Sun and shade drying, step by step
Interactive lesson: when the sun really dries, the spot and trays with muslin covers, the daily routine from dew to dew, figs, stringing, shade and the pasteurising you must do.
Free sample Chapters 1 and 2 (8 steps) are free. The full lesson comes with the Sun and shade drying module. Already bought? Unlock
This lesson is general guidance, not professional training. Local regulations and expert advice always take precedence. Read our disclaimer.
The whole lesson as text
1. When the sun dries and when it dampens
The sun warms food, but it is the air that dries it.
- Three conditions together — 30 °C (86 °F) or more in the shade, air humidity below 60 % and 3–5 clear days in a row ahead of you.
- The air dries — Below 25 °C (77 °F) or with humidity above 60 %, food loses no water, or takes it up. Then don't dry outdoors; move it to a dryer.
- Dew: the worst enemy — A piece that dried to leathery in the afternoon is soft again by morning. Bring the trays in before sunset.
- A thermometer by the trays — A digital thermometer with a humidity reading stands in the shade. If the humidity doesn't fall below 60 % by midday, that day dries nothing but herbs in the shade.
Why: If the air is humid, water doesn't leave the surface, and the food just warms up and spoils. One rainy night or two cloudy days halfway through can ruin a whole batch of figs.
- In lowland UK and Ireland the sun is good only for thin pieces on the hottest, driest days of July and August. Plums and apples in autumn need a dryer.
- In the US Southeast and on the Gulf Coast the air is too humid for sun drying: use a solar dryer or a dehydrator, and keep the shade for herbs and mushrooms.
2. The spot and the trays
A good spot is half the battle.
- Sun from 10:00 to 16:00 — The south side of the house, a shed roof, a patio or a stone slab, with no shade from trees in the afternoon. Open ground where the wind passes.
- Away from dust — Not next to a road, a yard where vehicles drive, the hen house, the barn or the muck heap. Dust and flies from the muck heap end up on the food.
- Trays on trestles — 50–100 cm (20–40 in) above the ground, so air flows under the mesh too, tilted slightly towards the sun. Dark metal underneath speeds up drying, but the food never lies on the metal.
- A muslin cover — A second frame of the same size, covered with muslin, stands 3–5 cm (1–2 in) above the food on battens. The muslin must not lie on the fruit.
Why: The same sun in the wrong spot dries more slowly, dirties the food and draws insects. Food on the ground or on concrete gets dust, ants and cold from the soil.
- Choose a spot close to a door: the trays are carried twice a day, with your hands full.
- Never spray insecticide on trays or food, and don't hang sticky fly strips over food.
3. The daily routine · Locked
Buy the Sun and shade drying module and you get the PDF to download and print, plus lifetime access to this interactive lesson: all 6 chapters, 24 steps.
4. Figs in the sun · Locked
Buy the Sun and shade drying module and you get the PDF to download and print, plus lifetime access to this interactive lesson: all 6 chapters, 24 steps.
5. Shade and stringing · Locked
Buy the Sun and shade drying module and you get the PDF to download and print, plus lifetime access to this interactive lesson: all 6 chapters, 24 steps.
6. Protection and pasteurising · Locked
Buy the Sun and shade drying module and you get the PDF to download and print, plus lifetime access to this interactive lesson: all 6 chapters, 24 steps.