Level 6 · Part 2
Moisture and dryness
Dry products must be dry before storing, and must stay dry afterwards.
For grains, flours, dried fruit, dried vegetables, pulses and nuts, water is the main enemy. Damp product grows mould, attracts pests and can become unsafe. Drying properly before storage and keeping damp out afterwards matters more than anything else.
- Dry the product thoroughly before you pack or store it. Do not store product that is still damp 'to finish drying later'.
- Learn how dryness is judged for your product. Simple checks exist, but reliable measurement needs a method or instrument. Ask an extension officer or an advisor what is recommended for your crop.
- Keep stored product off the floor and away from walls, for example on pallets or racks.
- Protect the store from rain, leaks and rising damp. Check the roof and floor each season.
- Let air move in the store where the product needs it, and avoid packing wet and dry goods together.
Packing damp product
Sealing damp product in a closed pack can speed up spoilage, because the moisture is trapped. Dry first, then pack.
Rain and the market
Product dried in the open can pick up moisture again from damp air or sudden rain. Plan where it goes if rain starts, and have covers ready.
Exercise 6.2 · Dry and keep dry
- Write how you dry your product now, and how you know it is dry enough.
- Write who you could ask for advice on the correct dryness for your product.
- Write what you will change in your store to keep damp out: floor, roof, walls, packaging.
Background reading for this part:
- Value from village processing (Diversification booklet 4) — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Peter Fellows
- Small-Scale Postharvest Handling Practices: A Manual for Horticultural Crops (4th edition) — L. Kitinoja and A. A. Kader, University of California, Davis (hosted by FAO)