DIY electric apple dryer. How to make a dryer for vegetables and fruits with your own hands

Today, any equipment can be found in a store. This also applies to dryers for vegetables and fruits. However, you can also do it with your own hands. At the same time, the equipment will cost much less than the factory equivalent, because you will use improvised materials in your work.

In general, such a unit consists of tiers, which are mesh boxes located on top of each other. There is a lid on top, in the central part of which there are holes for the outlet of moist air. An electric motor blows air, which enters the working chamber through a hole in the floor. After studying the features of a dryer for vegetables and fruits, you can make it yourself.

Does the dryer need tiers?

There are not always so many fruits and vegetables that they require a lot of space to accommodate them. In this case, the dryer is replaced with a convection oven of any modification. You need to borrow a baking tray from the kitchen stove on which everything that needs to be dried is laid out. These can be fruits and vegetables, berries and mushrooms.

Remove the lid with the fan and lamp from the air fryer. You will also need a mesh, which is supplied in the kit. It should be installed in the central part of the baking sheet so that the element rests on the steel and does not wobble. The air fryer lid should be installed on the grid and connected to the network. In this case, the handle must remain open to block the activation.

It is important to make sure that the dryer is located in a place where there is no risk of fire. It should be kept away from children, pets and curtains. You can place a baking tray with an air fryer lid on a table, stool or floor. It is started at a low temperature, and the heat will be quite intense.

The timer of the improvised dryer must be set to 1 hour. At a signal, the products are mixed, and after a quarter of an hour everything should be repeated. It is necessary to proceed according to this scheme until everything is dry. The advantage in this case is that you don’t have to do anything with your own hands, and you don’t need to allocate extra space in the room. If you don't have an air fryer, you can buy a cheap model to try, and soon you won't be able to resist eating spiced chicken breasts fried without oil.

An alternative option for making a dryer

If you need a dryer for vegetables and fruits, you can easily make it yourself. To do this, you can use an alternative method. You can replace the convection oven with a hairdryer or a kitchen hood motor.

To begin with, the equipment is set to the minimum mode. It is not recommended to use the grill, as described above, since the outlet of the hair dryer is quite narrow, so the nozzle can melt. The device is suspended on a rope, and it should be directed to the desired location. The downside here is that such equipment does not have a timer, so the device may not withstand long-term operation.

If there is a thermostat inside based on a bimetallic plate, then you can prevent overheating of the equipment. The plate can be borrowed from an oil heater, iron or electric kettle. Online stores offer thermostats for regulating the temperature of the heating system. In the case described, this is suitable. Otherwise, a self-made dryer for vegetables and fruits will quickly fail. After all, a fuse may blow if the motor windings overheat. Therefore, a hair dryer is not a preferred but acceptable solution.

Using improvised means to make a dryer

The problem in making a dryer is that it is quite difficult to select the power of the spiral. Most dryer models (their body and mesh) are made of plastic. This indicates that the temperature does not rise too high. Therefore, it is necessary to first study the characteristics of the purchased model.

The average power can be 600 W; there is no timer in the unit, as well as automation. The capacity of each of the 5 tiers is 1 kg. The temperature does not rise above 70 °C. Before making a dryer for vegetables and fruits, you must prepare the following materials:

• motor;
• nichrome spiral;
• heat-resistant plates;
• steel;
• a jar of olives or tomato paste.

As for the engine, you can take the cooler by removing it from the system unit. It is recommended to take a more powerful motor. The nichrome spiral should have a resistance of 90 ohms. As for the heat-resistant plates, they should be made similar to those installed in a hair dryer. To do this, some craftsmen use a halogen lamp.

It is recommended that the body be made of steel. The mesh for the tiers is made of food grade steel. There is no need to use a mosquito net, which was previously made of metal. Welded electronic products should not be used for racks. Copper wire with varnish insulation will not work either. You should only stock up on table salt or food grade aluminum.

When drawing a dryer for vegetables and fruits, you must indicate its dimensions. Perhaps they will be determined by the parameters of a tin of olives, pasta or other canned products. An alternative solution is to roll a sheet of steel to create the proper dimensions for the dryer body.

You should not use soldering to join the edges, but riveting can be done. It is important to remember safety when assembling the equipment described. For this purpose, a temperature control mechanism is installed. A bimetallic plate from an oil heater is suitable for this. However, if you find a thermostat with a knob, this solution will be the best.

