By Justin Gardner

Preserving food is an essential skill of the homesteading lifestyle. Whether you grow the food yourself or purchase it in bulk at farmers markets, some kind of preservation is needed so you can have certain fruits and vegetables later in the year.

While canning, pickling and freezing work well, adding dehydration to the mix gives you even more diversity. Instead of spending lots of money on a fancy machine, you can make a solar food dehydrator for much less, and take pride in your DIY project.

Visit here for detailed instructions on building and using Scanlin’s solar food dehydrator.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/tools/solar-food-dehydrator-plans-zm0z14jjzmar.aspx

Materials List

One 4-by-8-foot sheet of 3/4-inch plywood, exterior grade

One 4-by-8-foot sheet of 1/4-inch plywood, exterior grade

Five 1-by-6s, 8 feet long, pressure-treated

Two 2-by-4s, 8 feet long, pressure-treated

2 wheels, 8-inch-diameter

36-inch-long, 1/2-inch-diameter steel axle

2 heavy-duty hinges

Six 27-by-96-inch sheets of metal lath

3 square feet aluminum screen

One 2-by-6-foot sheet of FRP (fiber-reinforced plastic)

30 square feet food-grade screening

Heavy-duty aluminum foil, 25-foot roll

3/4-by-1/8-inch aluminum battens, 16 feet total length

1 1/4-inch No.8 exterior-grade Phillips flat-head screws (100 or more)

1 5/8-inch No. 8 exterior-grade Phillips flat-head screws (about 30)

1-inch No. 8 round-head screws (about 20)

Eight 3/8-by-3-inch bolts, nuts and washers

Four 3/8-by-4-inch bolts, nuts and washers

4 hook-and-eye fasteners

1/4-inch staples

Exterior-grade latex paint and primer, any light color

High-temperature spray paint, black

Waterproof glue

Silicone caulk

Weatherstripping

Shingles

Tools List

Circular saw with rip guide

Router with 3/4-inch straight bit and cutting guide

Electric drill with No. 8 pilot-hole and countersinking bits

2 sawhorses

Long straightedge

Marking pencil

Protractor

Framing square

Level

Tape measure

Staple gun

Caulk gun

Paintbrush

Wrenches

Tinsnips

Utility knife

Clamps

Heavy work gloves