and long known. Under the influence of temperature, moisture is removed from apples, vegetables, berries and fruits. Therefore, a constant temperature of 50 to 60°C must be maintained in the dryer body while moisture is removed. For juicy fruits, a drying mode of one hour at a temperature of 60°C and subsequent hours from 50 to 55°C is provided. We'll look at how to make an electric dryer in this article.

Assembly options for solar dehydrators

Solar dehydrators are dryers that use solar energy to operate. They are good for drying herbs, fruits or vegetables, even fish. Such designs are more economical, however, they can be used effectively only in hot sunny weather. You can make a very simple design in the form of an ordinary box, or you can make a more “advanced” device equipped with additional equipment.

Simple solar dryer

To make a simple solar dryer for your summer cottage you will need a minimum of materials, tools and time. The assembly of the housing is carried out using a method similar to the manufacture of a dehydrator in the form of a homemade cabinet. The exception is that there is no need to make holes for fans and in the dryer door.

Small slots for ventilation are made in the upper and lower walls of the structure and are equipped with mosquito nets. Another difference is that the bottom surface must be longer than the top, thus achieving an angular position for the door. The drying box must be placed on a stand made of wooden blocks, made like a stool.

The box door must be made of transparent material: glass, plastic, plastic film. It is mounted to the top like a frame.

The box contains slats for baking sheets. Their number is determined by the size of the manufactured box. You should not leave a small distance between the pallets - this has a bad effect on the circulation of air masses.

In the end, all that remains is to select or make suitable pallets. After which you can place the homemade dehydrator in a well-lit place.

Device with collector

A solar dryer with a collector is a more labor-intensive version of the product. The drying box is designed almost the same as a simple dryer. But there are a number of significant differences. This dehydrator consists of 2 parts: an air heating zone (collector) and a food drying zone. The front of both areas should be covered with transparent material.

Holes should be made at the bottom of the heating zone for free air flow. An aluminum plate painted black should be installed on the inner wall of the collector. Air passing along this plate will heat up and flow through an additional hole into the lower part of the drying zone. As it rises, it picks up moisture and exits through the exhaust pipe to the outside.

For a dryer with a collector to work effectively, it must be moved so that the collector is constantly facing the sun. To avoid this, you can improve the dehydrator with additional collector devices on each side.

Modification with fan and thermostat

To make a solar dryer with a fan and thermostat, you should prepare the following materials:

• glass or plastic;
• plywood;
• corners, bars, slats;
• wheels with a diameter of 40-80 mm (for ease of moving the unit);
• aluminum sheet;
• small fan (diameter 120 mm, 12 V);
• thermostat;
• voltage stabilizer with KR142EN8B microcircuit;
• 12 V solar battery;
• mosquito net.

For ease of assembly, you should be guided by the drawing indicating the dimensions of the product parts, which is presented below.

The first step is to assemble the body of the product from beams and plywood and seal it. Then, wheels are mounted on the bottom of the dryer. With their help, the product will easily turn towards the sun. The back door of the dryer is made of transparent material (glass or plastic).

If you follow the dimensions suggested in the drawing, then 7 pallets can be installed in this dryer at a distance of 7 cm from each other. For this purpose, wooden slats are mounted in the body. It is appropriate to make pallets for such a design from mesh material and support slats.

A black painted aluminum sheet is installed on the manifold. A fan is mounted in the upper part of the box and, in accordance with the diagram, an electrical circuit is assembled from a fan, a solar battery, a voltage stabilizer and a thermostat.

When connecting the elements of the electrical circuit, you should be guided by the diagram below.

To increase the performance of the assembled solar-powered dehydrator, it must be placed so that the collector and battery are facing the sun's rays.

Solar dryer with fan and thermostat

To create a working automated model 1 m long, 0.6 m high and 0.53 m wide, you will need the following materials:

• glass;
• wooden blocks and slats;
• plywood;
• metal corners;
• aluminum sheet;
• fan with a diameter of 120 mm with a voltage of 12 V;
• mosquito net;
• thermostat (for example, W1209), consisting of a temperature controller and a thermostat;
• voltage stabilizer with KR142EN8B microcircuit;
• solar battery producing a voltage of 12 V;
• metal mesh for pallets.

It is recommended to use thermostats equipped with two temperature sensors to control the temperature at the top and bottom of the box.

The device diagram is shown in the photograph below.

The algorithm for manufacturing the structure is as follows.

1. According to the diagram above, a frame is assembled from beams and plywood, connecting individual elements with self-tapping screws and metal corners.
2. The made body is sealed.
3. Wheels (40-100 mm in diameter) are attached to the bottom to make it convenient to turn the structure in the direction of the sun.
4. The back door is made of glass so that you can place food and also monitor the drying process.
5. Install seven shelves every 7 cm.
6. Shelves are made from mosquito or steel mesh and slats.
7. An aluminum sheet is laid on the collector panel, pre-painted with black heat-resistant paint.
8. Mount the fan on top.
9. Assemble an electrical circuit by connecting the stabilizer, solar battery, thermostat and fan, as shown in the diagram below.
10. Set the controller to the required operating temperature.

The door must close tightly to prevent insects from getting inside.

A stabilizer is needed to maintain a constant voltage at the fan contacts of 12 V. Further improvement of the created design is possible by adjusting the fan speed. It is recommended to rotate the device so that the collector and battery are constantly illuminated by sunlight.

Types of fruit dryers

Currently, the consumer can independently produce three types of dryers:

• electrical;
• infrared;
• devices “powered” by the sun.

In the first device, moisture from the fruit will evaporate by exposure to hot air, which will be forcibly heated by the built-in fan. Such devices delight with efficiency, reliability and long service life.

Infrared models' drying method resembles a process involving sunlight. Only the role of the source will be performed by a special heater that transfers thermal energy to the products. Moisture will be removed from the fruits, and they will retain their color and presentable appearance.

Solar dryers are devices in which fruits are dried using a natural method under the influence of sunlight.