Work methodology

When making useful homemade products in the form of a vegetable dryer, the reflector will need to be installed above the outlet hole in the bottom. The area of ​​the part must be larger than the channel, this ensures that the fruit will not fall onto the spiral, otherwise you may encounter a fire hazard. The sides should also be protected with a mesh. A bimetallic plate must be installed on the reflector. The spiral must be powered through an improvised relay. The problem can only be inertia.

If the reflector is made of tin, the bimetallic plate will constantly click. Inertia can be achieved by using 6mm steel or something similar. The distance between the dryer nets should be expressed, which is determined by the needs. Five centimeters will be enough for vegetables.

Other things to consider

The processor cooler provides DC power. You can use a mobile charger. In this case, the voltage will be slightly less than 12 V, which will cause a decrease in speed. The dryer fan is installed under the coil. If you do not want to deal with direct current, then you should find an asynchronous motor, since some problems may arise with collector motors, expressed in the fact that they are very noisy.

Low noise motors are found in refrigerators, fans and some hoods. When choosing this unit, you need to rely on your ears.

Security measures

When drying, you should also take care of safety. To do this, the metal housing is grounded. In addition, moisture can get inside, which will simply knock out the plugs.

Making a dryer from window frames

Another dryer manufacturing technology is the use of window frames. As a base, you can use cellular pallets, which are made of metal mesh. The cell size can be 8x8 mm. Such a miracle of technology may involve the presence of 6 pallets, which are installed on guides. They can be attached to the side frames.

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.

Conclusion

A mesh dryer can be a universal solution for storing vegetables and fruits, as well as mushrooms and berries, which can be prepared for long-term storage. You can use steel as the basis for the box, as in the first of the described options, or a window frame. The latter can still be found in some barns. The use of scrap materials allows you to reduce the cost of the dryer to almost zero.

Drying is the most common way of preserving and preserving fruits and vegetables, a rich harvest of which you have collected from your plot.

One can even exaggerately say that man came from a primitive state gradually to civilization, thanks to the preparation of summer products for future use. Monkeys, as you know, do not store anything in reserve.

In addition to preserving the harvest, dried fruits are also beneficial for health.

For example, one cook serving members of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee wrote in his memoirs that dried fruit compote was required to be served at all dinners.

Not juices, not fruit drinks, but dried fruit compote.

That is, proper drying of plant products is not only about preserving the harvest, but also about health benefits.

We have found out the need for drying, the main question is how best to do this? As it turns out, you don’t have to buy expensive branded dryers for this.

Using inexpensive materials (up to 1000 rubles), you can assemble a productive, economical and very convenient dryer on which it will be equally easy to dry greens, berries, mushrooms, pieces of fruit, fish, etc.

Many people are not satisfied with store-bought dryers either because of their quality or their price. And it happens that both at the same time.

But the most important inconvenience is their small size. What can you dry in a small saucepan with a 250-300W heating element?

In order to process a rich harvest, such a thing must function offline for days on end.

Meanwhile, homemade options are assembled in much larger sizes and at the same time cope with their task no worse than store-bought ones.

In a few hours, it is sometimes possible to dry a volume slightly smaller than a bucket! It all depends, of course, on the type of product. Compare this to factory pots and boxes.

At the same time, the cost of homemade ones will be 5 times lower than the price of the cheapest ones sold on the market.

And if compared with expensive and high-quality models, the difference will be more than tenfold.

Let's look at three popular ways to assemble such an electric dryer with your own hands, and you can choose the right option for yourself.

Cabinet dryer with fan heater

The first option is to use an old, unnecessary kitchen cabinet for this.

It’s better to assemble it yourself from wooden boards. Materials you will need for this:

• temperature sensor with thermometer

• insulating layer of foil material

The cabinet can be assembled to any size you need. Many people do not recommend using composite wood - chipboard, fiberboard, OSB.

They contain too much glue and without sufficient insulation when heated, they can release harmful substances.

But most do not pay attention to this, reassuring themselves that, firstly, such a dryer will operate at a relatively low temperature (up to 40-45 degrees), and secondly, everything inside will be lined with thermal insulation. Because of this, it will be possible to avoid dangerous heating of the wood and direct contact of hot air with it.

You fasten the boards with furniture screws and attach the door to the front.

