Rack em up in Visual Studio .NET

Creating European Article Number 13 in Visual Studio .NET Rack em up

For some herbs, hanging isn t good enough Their stems are too short, too soft, too skinny, or wiry to make bunching them an easy process For these guys as well as for individual leaves, flowers, seeds, and roots you need a drying rack

You can buy a rack, but they re easy to make, as shown in Figure 11-1 Just staple some window screening or cheesecloth to a wooden frame made by screwing together the corners of four pieces of 1-x-2 lumber Be sure to set the frame on bricks so air circulates beneath it (For a bountiful harvest, make several racks the same size and then stack them by setting wooden blocks on each corner) You can also repurpose an old window screen Or, if you have only a few leaves or petals to dry, spread them in the bottom of a basket or on a paper towel laid on a cake rack or wooden dish rack

Spread out your herbs in a single layer on the drying surface Stir or turn them every day or two to avoid excessive curling and to discourage mold from developing How long does drying this way take As always, it depends on what you re drying and where you live, but plan on five days to two weeks Most flowers take longer to dry a week or more depending on the size and type Because roots are thick and must be washed after they re harvested, they can take weeks to dry To speed drying, slice them into 2-inch lengths or peel long taproots and cut them lengthwise You know roots are ready for storing when you bend them and they snap the way a crisp stalk of celery does

To dry seeds, lay cheesecloth over a drying rack (in a dry, well-ventilated location) and cover it with a single layer of seeds or ripe seedpods After your seeds are dry and you ve blown off any chaff, store them in airtight containers in a cool, dark place

All right, they re not faster than a speeding bullet, but some devices do help speed herb drying Some serious herbalists create drying cabinets by grouping racks around an electric heater Others purchase commercial food dryers You can speed the process of drying herbs by using equipment that you probably already own

Some experts are adamantly opposed to using a conventional oven to dry herb foliage and flowers because getting an oven to stay at the ideal 80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit temperature is so difficult Gardeners with gas stoves say the pilot light emits just enough heat An oven thermometer can tell you if your oven can heat in the right range To dry in the oven, spread leaves and flowers in a single layer on a baking sheet and place them in an oven set as low as possible Leave the oven door partway open to let moisture and excess heat escape Keep a close eye on the temperature, opening the door more or turning off the oven as necessary to keep the temperature between 80 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit Drying can take from 10 minutes to several hours Check the herbs often, especially if they have delicate leaves, and turn them periodically Most people agree that ovens are a good option for roots, which can take several weeks to air-dry Many gardeners like to start drying roots in the oven a single layer spread on a baking sheet at 90 degrees Fahrenheit and then transfer them to a drying rack so the oven s free for Sunday s pot roast Be sure to allow herbs to cool before you bottle them; store them as you would herbs that have been air-dried