How does it work

An electric or infrared drying cabinet operates on the principle of removing moisture from products using a stream of warm air or special rays that penetrate 10 mm deep into the fruit. At the same time, the products change their appearance, almost without losing their quality composition. Some of the vitamins are lost, especially when treated with infrared rays, but in general, such dried fruits can be stored and consumed for a long time. Convection currents prevent the development of mold.

Useful tips

• Vegetables and fruits should be cut into small and not very thick pieces.
• If you are using a fan dryer, you do not need to turn on the air flow right away. It is necessary that the slices lie in the dryer for 2-3 days.
• Temperature is the main criterion for the correct drying process. 40-50C is the optimal temperature at which the maximum vitamins and nutrients will remain in dried products. Therefore, some summer residents cover the internal surfaces of the dryer with thermal insulation material. This is especially true if the device is made from an old refrigerator.
• Shelves should only be mesh. It’s just that air must constantly circulate in the internal space.

As you can see, making a dryer for drying vegetables and fruits with your own hands is not so difficult. Mostly used building materials are used, so production costs are low.

Thermal insulation of the drying cabinet

The inside of the entire cabinet and the door itself are covered with reflective foil material.

For example, this type is used for sauna cladding. It can withstand high temperatures and is absolutely harmless when heated to no more than 45C.

Attach it to staples from a construction stapler, or better yet, to self-tapping screws with a wide head.

Without this reflector, heat will be quickly transferred to the wooden walls. Firstly, it will delay the whole process. And secondly, if you used chipboard or fiberboard when assembling the frame, they will heat up, which will ultimately lead to food poisoning.

Also, do not line the walls with mirrored sheet metal.

Tin is primarily a metal. It will heat up and transfer all the heat to the wooden body. The thermal efficiency of such a dryer will drop sharply.

And from such heating, the body will gradually deform and wide cracks will form.

Assembling an infrared dryer

An infrared dryer is suitable for mushrooms, vegetables, nuts and fruits. It’s quite easy to make it yourself. To do this you will need the following materials:

• iron wire with a diameter of 5 to 8 mm;
• a cardboard box, for example, from a vacuum cleaner;
• aluminium foil;
• metal mesh;
• light bulb socket;
• awl;
• screwdriver;
• self-tapping screws;
• socket for a regular light bulb with fasteners;
• thermometer;
• infrared lamp;
• aluminum tape or glue.

The installation is created in the following sequence.

The insides of the box are covered with aluminum foil using tape or glue. Shelves are made from mesh according to the size of the box. On any wall near the bottom, make a hole for the supply wire and secure the cartridge with self-tapping screws. Screw in the infrared bulb. A thermometer is attached to any sidewall. Cut the wire into pieces that are approximately 5 mm longer than the width of the box. Punch holes in the sides for the rods for the shelving. They insert a wire into them and seal its protruding ends with tape on the outside. Stack the shelves.

As a result, after all the manipulations, you will get an installation similar to that shown in the photo below.

The lid can be the side parts of the box, or it can be made separately from the same cardboard. If you want to automate the design, you should use a temperature sensor. Under his control, the light will turn on automatically.

Also in the created design you can use an incandescent lamp (its sufficient power is 60 W) or a heating film used to create heated floors. In the latter case, at home, a piece of 50 by 100 cm with a power of 110 W is sufficient. In general, the length of the fragment is selected based on the box used.

When using film you will also need:

• insulation, for example, bitumen, used to create heated floors;
• a set consisting of 2 clamps, two eyelets and the same number of terminal rings, which is intended for connecting power to the film.

PVC tape is laid on top of the bitumen insulation. To connect the film, you will need to solder wires and contacts.

This dryer allows you to reach temperatures of almost 60 degrees. It can be rolled up and placed on the bottom of a box made using the previously indicated method.

How to connect infrared heating film

The main headache for many is connecting such a film to wires with a plug. For this you will need a soldering iron.

In fact, there is nothing complicated here. Everything is done literally one, two, three times.

To avoid burning the material, manufacturers recommend using a soldering iron with a power of no more than 60W.

First

Use a soldering iron to heat it up and remove the insulation from the side of the copper conductive strip.

The phase wire is connected on one side, and the neutral wire on the other.

Second

Drip tin onto this place.

Third

Press the tinned copper conductor onto the prepared surface and solder the contact.

That's all. Be sure to insulate the soldering areas with pieces of adhesive tape so that there are no exposed conductive parts left anywhere.

If even such a simple connection does not suit you (you don’t have a soldering iron and that’s it), then ask the store for special terminals.

Their price really bites, and the contact turns out to be less reliable. Therefore, soldering in this case is considered the best option.

General device design

It should be noted that today gardeners use three types of dryers, which are based on different drying principles.

• Using air flow movement. In principle, the structure of this device is a box, inside of which grids are laid one above the other, and chopped fruits or vegetables are placed on them. One or two holes are made on the side of the box into which fans are inserted. With their help, airflow occurs.
• Using the sun. This is a chamber in the form of a box, installed at an angle so that the sun's rays always fall on the pallets where fruits and vegetables are placed. The front part of the device is often covered with glass or mesh. Experts recommend not using a metal body in this type of dryer. It becomes very hot under the influence of sunlight and begins to emit a lot of thermal energy, which negatively affects the quality of dried fruits.
• Dryer with infrared heating element. In principle, this is all the same as the solar variety. Only instead of sun rays (free), ultraviolet rays are used here, which are emitted, for example, by a special film connected to a transformer. A very effective design that dries quickly and efficiently. But of all those described above, it is the most expensive. True, one of the advantages is the fact that the design of the dryer itself can be simplified to a minimum. There is no need for a drawer or chamber, you just need to install mesh shelves and direct the UV rays from the heating element onto them.

Use of air flow movement for drying

Connecting wires

After assembling the structure, solder the wires to the film, as discussed above, and lead them out through the holes in the side leg.

There, on the side, in order to hide all the wires out of sight, screw the cable channel.