The optimal size of the cabinet so that it does not interfere with your home and is convenient to carry:

• width 60cm

• depth 40-45cm

• height 70-80cm

To ensure that the door closes tightly and does not let out heat, attach two latches at the top and bottom.

Manufacturing of drying trays

Inside the cabinet, homemade nets are placed on the guides.

They are also assembled from wooden planks connected with construction angles.

Just don’t glue the pieces of wood together!

When heated, the glue will release toxic fumes. Therefore, only corners or a stapler.

It is better to choose a metal mesh made from food-grade stainless steel on which the products will be placed. It will not release any chemicals when heated.

Beekeepers filter honey through this. The only problem is to find it.

Many people advise not to bother and take the reinforcing material that goes under the plaster. It supposedly contains only fiberglass and nothing more.

However, do not forget that there is also a binding element - an epoxy compound. It is also not recommended to use a mosquito net.

It contains plastic and toxic paint. With such trays, after just a few years of abundant absorption of “healthy” dried fruits, oncology will definitely await you.

You shoot the mesh onto the bar with a stapler along the entire perimeter.

Such pallets are made in just a few hours. For the above cabinet sizes, the optimal number of nets inside is 4 pcs.

The dimensions of the mesh tray should be 5 cm narrower than the depth of the cabinet.

This is necessary so that warm air can circulate freely from both the back and front.

It is better to place the pallets themselves in such a way that the first is located close to the door, and the second to the back wall, etc.

With such a checkerboard layout, the warm flow will consistently blow tier after tier.

The tray is pushed in or placed on guide bars. They are made either wood or aluminum.

In this case, aluminum releases heat faster after heating. However, the question of its environmental friendliness and toxicity always remains open. Wood is still safer.

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.

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.

The hole must be made, otherwise the heater will simply overheat itself and catch fire.

Through the same “hole” the power wires with a plug are output.

Connecting wires and temperature sensor

If you are not familiar with electrical circuits, you can adjust the heat and temperature using the built-in thermostat on the heater itself by turning the knob to the minimum and maximum positions.

But it can be made much more convenient and functional. Buy an external temperature sensor and an external thermostat at your local electronics store or in China.

Drill two holes approximately in the middle of the back wall and insert control sensors there.

The wires are soldered in place of the heater's built-in thermostat, and a digital thermometer is brought out.

You set the drying temperature yourself depending on the product - vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, etc.

For plants and berries, such a fan in the first position optimally increases the temperature to 40C. At the same time, try to open the cabinet door as little as possible.

For other products, switch the heating to position II.

A remote thermostat with wires is good, but not everyone can figure out the connection diagram. If you have problems with this, but you still want to control the drying in this way, use a socket thermostat.

You insert it into the nearest socket, place the sensor inside the cabinet and program the upper and lower temperature thresholds.

In this case, the fan heater plug is simply stuck into the thermostat itself. It looks like a socket-in-socket design.

You don't need to do anything fancy with the electrical circuit. The temperature inside the dryer reached 40C, the fan turned off. It cooled down to 38C - it turned on.

If you want to automate all this and set the specified drying time so as not to spoil the food, timer sockets (mechanical or electronic) are at your service.

This is especially important when drying fish, when the technology requires a certain pause after continuous operation of the unit for many hours.

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.

Infrared dryer

The second method of making a dehydrator is even simpler. Here, instead of a fan heater, you will need infrared film.

Moreover, in this case you don’t even need to build a bulky cabinet. It is enough to make long shelves. But first things first.

Heating infrared film is a roll material and is sold by the meter. The width can be different - 50,80,100 cm.

Since we are planning to make a unit for serious volumes, and not an analogue of a small saucepan, then choose a width closer to 100cm.

What power should I choose? For good performance, buy models with a power of 220W per 1m2. With an average shelf size of 20*100cm, one tier will consume about 55W/hour or 1.32kW per day.

Multiply this power by the number of shelves and get the energy consumption of your dryer.

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.

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.

Drip tin onto this place.

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.

Assembling drying shelves

So how does such an infrared dryer assemble and work? Here, unlike the option with a fan heater, no thermostat or thermometer is needed. During operation, the film heats up exactly at the temperature that we require (about 45C).

It is this that is optimal in this case for drying plant products. Of course, we should not forget that the enzymes contained in them die at temperatures above 38C. Therefore, at first glance it seems that 45 degrees is a lot.

