These grapes are done! After 55 hrs 42 minutes I felt comfortable pulling the grapes from the freeze drier and after testing them found they are all good and dried. There is only a bit of sticky from the juices that are on the outside of the grapes. The insides are all crunchy like a malt ball. I'm pretty happy with how this batch came out, a lot better than the first and I think it is due to draining the juices off first. These 3 trays don't seem to be as stuck to the trays as the first batch of them we tried.
The multiple layers of grapes did just fine and I think they are all about evenly dried. The more surface contact the item has with the tray the faster the process works. One of the reasons the grapes take so long is the high sugar content which really increases the dry time.
The snow is melting nice and fast in the yard and hopefully will be gone soon. Last year I was doing the first tilling around March 21st and the sooner that the snow melts and the ground thaws the sooner I will be this year. With the snow melting the hens are finding all kinds of places to lay eggs around the yard and I have to take time during the day to listen for one clucking after laying so I can find their spots.
School for R again today then J and I go pickup a grocery order. I've got to figure out what will be the next batch to run through the machine. We are getting a good number of eggs again and I should pull more beef out of the freezer to run.
For more information about our farm:
Fleming Family Farm
FLEMING FAMILY FARM, LLC
Sustainable & Organic Methods | Heirloom Produce