And at the bottom you mount a switch to turn the dryer on and off. For power up to 2 kW, models with a rated current of 10 A are suitable.

You will have several conductors. Twice as many shelves. In our version there are five. Five on one side of the leg (phase), five on the other (zero).

To connect them together and output them with one cable, use a junction box.

Using two Wago clamps for six terminals, connect everything to one point (zero on one side, phase on the other) and connect one two-core 220V power cable here.

Roughly speaking, all the wires from the film on the right side are twisted into one wire. And all the wires from the left to the other. The result is two wires or two twists. It is to them that you need to connect a two-wire power cable with a plug.

Be sure to plug the plug into an outlet that is protected by an RCD or a circuit breaker!

When drying, it is recommended not to place pieces of fruits and vegetables directly on the film.

This film is made from the thermoplastic polymer PET (polyethylene terephthalate). And it can be food or non-food. In heated floors, as you understand, the second option is used.

Therefore, as mentioned above, be sure to cover the surface with baking paper. It also helps dry foods with a high juice content (berries).

Firstly, you will not have any direct contact with anything. Secondly, you will forever forget what sticking and cleaning the film from sweet spots means.

What can you cook with a dehydrator?

Dried fruits. Do you like prunes, dried apricots, dried berries and pieces of fruit? A dehydrator is what you need! Homemade dried fruits are more natural, healthy and economical compared to store-bought ones (expensive and unknown how they are prepared).

Paste. The taste of fruit and berry marshmallows from the store is incomparable to the taste of homemade natural marshmallows prepared with your own hands. Treat yourself and your family with a simple, but tasty and healthy treat!

Eco-chips. With the help of a dehydrator, you can enjoy the only chips in the world that will bring nothing but goodness! Banana, orange, strawberry and any other fruit slices of your choice.

Raw food breads, kozinaki, sweets, cookies and cakes.

Healthy snacks are a reality! Of course, if you have a dehydrator at home. With it you can dry not only fruits and vegetables - even sweets such as candies, cookies and kozinaki can be easily obtained in a raw food version.

Crusts for raw food pizza, cake or pie.

To make pizza or pie, you don't have to bake the dough. You can dry it in a dehydrator at temperatures up to 40°C and get the basis for a raw food pizza or pie - all you have to do is put the filling on it according to your taste.

Fermentation of yoghurt and soy cheese.

With removable trays, the Dream Vitamin dehydrator can accommodate large jars of yogurt or soy cheese to speed up their fermentation.

Herbal preparations for storage.

A dehydrator is an ideal device for preparing herbs for tea or infusions. Fireweed, mint, lemon balm, lavender, chamomile and many other aromatic and healthy plants will be carefully dried and will retain their benefits and natural taste for you. And to make drying herbs even more convenient, the Dream Vitamin kit includes 9 sheets for bulk products.

Drying papier-mâché and other crafts made from plaster, dough or clay.

The dehydrator will be useful not only for lovers of tasty snacks, but also for handicrafts: with its help you can dry crafts made from clay, plaster, dough and papier-mâché.

A dehydrator is an indispensable technique in the arsenal of a raw foodist and anyone who cares about their health and strives to eat healthy. With a homemade dehydrator for fruits and vegetables, you will enjoy delicious and healthy delicacies: raw food breads and kozinaki, dried fruits, marshmallows, eco-fruit chips. The main features of dishes prepared in a dehydrator are natural taste, benefits, simplicity and economy.

As the most optimal model in terms of price/quality ratio, we recommend the Dream Vitamin DDV-10 horizontal dehydrator from RawMid.

This model can dry food at temperatures up to 40°C, has a built-in timer, and 10 removable steel trays. The device comes with 9 pallets for marshmallows and 9 grids for bulk products.

With this dehydrator, preparing your favorite dishes will be a pleasure!

Solar dehydrator with collector

A more complex version of the solar dryer (shown in the photo below) consists of two sections:

• air heating zone consisting of a collector;
• drying zones where products are placed.

The front parts of both zones are covered with transparent material, for example, glass, polycarbonate.

The collector is a box, the bottom of which is covered with a thin sheet of metal painted black. A heat insulator (mineral wool or sawdust) is placed under it to minimize heat loss. Air enters the heating zone through the ventilation holes. Then it goes up through the food shelves and out.

For the device to work effectively, it must be constantly kept with the collector directed towards the sun. If the collectors are installed on three sides, then there is no need for rotation, and such a drying unit will work all day. All cracks are sealed with sealant.

How to make an electric fruit dryer with your own hands

A device operating from an electrical network has a number of characteristic features. The operating mode is as follows: moisture is removed by means of heated air masses penetrating 1 cm inside the fruit. At the same time, the fruit retains all its qualities and vitamins, which is why it will be stored for a long time. But before manufacturing such a unit, you will need to prepare tools and understand its structure.

Electric dryer device

Structurally presented devices have a body where shelves for fruits are located. Each shelf holds approximately 1 kg of food. In addition, the unit has a heating element. The top of the device is covered with a lid with slots. It ensures unhindered air movement inside the device.

What you need for work

Electric apparatus for drying fruits consist of the following parts:

• body (plywood sheets measuring 60 by 80 cm or an old refrigerator);
• mesh made of metal;
• shelves for arranging vegetables and fruits;
• a fan with a motor or two incandescent lamps with a power rating of 150 W;
• screws for fastening.

Accordingly, to make our own drying unit we will need the presented parts.

Making a Dryer: A Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1. If using sheets of plywood, the first step will be to connect them. And when preference is given to the refrigerator, you need to remove the compressor, freezer and remove the glass wool.

Step 2. You need to make holes at the top and bottom of the dryer for unhindered air movement.

Step 3. Make the bottom. The role of the bottom can be assigned to a grid with small cells. A grill grate can also fulfill this role.

Step 4. The interior of the dryer should be lined with insulating materials.

Step 5. Then slats are attached inside to arrange the pallets. They can be made from wooden beams or mosquito net edging.

Step 6. At the last stage, install the fan on the case and check the functionality of the device.