However, here we are talking about the heating temperature of the film itself. If you put a spacer (baking paper, mesh) between it and the fruit, and this is what experienced housewives recommend doing, then the heating temperature of the products themselves will no longer exceed the permissible 38C.

Drying racks can be made in two ways. The first one, for the lazy ones, is to cut out a shelf of the required size from a board or plywood and put a reflective foil backing on top.

Roll out the film over all this. To prevent it from moving, it is enough to press it down on top with wooden blocks.

This is a very primitive, cheapest and not particularly aesthetic method. There are much better ones.

For the second option, prepare two blanks. These will be the supporting legs of our dryer.

The width of such a blank should be slightly wider than the film itself. The optimal size is 20*70cm.

Strips are cut from 9mm plywood, from which the shelves themselves will be assembled. The width of the slats is 4 cm.

The entire tree is sanded with sandpaper, irregularities and burrs are removed.

The frame of the structure is screwed onto self-tapping screws. In our case there will be five shelves.

The most important “trick”, which simplifies and lightens the entire product as much as possible, are the electrodes.

The film in this dryer is laid not on a wide board, but across strips of electrodes.

In the version with a wooden base, a lot of heat is lost through useless heating of the board. Even reflective foil sometimes doesn't help much.

In this case, due to the emptiness below, the vegetables and fruits on the shelves will warm up on both sides. Firstly, they lie on a warm base and are heated by it, and secondly, the upper bar also gives off its heat a little downwards.

To speed up the drying process, you can cover the entire structure with a blanket and make several holes at the top and bottom for moisture to escape. After a few hours, when the moisture has evaporated, the holes are closed and drying continues.

Make the distance between the shelves 10-15cm. It could be narrowed and the heating increased. However, do not forget about the moments of laying out the pieces on the shelves.

If the framework is too narrow, this will be inconvenient.

Electrodes are used with a diameter of 4 mm. They are inserted into the drilled holes of the plywood side strips in increments of 12-15cm.

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!

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.

The simplest dryer made from boxes

Well, the third option, for the so-called lazy ones. There is no need to work with wood or make special trays with mesh or heating film. Everything is cheap and cheerful.

To begin, in the second box, which will be located below, use scissors or a knife to cut a hole for the fan heater.

Place it on top of another box. This will ensure free air flow from below.

Install a heat blower inside.

Without capturing the very bottom. The entire winding should take at least seven layers.

Now you need to separate all the tiers separately by cutting the film with a knife.

Do not touch the lower tray with the fan. To switch the fan operating mode, do not forget to cut two holes for the wheels.

Initially, set the mode regulator to I and the temperature knob to maximum. In principle, that's all.

The dryer is ready for use. Load the pallets with chopped fruits, vegetables, mushrooms and assemble your “tower of Babel”.

To protect from debris and insects, cover the top tier with another box or gauze.

Plug in the fan and monitor the process.

The advantages of this method are obvious - simplicity and low cost. Disadvantages: lack of temperature control.

With such a dryer, you will have to constantly monitor all the work and often change the baskets.

As for plastic, choose boxes that are used for collecting fruit. In hot countries at temperatures below 40C, they are often stored in them.

Your warm-up should take place in the same mode.

If you are a supporter of a healthy diet, and even more so if you are involved in growing healthy food yourself, a fruit and vegetable dehydrator will be your indispensable ally. I would like to offer you an option for a homemade electric cabinet for drying fruits, vegetables, herbs, berries and mushrooms from Ilya Tretnikov.

Materials and tools:
- plywood sheets for the body
- wooden slats
- self-tapping screws
- mosquito net
- drill
- furniture stapler
- heater
- foil
- power cord with plug
- electrical tape

Preparing the main elements

1. Wooden body for dryer
This could be an old bedside table or a wooden frame you put together yourself.

2. Mesh baking trays
They are made with their own hands from a wooden frame and a mosquito net. It is better to connect the frame slats using self-tapping screws, and fasten the mesh using a furniture stapler. To prevent the mesh from coming apart, its edges are folded several times. It is necessary to stretch the mesh onto a wooden frame first in width and then in length.

3. Rails for placing baking sheets in the dryer
They can be made from the same wooden slats measuring 5*8 mm in profile. They are attached to the wooden body using self-tapping screws.

Let's start calculations and installation

Step 1. We do without nails

For this device, nails are completely unreliable. In this case, the author of the master class recommends using self-tapping screws. To prevent the self-tapping screw from damaging the integrity of the structure, drill a hole with a smaller diameter than the diameter of the self-tapping screw leg and only then screw it in.

Step 2. Decide on the design of the future dryer

Ilya Tretnikov suggests considering two types of dryer designs for vegetables and fruits. The first type - with a volume of up to 13 kg when loading products, square. The second type - the design is complicated and loading volumes of fresh products are possible up to 40 kg. This option is complemented by a pyramidal installation for fans that ensure uniform air circulation. Thanks to the pyramidal shape, the air flow receives a specific direction of movement and reaches the farthest corners.

Step 3. Selecting fans

According to the recommendations of the author of the master class, in a dryer with a depth of up to 57 cm, a height of the internal working surface of up to 39.5 cm, and a width of 41 cm, only one fan is sufficient to obtain high-quality output products. Accordingly, wood with a thickness of 1.7 * 1.7 cm is used, and we get the deco size - 41 * 45 cm.

Basic calculations:

Total depth of the dryer (57 cm) – length of the baking tray (45 cm) = space for air circulation (12 cm). If you are making a dryer for fruits and vegetables with a load of up to 13 kg, this is enough.

When constructing a dryer for fruits and vegetables, along with a pyramidal design and dimensions: width of the internal working surface - 61 cm, height of the internal working surface - 83 cm, depth - 42 cm - 2 fans are installed. Baking tray size 41.5*60.5 cm.

Basic calculations:

The total height of the dryer (83 cm) – the length of the baking sheet (60.5 cm) = space for air distribution from the main body to the wall of the attachment (22.5 cm).

Step 4: Thermostat and Electricity

In order not to delve deeply into physics, Ilya Tretnikov recommends simply buying a “dutik” heater, as it is popularly called, and immediately receiving a set of all the necessary parts.

The main thing is the thermostat built into the fan, which is placed in the middle of the heater body. The author of the master class places it inside the working chamber of the future dryer. Using a regular thermometer, Ilya manually adjusts the thermostat. To do this, it is necessary to rearrange the contacts so that the effect of the thermostat applies only to the heating element. This means that when the maximum temperature is reached, only the coil will automatically turn off, and the fan will continue to operate. When the coil cools, the thermostat will start it again. It is worth paying special attention to this point, since the factory assembly of the heater involves turning off both the heating element and the fan by the thermostat. The method created by Ilya is much more economical in energy consumption.

Step 5: Installing the spiral

Step 6: Install the Dryer Switch

It is better to distribute the functions of the switch in this way: fan on / heating coil on and fan / off.

Step 7: Dryer Operation Indicators

Ilya uses 2 light bulbs:
- the first is an indicator of the overall operation of the device, that is, it lights up in the “on” position, does not light up in the “off” position
- second – indicator of the “on”/”off” positions for the heating element.

Step 8: Install two fans in a pyramid design

When creating a dryer with a pyramidal design, Tretnikov uses 2 fans, each with one heating coil. But the operation of both heating elements will be adjusted by only one thermostat. That is, it is very important to result in the simultaneous opening of the heating elements, since otherwise the drying process will become uneven. To ensure the uniformity of temperatures, it is enough to place several thermometers on different planes throughout the entire cavity of the dryer.

Step 9. Install the dryer

Particular attention is paid to the fact that the dryer must be raised above the surface of the support, that is, it is important not to forget to attach the legs to avoid overheating and, again, even distribution of heat inside.

Fruits are a source of pectins and vitamins, the consumption of which provides the body with essential nutrients. But fresh fruits are available only in the warm season. You can prepare them for the winter through a certain processing, which involves two options. Vegetables and fruits are canned or dried.

A fruit dryer is an excellent device that you can build with your own hands at minimal financial cost.

Today the second method is preferable. A fruit dryer is an excellent device that you can build with your own hands at minimal financial cost.

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 housing 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;
• box body;
• 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 will then 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! The dryer is the most acceptable way to stockpile supplies to enrich your diet with vitamins for the winter.

Required tools and materials

For construction you will need professional tools

• There are several options for making the structure. To get a regular dryer, you need to prepare:
• materials for the body. This could be plywood sheets measuring 60 cm x 80 cm or an old refrigerator;
• metal mesh;
• trays;
• fan with motor or 2 incandescent lamps with a power of 150 W;

self-tapping screws

• For an infrared dryer you will need:
• electrical cable with switch and plug;
• film 100 cm x 50 cm, intended for heated floors;
• bitumen and PVC insulation;
• 2 terminals, 2 grommets, 2 clamps;
• soldering iron;

metal bar.

• The solar dryer is made using materials and tools such as:
• wooden beams;
• a metal sheet;
• mosquito net;
• black paint;
• polycarbonate or glass;
• lining or plywood;
• brush;
• self-tapping screws;

level.

Step-by-step instructions for making a dryer for vegetables and fruits with your own hands

Each variation of the design of the drying cabinet has its own characteristics, so making a choice in favor of one design or another is entirely your right. Let us consider in turn the procedure for constructing each type of drying device.

Regular

To build a conventional structure, it is first necessary to prepare the body. Next you need to do the following manipulations:

Infrared device

The process of constructing such a dryer is quite simple and will not take much time. Mylar film is used as a heating element. You will also need two lattice boxes made of plastic material. All actions come down to the following aspects:

1. We trim the supporting corners and walls so that the products do not come into contact with the heating element.
2. From cardboard we cut out 3 bases for holders of infrared parts.
3. Radiation from the heaters comes in two directions. To direct it to the fruit, you should use food foil, which will act as a reflector.
4. We glue the cardboard.
5. The heating elements must be connected to the transformer. The wires are connected using flat connectors, insulating tape and pliers. This method will allow you to do without soldering.
6. The edges of the wires are connected and crimped with a connector. The electrical tape will help prevent moisture from entering.
7. When connected to a transformer, there are 4 connectors for each polarity. For convenience, wires of different colors should be used.
8. Then the whole system is assembled.
9. The transformer is connected to the network.
10. This completes the work.

Solar design

This version of the device makes it possible to use solar energy to dry fruits. As a result of this natural process, the fruit retains all its beneficial properties. So, the construction of the structure occurs in this order:

Rules for using a homemade dryer

The rules for using a solar dryer boil down to the following aspects:

1. To obtain dried fruits, they should be cut into small pieces, placed on trays and placed in a case.
2. It is impossible to immediately influence them with a stream of air. Fruits and vegetables should lie in the device for 3-4 days, only after this time can the drying process begin.
3. One of the necessary conditions for high-quality drying of fruits is the presence of a certain temperature regime in the structure. It should not be raised prematurely. To do this, the walls of the dryer are covered with heat-insulating material. The temperature level should be between 40°C-50°C and not exceed this figure. Otherwise, the vitamin content in fruits will be significantly reduced.
4. The solar structure is installed at a slight angle so that the rays fall on the structure. To do this, the dryer is leaned against any suitable surface. Metal pipes can be attached to the side parts of the body, which will act as a support.
5. It is recommended to use mesh material to make shelves so that air can circulate freely throughout the dryer. A mosquito net will do.

Video: an alternative option for constructing a fruit dryer

It is well known that fruits that have been exposed to heat lose a significant part of their nutrients. The method of drying fruits and vegetables will allow you to get the most healthy products. This way they retain their nutritional value when kept at room temperature and take up relatively little space. We told you how to make a device that will help you prepare fruits. Use our instructions and enjoy vitamins even in the cold season.

The gifts of gardens and fields are a storehouse of vitamins and microelements necessary for health. But you use fresh fruits and vegetables only in summer and autumn. To use for a long time, it is necessary to process the products in such a way that they do not lose their beneficial qualities and can be stored for quite a long time. With good harvests, there is a need to preserve these fruits. To achieve this, housewives engage in canning, freezing and drying. During these manipulations, many useful substances are lost. Conventional drying is a lengthy process and not always effective. Therefore, the farm also needs fruit. You can make this simple device with your own hands, with minimal effort and in a short time.

How can you dry fruits?

Most often, various products “weather” in the sun. The beneficial substances are preserved, but this is fraught with difficulties, since the smell attracts flies and other insects that can spoil the food. Gauze wraps and drying in a closed space without oxygen do not help to obtain high-quality dried fruits. Treatment with chemicals can spoil the product and even make it unsafe for consumption.

What do housewives use?

Drying cabinets that are sold in stores are electric and infrared. A homemade dryer for vegetables and fruits can be made by a home craftsman. With your own hands, using skill and ingenuity, it is quite possible to create the necessary device for the household.

