Open Source is Looking for Help Drying Food Waste

compos(t)ing spaces | Can You Hep Dry Food Waste? | co-experimentation lab | Press Release
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Open Source Gallery is looking for volunteers to help us dry food waste, which will be used to create sculptures by our upcoming exhibition artist, Gwenyth Chao. Volunteers are asked to collect the odds and ends or wilted parts from any vegetables that you or your community use to cook / garden. Deadline October 20, 2023. To signup please click here.
How to dry:
1. Lay out the vegetables on newspaper or cardboard, making sure they do not overlap or touch (Tip: use shoe boxes or shallow cardboard boxes to stack multiple drying trays)
2. Place in a dry area with sunshine (e.g. outside in a covered patio or inside by a window sill).
3. Wait 2-4 days until the vegetables are dried through to the core. The vegetable will become hard like a jerky. If they are squishy or rubbery, wait and dry for a couple more days.
4. Sort vegetables and store the same types in individual glass jar (any size) with the lid off.
Foods Gwenyth has Worked With + Tips:
– Brussel Sprouts: separate layers before drying cabbage separate the layers at the base of the head/ stem to dry faster
– Carrot (tops): dry for at least 4 days
– Citrus (clementine/ lemon, orange, grapefruit) peels: remove any pieces of flesh from the fruit before drying skin and pith in small pieces
– Ginger (skin): cut into small pieces & dry until shrivelled up
– Kale & other stems: dry flat until shrivelled to thin stalks
– Lettuce/ Swiss Chard/ Leafy Greens: wash off any slime/ pink colors before laying flat to dry
– Mushrooms: cut into small pieces before drying for at least 4 days onion/ garlic dry the tops that are cut off, but the paper-like peels don’t need drying
– Potato (skin): cut into small pieces & dry until shrivelled up
– Scallion roots: dry until the inside layers are also feel and crinkle like paper
– Tea Leaves and Coffee Grounds: spread out very thin and flat to air out moisture for faster drying time