General structure of the dryer

The principle of operation of the dryer is the effect of increased air flow on crushed fruits.
As a result, metabolic processes in the fruits are activated, moisture leaves, and they dry out faster. There are three types of dryers, each of which has its own device. The design of a standard dryer consists of 4 main parts:

• fan;
• housings;
• tray for fruits and vegetables;
• electric motor.

The operation of a solar dryer is based on the penetration of rays through a transparent material and heating of a sheet mounted on the back wall. This contributes to an increase in the temperature inside the device, when the indicator can reach 50°C. Fruits and vegetables dry out when exposed to such conditions. Thanks to good ventilation, moisture is removed outside, which prevents the formation of mold on the fruit. A cold air flow penetrates from the bottom side of the structure, heats it up in the body and exits through the top hole.

This dryer consists of:

• wooden case;
• trays for crushed fruits;
• transparent polycarbonate cover.

The infrared dryer is a multifunctional, convenient device. It can be rolled up. This will make storing the device much easier. If necessary, it can also be easily transported. The potential of such a device is 58°C, which allows you to obtain high-quality dried fruits. This device will also successfully cope with the function of a heater.

The structural elements of such a dryer are as follows:

• infrared film;
• case from a box;
• transformer;
• wiring.

There may be doubts about the feasibility of making a dryer. After all, if the fruits are placed in an ordinary attic, after a certain period of time they will reach the required state. This option does not require effort or financial investment. But it also has a drawback. Vegetables and fruits in this case will attract insects. It is impossible to prevent this situation from occurring, since constant contact with air is necessary for the fruit to dry completely. Accordingly, they cannot be placed in sealed packaging.

Of course, you can treat fruits with a special compound so that insects lose interest in them. But the taste properties of the fruit change. In addition, after such processing, fruits retain chemical components in their structure, and they can no longer be called completely safe.

Important! A dryer is the most acceptable way to stockpile supplies to enrich your diet with vitamins for the winter.

Do-it-yourself dehydrator for meat and fish

A dryer for meat and fish can be easily made from a plastic container. For this you will need:

• fan;
• plastic container equipped with a lid;
• steel rods with a cross section of 5 mm or studs with threads, washers and nuts;
• pipe cut or coupling.

The entire process of making a dehydrator for drying fish, meat and drying other products from a plastic container is demonstrated in the video:

It’s easy to assemble a dehydrator for fish, meat, vegetables, fruits and other products from scrap materials: plywood, boxes, a refrigerator. Various working old fans are suitable for blowing. In each case, you will, of course, need to think over a way to secure them, but the economic costs will be reduced. In small installations, you can use a fan from a computer, having previously provided the required supply voltage. If you automate the dryer, then in terms of functionality it will be able to compete with factory analogues. When drying meat and fish, it is imperative to prevent flies from entering the interior of the installation so that they do not spoil the products.

Advantages and disadvantages of such a dryer

Each type of dryer presented has its strengths and weaknesses. Simple designs require constant attention and participation from users. At night or in inclement weather, the pallets are moved indoors. The product has to be constantly mixed by hand, and the degree of its readiness is determined “by eye” or “by tooth”.

But any improvement of the product will provide the same functionality as industrial designs. In closed-type dryers with forced air flow and heating, barometers are installed to indicate the temperature and humidity inside the drying chamber.

Some craftsmen use homemade vibrators, for example, from old washing machine drain pumps. This device allows you to shake the contents of the pallets from time to time, mixing it. An indispensable condition is the presence in the design of a cable or cord that connects all the pallets with the vibrator.

If we take into account the positive aspects of self-made designs, the percentage of quality dominance will be significantly higher than that of factory-made dryers.

How to prepare boxes

Place a fan heater in the lowest row so that the warm air moves upward. To do this, a hole is cut in the box with a diameter slightly smaller than the fan. It is necessary that it fits tightly in the hole made.

The resulting structure must be installed on the same box. This must be done so that the wire does not get pinched (it will be located freely in the lowest drawer), and there will be constant air access to the fan heater. You need to install another one on the box with the fan, and make holes in it for access to the power and temperature regulators.

heating element or heater

What causes the temperature to rise, where does it come from and how does the heating occur? Everything is very simple - a floor-mounted wind blower room heater is used as a heating element and a fan at the same time.

Try not to use open heating elements for this. Firstly, it is a fire hazard. And secondly, you will have a problem installing them on the wooden base of the box while maintaining the permissible distances.

You'll have to think hard about what to lay them on or how to secure them. For example, someone “figured out” to put asbestos under the tile heating element.

Once again - ASBESTOS! In the fruit drying box! Don't ever do this.

There are no problems with the wind blower. Just place it on the bottom of the cabinet, and on the back wall to allow fresh air to flow in, use a jigsaw to cut a hole the size of the fan.

Expert recommendations

Using three strips of thin steel, the gables should be made. At the bottom of each strip it is necessary to make longitudinal bends that will not allow rain to penetrate inside. Such useful homemade products necessarily include a roof, which is made of two sheets of polycarbonate. The principle of operation of the device is ventilation; for this, a box should be installed. Air will penetrate through the mesh pan, removing moisture. Through the roof, where there are gable and side gaps, excess moisture will evaporate. To increase the intensity of traction, the back wall should be covered with black film.

How to make an infrared fruit dryer yourself

An infrared dryer is an alternative to electrical devices. They are quite similar in their method of operation. And fortunately, any consumer can make the presented device with his own hands at home. This does not require any special knowledge or skills. All you need to do is follow the instructions below.

What does an infrared dryer consist of?

The design of these devices includes a cable with a switch and plug, a 100 by 50 cm film intended for heated floors, as well as 2 terminals, a similar number of eyelets and clamps. Everything is extremely simple.

Required tools and materials

The materials described in the previous paragraph will definitely be needed to make your own dryer. But besides them, we need to prepare several tools to successfully complete the work, namely:

• soldering iron;
• bitumen and PVC insulation;
• metal block.

Step-by-step production of an infrared dryer

The process will not take much time and you will only need to follow a few simple steps.

Step 1. Support corners and walls must be trimmed so as to prevent their contact with the heater.

Step 2. Three bases for IR element holders should be cut out of cardboard.

Step 3. To direct the radiation to vegetables and fruits, you will need to use foil, which will serve as a reflector.

Step 4. At this stage, we cover the inside of the case with foil and connect the heaters to the transformer.

Step 5. Afterwards, you should assemble the entire system and check the device for functionality.

What types of dryers are there?

There can be many reasons for making your own dryers of different volumes and power for vegetables and fruits: you are not satisfied with the performance, high price, high energy intensity, and others.

There are three options for making do-it-yourself dryers for vegetables, fish or fruits:

• electric;
• on wood;
• solar.

We will not consider other options for making homemade products, such as sublimation, UHF, infrared radiation, or using a vacuum due to the complexity of manufacturing.

Homemade drying cabinet

Of the three options presented above, only electric can operate in automatic mode.

Wood and solar require human presence and adjustment can only be made using slide valves to regulate the inflow and removal of air.

Let's look at making a dryer with a capacity of 50 to 100 kg of wet product weight at home, based on the fact that the home craftsman plans to sell some of the dried products.

Energy intensity

A factory dryer with automation for processing dried apricots consumes about 1.6 kWh of electricity per 5 kg of raw product and dries for 36 hours.

Based on the average data, a handyman should take into account that a homemade dryer for processing 50 kilograms of a raw apricot product will consume 16 kW of electricity, and for 100 kg 32 kW. Using simple mathematical operations, you can find out the future costs of preparing 1 kilogram of fruit.

For household consumers, a maximum power consumption of 3 kW/h is provided. Accordingly, 16 kW can be taken from the line in 3 hours, and 32 kW in 6 hours of continuous operation. But you won’t be able to dry foods with a high water content in 3 or 6 hours.

Conclusions: in domestic conditions, building a dryer with a capacity of more than 50 kg of dry product is not problematic if there are no restrictions on energy consumption. Accordingly, if someone decides to build a 100 kg dryer, he will have to increase the drying time by 1.5 times. And then 100 kilograms of raw product will have to be dried for 3-4 days with an increase in electricity consumption to 32 kW.

Do-it-yourself electric dryer for fruits and vegetables

To do this, you need to make an electric dryer body, buy a fan, a heating element, a temperature sensor (thermostat), a time relay, and two chimney draft regulators.

Fan

For our purposes, household smoke exhausters for boilers are best suited.

Smoke exhausters for domestic boilers

Their distinctive feature is that they can pass through air at temperatures up to 150°C without damaging the electric motor. An ordinary axial fan is not suitable for these purposes. It is not able to work at a temperature of 50°C for a long time. The diameter of smoke exhausters starts from 150 mm. An electric heating element with an open spiral must be placed in the pipe coming from the smoke exhauster.

Electric heating element for dryer

For maximum heat extraction, the heating element must have an open coil. The power is calculated based on the permissible rated power for the house and is equal to 3 kW minus the power of the smoke exhaust fan and household appliances. If this norm is exceeded, the automation will work and turn off the lights in the house.

Electric heater with open coil

When choosing an electric heater, consider its dimensions. It must fit into a pipe that is connected to a smoke exhauster or fan that supplies air to the drying chamber.

Smooth thermostat

Thermostats with smooth temperature control from 0 to 300°C are a standard part of all household electric furnaces. It must be connected in series to the electrical circuit with heating elements and a fan. When the required temperature is reached, it will automatically turn off the heating and fan.

Household thermostat

You can use a thermocouple from ovens.

Where to buy a thermostat? There are several purchasing options:

It is quite possible to purchase a thermostat at a flea market.

Time relay

In order to fully automate a homemade dryer, you need to buy an electronic two-channel time relay with weekly programming.

There are many options for designing and programming time relays and everyone can choose the right one for themselves.

By connecting a fan and heating element to the time relay, you can adjust its operation experimentally. To do this, you need to set the turn-on time of the heating element and fan.

Chimney draft regulator

Draft regulators are installed in stainless steel chimneys. This automatic device consists of a precisely fitted valve on an axle. To ensure that it is always closed or open, a small weight is installed on one side.

Install these two valves in the inlet and outlet openings of the dryer. When the fan is turned off, they will close the inlet and outlet of warm air under the weight of the load.

Traction regulator

The use of these valves will allow you to automate air intake and supply without the use of actuators and expensive controllers.

For particularly advanced handymen, we recommend purchasing a programmable controller. This equipment is more complex, but it allows you to automate all drying processes, connecting humidity sensors, temperature sensors, motors, gate valves and other actuators. They are widely used for lumber drying kilns.

Ventilation and release of moist air

Warm, moist air must escape somewhere from the cabinet during the heating process. To do this, a hole (d-100mm) is cut from the top and a plastic pipe is inserted there.

If you want to do without plastic and pipes, make not one, but three holes of a smaller diameter (35mm) around the perimeter.

It is only advisable not to leave all these holes open, but to install some kind of protective grille or mesh there to prevent flies and insects.

But still, as operating experience shows, with one hole in the form of a pipe it is possible to maintain a more stable temperature regime than with three.

All dampness, smell and steam will go outside through this hood. During the drying process, do not forget to swap the trays, because the bottom row dries much faster due to the close proximity of the fan heater.

With a large harvest, processing it with a relatively small factory dryer is a very non-trivial and tedious task. And with the help of such a large cabinet you will do it quickly and with pleasure.

How to assemble a structure

The required number of boxes are placed on the constructed structure. Each box is a drying container. If the cells at the bottom of the box are large, then you can cover the bottom with a mosquito net with medium cells. The assembled pyramid must be wrapped with stretch film - at least 7 layers for packaging film and at least 10 for food film. This ensures overall sealing of the structure. It is necessary to wrap all the boxes except the bottom one (which is intended for air flow).

