812-Uncastw Farming, Saturday, May 10,1986
THE mmhmm
micro fm
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LAN!
BLOOMER
Drying Flowers in
Minutes, The
Micro Way
Microwaves are terrific, not only
for their quick cooking
capabilities, but also for the extra,
fun things they can do, like drying
flowers. Beautiful flowers can be
dried in the microwave in just
minutes, instead of days!
Here’s what you need to dry your
own favorite blooms;
1. A Drying Medium: Silica Gel
(available at craft and hobby
shops) is best and fastest, but also
the most expensive; it costs $4 to $5
for about 1% pounds. This quantity
is enough to fill one loaf pan, or
three cereal bowls (will dry 2 to 4
flowers in 15 to 20 minutes. If you
need to do a lot of flowers at one
time, you will need more than this.
Cat litter, not the green type, will
also work and is the cheapest
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drying medium. However, the
coarse texture frequently marks
thin flowers like daffodils and
pansies. Sifting the litter and using
only the smaller grains helps.
A third drying medium is com
meal and borax, mixed in equal
amounts. Both of these are
available at the grocery store, are
finer in texture than the litter, and
less expensive than the silica gel.
2. Containers: glass loaf pan,
custard cups, bowls, small card'
board boxes or shoe boxes. The
container should be at least an inch
bigger all around than the flower.
Several small flowers may be put
in one box, but it is easier to
remove the dried flowers if they
are each in a separate container.
3, Flowers: Freshly cut. Pick
flowers that are newly opened, and
dp r - The color holds best in flowers
picked at midday on a hot sunny
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day. Do not pick flowers damp with
rain or dew. Pick some leaves to
dry too, to tape on wire stem. Thick
petaled flowers like zinnias are
easier to handle. Flowers with long
thin petals, like tulips, are very
fragile when dry and the petals
split or shatter easily.
4. Tools, Misc.: Scissors,
toothpick or thin knitting needle,
spoon, small soft paint brush (to
clean off dried flowers), 20 gauge
florist wire and green floral tape
(to make new stems), clear craft
spray, and thin plastic disposable
type gloves, optional (to keep
drying agent from drying your
hands!).
1. Pour an inch of drying
medium in a container. Leaving
about %-indi stem on flower, clip
off the rest of the stem. Place
flower face up on drying medium,
pressing stem down into it a little.
2. Carefully spoon additional
drying medium around the flower.
Take your time: use a toothpick to
separate petals, and the spoon to
slide drying agent in between
petals. It is important to get the
petals separated, and just like you
want them when dried. Fill all the
spaces between petals. When
flower is almost completely
covered, add another Vz to 1 inch of
drying medium on top. No petals or
parts should be exposed.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for each
flower to be dried at one time.
When all are covered, continue
with step 4.
4. Place a cup of water in a
comer of the oven. Put con
tainers) holding the flower(s) in
the oven. Leave uncovered and
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Performance for tough
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Before You Buy..
General Drying
Instructions
VAKT DALE
LANCASTER SILO CO.
2008 Horseshoe Rd., Lancaster, PA
717/299-3721
microwave on high. Now, how
long? That depends on what drying
agent you are using and how many
flowers you have.
It may take a little while to get a
“feel” for the timing, but here’s a
guide to get started with. Choose
the time for the type flower you
have. These times are for using
silica gel. For cat litter or corn
meal, you may need to microwave
another 30 to 60 seconds longer.
- 4 to 6 small thin flowers, like
wildf lowers: microwave \Vz
minutes.
- 3 to 4 thin, large flowers, like
pansies or daffodils: microwave
IM> tp 2 minutes.
- Irose: minutes each.
- 2 medium size, thicker
flowers, such as chrysanthemums
or carnations, 2% to 3 minutes.
- 1 large thick flower, zinnia, 2
to 3 minutes each.
5. After microwaving, let flower
stay in drying medium for 5 to 10
minutes. Use 5 minutes for thin
flowers, 10 minutes for thicker
flowers and leaves.
6. Gently and slowly tilt con
tainer to remove drying agent. Be
careful not to bend or bump petals.
Use the spoon, to help lift out the
flower, if necessary. If the petals
are still soft, lay the flower on top
of the drying medium for a few
minutes. Flowers like sunflowers
or daisys with thin petals and thick
parts should be removed from
drying agent, but then laid on top
of the agent with the stem pushed
down into the medium for several
hours to finish drying.
Performance for tough
feed-distribution Jobs:
Performance for tough
ration-building jobs:
7. After the flowers are fully dry,
you can finish the job: Clean off
any medium stuck to the petals
with the soft paint brush. Be very
gentle! Insert florist wire into
remaining stem on flower, and
wind tape around it to hold in
place. (Florist tape sticks when it
is stretched and wound firmly
around the stem and wire).
Making a small hook on the end of
the wire and pulling it down
through the center of the flower
helps anchor it more securely.
Spray lightly with a clear craft
spray to help protect the flowers
and make them less fragile.
- The drying agent may be used
over and over again, but it is besl
to cool it and containers before re
using. Petals became too brittle
(over-dried) before the centers
dried when I used the drying agenl
warm.
- If the flowers are brittle and
shatter, they’ve been over dried. II
the petals sag and are limp, the)
weren’t dried enough.
-To keep a permanent
arrangement of dried flowers
looking its best, it should be
protected from dust and moisture
with a glass dome or frame. On
very humid days, dried flowers
may reabsorb moisture from the
air.
- Dry a collection of pretty
spring flowers and save them in a
shoebox. Then use them to
brighten your spirits on a dreary
day next February! Happy drying!
Copyright 1986 Lam Bloomer
Total Mixed Rations
With The New
ORBIT-MIXER
Van Dale, Inc.
Box 337, Long Lake, MM 55356
Notes: