I can’t sit at my desk longer than 30 minutes this morning without resisting the temptation to pop out to the back deck to check on the progress of my apple leather that I am trying to dry in the November sun. I can’t tell if it is working yet–there is condensation the glass of the solar food dryer but it isn’t very hot inside. The apple sauce that I smeared on parchment paper still has the quality of puree rather than shiny fruit leather.
I’ve been rotating the box to follow the sun and I’ve just propped it up on an old flower planter so the shadow inside is minimized. My dad has been drying apple slices in the window at the farm, but he’s helped along by the wood stove. I wonder, is the November sun warm enough to dry out the leather?
Many cliches apply here: A watched pot never boils. It’s like watching paint dry. How about this new one? Fruit leather doesn’t dry before your eyes…