After the process of sealing the dryer is completed, it is necessary to make sure that the boxes can be used individually. To do this, use scissors or a sharp knife to carefully cut the film at the junction of the boxes with each other. To keep the film tightly, it must be glued to the box along the bottom edge with adhesive tape.

The mode suitable for drying is set on the fan heater as follows: the temperature is set to the maximum, and the power of the device is set to the average value. In this mode, the fan heater will not overheat too much, and, accordingly, will not turn off spontaneously. The optimal temperature for drying is +40-45 degrees.

That's it, the dryer is ready for use. The drying process in such a device takes from 8 to 12 hours.

Drying chamber for meat and fish products

Protein products can also be dried in the dryer. This process is called drying. A dehydrator for meat and fish can be made from a plastic box with a lid of a suitable size. For manufacturing you need a fan, a piece of pipe or coupling, threaded rods, washers and nuts. There are a number of videos on how to make your own cabinet for drying meat products. A very simple assembly option is presented in the video below.

Making your own food dryer if you have the necessary components is a relatively easy process. There may be many more assembly options than discussed. It all depends on imagination and possibilities. Also, any homemade model can be automated so that the drying process causes as little trouble as possible and requires virtually no personal intervention.

What types of dryers for vegetables and fruits are there?

There are several main parameters by which dryers differ from each other:

Airflow type.

Dryers come with vertical and horizontal airflow. Vertical dryers have a round shape, the fan is located at the bottom and directs the air flow upward. Such dryers, as a rule, are cheaper, but have a number of significant disadvantages: uneven drying of products on different levels, less capacity, inconvenient rearrangement of trays, mixing of odors of products from different shelves. Horizontal dehydrators are a little more expensive, but are distinguished by uniform drying, greater capacity, and convenient rearrangement of trays. These dryer models have a rectangular shape; the fan is located on the back wall and evenly blows food on all shelves, so that odors do not mix.

Choose horizontal dehydrators - they are characterized by more uniform drying and ease of use.

Capacity.

Among horizontal dehydrators there are models with 6, 7, 10 and even 20 trays - for any needs. The most popular are dryers with 7 or 10 trays - this capacity is sufficient for home use even in large families or for drying crops. One of the most compact models is the Dream Vitamin DDV-07 dehydrator with 7 trays. And for large volumes of products, there are super-capacity dryers with 20 trays. A 10-tray dehydrator is the golden mean, which is suitable for almost any need - city residents, summer residents, gardeners, large families with children.

Materials.

When choosing a dehydrator, you should pay attention to the material of the trays. To protect products as much as possible from the absorption of toxic substances, we do not recommend models with trays made of ordinary plastic

Dryers with steel racks, such as the Dream Vitamin DDV-10, are preferable. If the durability of the case is an important factor for you, then you can choose a model with a stainless steel case, for example, Dream Pro.

Give preference to dehydrators with steel trays - they are safer and more durable.

Time and temperature settings.

Modern dryers for vegetables and fruits allow you to set the drying time, after which the device will turn off automatically

Another important function is setting the drying temperature. For raw foodists, models with the ability to set the temperature no higher than 40°C are suitable.

This function is provided, for example, in the Dream Vitamin dehydrator. This means that with it you can naturally preserve vegetables, fruits, berries, herbs, and mushrooms for many years, while preserving the nutrients of the food - vitamins, enzymes and microelements.

Plus, the Dream Vitamin control panel contains useful tips for drying different foods.

Vegetable dryers: design, application, main characteristics

Vegetable dryers: design, application, main characteristics

Dried fruits are a tasty, healthy and natural product that our ancestors used to get the required amount of vitamins throughout the winter. Even now, many women and girls are content with diets based on dried fruits. Both small children and men eat them (which is essentially the same thing).

It has been proven that dried vegetables and fruits increase immunity and improve intestinal function. If drying was carried out correctly, these products contain a lot of useful microelements: magnesium, calcium, iron, as well as, of course, pectin substances and fiber, which is so necessary for all of us, which cleanses the gastrointestinal tract, stimulates and enhances its activity. Dried fruits (and, accordingly, “dried vegetables”) are a very healthy food that helps with any digestive disorders. In addition, this is a very tasty and varied menu: from dates, prunes and dried apricots to tomatoes, plums, bananas and even mushrooms.

However, probably few people doubt the benefits of dried fruits. But can you trust what's on supermarket shelves? Is it possible to eat this without any doubt, or even give it to a child? How much does a kilogram of such delicious food cost now? In Moscow and St. Petersburg - at least several hundred rubles, even for the most ordinary dried apples. At the same time, the same fruits, only not yet dried, can be found in bulk for 30-50 rubles. The difference is very significant, considering that dried fruits can be stored indefinitely, so no matter what portion of “raw” fruits you buy, it will not go to waste.

So that the family can eat delicious dried fruits at any time of the year, prepare compote or some more delicious dish from them (marshmallow, glazed kiwi, banana dessert, etc.), housewives are starting to buy such a device as drying for vegetables. This is a relatively new unit on our market, so few people know about it. But just like the bread machine, which is gradually beginning to take its place in every apartment along with the microwave, and the multicooker, which is rapidly catching up with the bread machine, dryers seem to have a great future ahead: the units are really useful and necessary. With them you can not only dry anything that has at least some moisture - fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, flowers - but also prepare interesting dishes.

Today we’ll talk about what such a kitchen appliance is.

Vegetable drying design

A fruit and vegetable dehydrator is a kitchen appliance designed to remove moisture from food using hot air or infrared rays. Accordingly, there are two types of devices on the market.

Convective drying uses hot air. This is the simplest and most common product, various versions of which you can see in almost all the images in this article: these are the dryers that housewives buy for their kitchens. They are very inexpensive and provide a sufficient level of moisture removal.

The heart of such devices is a motor and two air heating elements, which are connected in series to prevent them from overheating. In addition, modern models of dryers have a built-in fan that drives air from bottom to top (in such devices, there is usually only one heating element: it still does not have time to heat up to dangerous temperatures). Also, the device usually has a simple thermostat that allows you to regulate and maintain the temperature of the heaters constant. Some advanced devices have electronic controls and a timer on which you can set the required drying time.

On top of this entire mechanical and electrical structure there are several levels of trays (“baking trays”, “pallets”, “strainers”) with a fine mesh, as well as a lid with a hole for the outlet of moist heated air. Pallets with vegetables and fruits are secured to each other quite tightly, so that the air from the heating elements can only go upward, passing through all levels, becoming saturated with moisture and exiting through the lid. If the volume of the device turns out to be too small, you can even buy additional pallets and install them higher than the previous ones - up to thirty to forty pieces in a row. This is an undoubted advantage of such convective units.

Other advantages have already been mentioned - low price, compactness, simplicity. Cons: Quite high energy consumption with a relatively long drying process: most products require at least 6-10 hours.

Infrared drying is a less common and more expensive option, which is mainly used in cafes and restaurants. To remove moisture from products, such a device uses infra-rays of a certain length, which are capable of penetrating into the product to a depth of 15 mm. These rays interact not with the tissue of the vegetable (as is the case with convective drying), but with its internal moisture, due to which the drying process proceeds faster and requires lower temperatures: only 40-60 °C is enough here. The preservation of vitamins is at the level of 80-90% versus 60-75% for conventional convective drying.

Since energy is supplied directly to the object of influence (that is, liquid), the efficiency of the infrared unit is also higher: up to 85% instead of 50-70% for a simple convective dryer, which dissipates some of the heat from the heating elements into the kitchen space. As a result, much less electricity is consumed - and this is the main advantage of such an infrared device for long-term use on an industrial scale. However, it is expensive and takes up a lot of space, so such products are not yet used in Russia in an ordinary apartment, so we will not consider them in the future.

Well, regarding convective dryers for vegetables, it is worth adding that for the manufacture of their trays, safe plastic is used, which is only a container and does not interact with the products. Drying food even in the cheapest product is quite safe.

Operation of convection drying for vegetables

Using the device is extremely simple: it’s still easier than using a multicooker, bread maker or marinator. Vegetables, fruits or mushrooms are cut into small pieces (usually into slices 5 mm wide, although this is not so important: only the amount of residual moisture and the drying duration will differ). The chopped ingredients are then placed on trays. You should not pre-grease the trays with oil or grease unless the recipe says otherwise. Ideally, after laying, the pieces of fruit or vegetables should lightly touch each other. If the ingredients are very small (herbs, for example), a special mesh is used to prevent them from falling through the holes in the tray.

After adding the ingredients, the device is connected to a regular network (220 V, 50 Hz). If you have just unpacked the dryer and have not yet worked with it, turn it on for a few minutes and make sure that the fan of the device is functioning: this can be determined both by sound and visually - if you do not put on the trays. If the fan malfunctions (this also happens), you are free to return the drying unit back to the store - and they will give you a new one or simply refund your money.

If the fan is working properly, the device’s power button is pressed (if there is one), the temperature required for this type of product is set and the timer is set (if it is present). For each type of product, the approximate cooking time has already been established: for example, for spinach it is 4-8 hours, and for eggplant - 8-10 hours. After this period has expired or when you see that the product has already dried enough, the device turns off. After some time, the finished dish can be removed from the trays.

By the way, “dish” is a fairly accurate definition, because in convective dryers you can not only squeeze the moisture out of vegetables, but also fully stew them, prepare chips, muesli, pancakes, and even make baked goods - like a fruit loaf or persimmon bread. We will share some recipes in the next article about dryers, dedicated specifically to cooking. Today, as you remember, we are deciding what kind of device this is and whether it is worth buying it for our kitchen.

Precautionary measures

Despite the fact that the device is simple and seems safe, we should not forget that it is both electricity and hot water vapor rising upward at high speed. Children should not be allowed near the dryer when it is in operation; water should not be poured into the device or exposed to moisture from the outside. When preparing pastille, it is better to fill it less, up to half the pan, so that the puree does not spill over the edge. After the device has finished its work, you should always unplug it from the outlet.

And, of course, carefully read the instructions for your unit. All additional information will be indicated there.

Caring for drying vegetables

Nothing complicated here either. The device has a minimum of parts, so there is nothing to break here, and practically no effort has to be spent on maintaining the device in optimal condition. Of course, after finishing work, it is recommended to wipe the convection dryer lid with a damp soft cloth (without using sharp objects or abrasive materials). Mesh inserts that trap small pieces of food should be filled with warm water and detergent, and then cleaned of residues with a brush. The same should be done from time to time with those trays that have holes. Solid plastic trays can simply be wiped with a cotton towel - or also rinsed in warm water.

The most careful handling is the base of the convection dryer: this is the only part that contains electronics and mechanisms. It, as well as the wire and plug, should never be immersed in water. Do not use abrasive materials or solvents. If anything gets dirty, just wipe it with a damp cloth.

In general, everything is as usual.

Drying characteristics for vegetables: what to look for when choosing

The devices are quite simple, so when choosing the best device for your needs, you need to pay attention to just a few points.

1. Number of pallets. Can range from one to fifteen. More or less standard household appliances have from three to eight (most often five). This parameter determines how much product you can prepare at a time. As a rule, this is from 3 to 11.5 liters. The best option to start with is 3-5 pallets.

2. Power. Conventional convection kitchen appliances range from 120 to 650 W. As a rule, the higher the power, the faster the fan blows air through the trays, the higher the temperature the heating elements can reach and the faster the ingredients dry out. However, a lot depends on the number and height of the pallets, as well as on the energy efficiency of the unit - which manufacturers, of course, do not indicate.

3. Temperature conditions. It's different here. Sometimes there are only three of them (“Low”, “Medium” and “High”), more often the device simply has a thermostat that allows you to precisely regulate the temperature. The minimum heating level is 30 °C, the maximum is unlimited: it can be 60 °C, 80 °C, or 95 °C. It is desirable that the device be capable of producing up to 70 °C: this will be enough to prepare any dish.