The cost of devices in stores is quite high. But you don’t always want to spend about 6,000 rubles to buy the right product, so a homemade dryer for vegetables and fruits will come to your aid. With your own hands, in a few hours you can make a device that is no worse than a store-bought one, and the quality of the resulting dried fruits will be even better. And in terms of cost, this unit will be much cheaper. For production you will need various available materials, tools and old appliances that are collecting dust in the pantry.

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 during processing, but in general, such dried fruits can be stored for a long time and consumed. Convection currents prevent the development of mold.

The action of a homemade device

Blowing warm air over food - this is how a fruit and vegetable dryer works. You can put together a box with your own hands, place nets with laid out fruits there and direct the fan. A simple and useful device can help in processing a large number of fruits, as well as meat and fish products.

The simplest design

Extracting moisture from fruits is possible in the oven or in a Russian oven. This is the simplest dryer for vegetables and fruits. You can modernize it with your own hands (photo in the article) and use it for drying fish and meat. The chamber is constructed without a bottom or a lid and can be of different volumes - depending on your imagination and the amount of harvest. The optimal design is 60 x 80 x 40 cm.

On the inside, sliders for pallets are stuffed or wires are pulled in case of hanging meat or fish. The side edges are covered with mosquito netting. After removing flies and other insects, closing the top panel, turn on the fan, which you previously placed inside the frame. In such a dryer you can quickly dry a large number of vegetables, fruits, as well as meat and fish. This camera is good because it is easily transportable and can be installed in the country house, on the veranda and even on the balcony. Internal grilles or meshes can be moved closer to the fan and the drying process time can be adjusted.

How to make an infrared dryer

Infrared and fruit dry them well and quickly and in some cases can heat the room. By purchasing a special thermal film, which is used to make heated floors, dimensions 50x100 cm, an electrical wire with a plug, connecting terminals and bitumen insulation, you can easily create a dryer. A big plus is that it is easy to carry and does not take up much space in the car. With the help of such a device, vegetables and fruits are quickly transformed into storageable products.

Drying under the sun

For summer cottages, the simplest dryer for vegetables and fruits is built. With your own hands, without electricity, using a saw, hammer, scissors and stapler, you can quickly assemble this structure. This homemade camera is widely used by summer residents.

You build a box with dimensions according to the volume of fruit being processed. Make shelves from any material that should be well ventilated, and install them at an angle after first determining the maximum exposure to sunlight. Cover the side and rear walls with clapboard or plywood. The back panel must be sheathed with a metal sheet to heat the air more. To create a greenhouse effect, paint the surface with black paint. Seal air circulation holes with gauze to protect against insects. Make the top panel from transparent plastic or glass.

This fruit and vegetable dryer can accommodate more than 10 kg of fruit at a time. You can make it with your own hands for your dacha from scrap materials. It works quite simply: under the influence of sunlight, the metal sheet and black surfaces are heated to 40-50°C. With this regimen, vitamins and minerals are subject to the least destruction. Moisture evaporates due to the presence of ventilation holes, and therefore the products do not become moldy.

An old refrigerator will help you

An old, non-working refrigerator takes up a lot of space in the house, gathers dust and irritates household members. It is often used to store junk or unnecessary things. But it can serve well. It makes an excellent dryer for vegetables and fruits. With your own hands, from a refrigerator that you would hate to throw away, you can build a chamber that will outperform even store-bought appliances.

There are already grooves in the refrigerator compartment, and you can fit homemade shelves under them, for which you can use grill grates (after biting off the handles with pliers), office devices for storing stationery paper, or homemade trays (as far as your imagination goes) made of wire, mesh and wooden blocks. It is better to attach it to the slats using self-tapping screws rather than nails, having first bent it in order to prevent delamination and breakthrough.

This design takes several hours to create. It is necessary to carefully remove the freezer, compressor and cut holes on top for forced air ventilation.

Buy a Chinese-made electric fan and connect it in such a way that it can be taken outside the drying chamber. Use the hole left after removing the compressor to connect the camera. In this case, it is necessary to ensure good airflow of the sheets with products. This is achieved by an appropriate distance between the walls, trays and fan - at least 20 mm.

Many users leave positive reviews about this dryer, about the quality of dried fruits, and craftsmen are constantly improving their homemade chamber to increase its efficiency.