4. Dimensions. They are directly dependent on the number of pallets. The size of the stand for most dryers is approximately the same (diameter is around 20-30 cm). The devices weigh about 3-5 kg. However, this is hardly a defining characteristic.

5. Price. Here everything is also more or less equal: minimum - 1000, maximum - 2500 rubles, depending on the quality of materials, presentable appearance, final power and additional functions. There is also a “super dryer” VES VMD-2 for 3.8 thousand rubles (see on YouTube), but you should not buy it as your first device: the dimensions and loading volume are very large. To begin with, it is better to buy something that is not so bulky to make sure that such a device will find its place in your kitchen.

Most vegetable dryers are very similar to each other, so the fundamental difference lies only in the initial number of pallets and, in fact, the power of the unit. Of course, it would be nice if the device could automatically turn off when overheated and be equipped with a timer, but you can do without all these additional functions.

We have already said that with the help of dryers you can not only dry fruits and vegetables, but also cook. How exactly? We will talk about this in the next article.

Infrared dehydrator

A good dryer for herbs, nuts, mushrooms and fruits can be made using an infrared light bulb. For work you need the following materials and tools:

• wire with a diameter of 5-8 mm;
• small cardboard box;
• foil;
• metal grid;
• lamp holder with fasteners;
• thermometer;
• 60 W infrared lamp;
• screwdriver, knife and awl;
• screws, tape.

The inside of the box is covered with foil and mesh shelves are prepared according to its size. On one of the walls below, a hole is made for the wire and a socket with an infrared lamp is fixed there. A thermometer is attached to one of the inner walls of the box.

Mesh tray holders are made from pieces of wire. To do this, you need to pierce the walls of the box, thread pieces of wire and secure their ends with tape.

You can use a thermometer to monitor the temperature inside the device. It is recommended to dry plant products at a temperature of 40-50 degrees. If the temperature inside the dryer exceeds the norm, you can turn off the light bulb for a while or leave the drawer lid ajar. This product can be made more convenient to use by installing temperature sensors. Which will automatically turn off the lamp when it overheats.

Homemade dehydrator from an old refrigerator

To make a dryer at home, the main factor is the availability of suitable material for the body of the unit. An unnecessary refrigerator is well suited for these purposes.

Preparatory activities

The body of an old refrigerator is a good option for a homemade electric dryer. Spacious and stable, it will get a second life as the external frame of home drying equipment.

To make a dehydrator, you first need to get rid of unnecessary parts: freezer, compressor and radiator

Dismantling should be carried out very carefully so as not to spill the working substance of the refrigerator. The refrigerant can be used, for example, freon, ammonia, SF6

These substances are unsafe for the human body.

Dryer assembly

After preparatory measures have been carried out, a fan of suitable size is installed in the place where the compressor was installed. A device with a diameter of about 120-200 cm and a power of 18 W is suitable. It can be purchased specially or removed from the old exhaust system. A special feature of the installation is the fact that the fan must work to force air masses inside the dehydrator.

In the upper part of the refrigerator you need to cut a hole for a pipe with a diameter of 10 cm. This can be done using a tool available at home, for example, a crown or a jigsaw. This hole is designed as an outlet for moist air. On the roof of the refrigerator, a piece of metal pipe (with the appropriate diameter) or aluminum corrugation is installed into it. A sufficient pipe length is 2-3 m.

For faster drying, you can install a small hood at the upper end of the pipe. The top of the duct should be protected from insects using a mosquito net or gauze folded in several layers.

In order to be able to load products into the future dehydrator for drying, wooden slats are attached to the sides of the refrigeration chamber body. Pallets will be placed on them. The distance between the slats is chosen to be 10-20 cm. This is enough to place various vegetables, fruits, mushrooms and herbs, both chopped and some as a whole. If there is a need to dry larger pieces, then simply remove the extra trays from the refrigerator.

It should be noted that when using heating elements, it will be necessary to install an additional fan to speed up the exhaust. If these methods of accelerating drying are not required, then you can get by with a simple fan.

If desired, a homemade dryer can be improved with the help of temperature sensors. Also, with the proper skill, you can equip the equipment with a timer and other automated means for your convenience.

Pallet production

Trays for the dehydrator should be selected or made according to the size of the refrigerator, so that there is a gap of 2 cm between their edges and the door. The same gap should be provided between the trays and the rear wall of the case. This is necessary for complete airflow of products at all levels.

DIY drying cabinet

If you don’t have unnecessary equipment at home with a suitable housing, you can make a drying cabinet yourself. For work you will need the following materials:

• plywood sheets;
• slats;
• corners;
• foil;
• electric heating device;
• regular and fan heater;
• self-tapping screws

The first step is to install the frame of the cabinet, then it is sheathed with plywood or other wood on all sides except the door. You can pre-drill holes in the rear wall for mounting fans. The door is made separately from the same materials and is attached to the body using hinges. Previously, numerous holes with a diameter of 5-10 mm are drilled on the surface of the door.

The inside of the cabinet is lined with aluminum foil and wooden slats for pallets are attached to its side walls.

Baking trays for fruits and vegetables are selected in the same way as when making a refrigerator dryer. Their dimensions should not interfere with the free circulation of air inside the dehydrator.

Both fans are mounted on the rear wall of the cabinet: a fan heater in the lower part, and a regular fan in the upper part.

Parallel connection of devices is allowed, thanks to which they will operate from one switch. You can also equip your drying cabinet with lights that will serve as visual indicators of its operation.

Safety rules for making a homemade dryer

When making a dryer, all frames should be fastened with self-tapping screws, and the joints of the frames should be filled with sealant. In addition, it is necessary to carefully insulate the wires when making electric dryers without using soldering.

And when using drying cabinets, it is strictly forbidden to allow insects to get inside the device. Also, before connecting the equipment to the network, you must check its housing and electrical cable for integrity!

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