Our Past Is Present October 6, 2017

October 6, 2017

            This is “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.

            In the fall of 1943, the County Ration Board Chairman, Joe Deines, reported he not only maintained a sizeable victory garden, but he also was trying his skills at dehydrating vegetables.  He had built a dehydrator to aid in the process, which consisted of heating and drying to remove moisture.  Joe found that if he started with a gallon of produce, it was generally reduced to about a quart by using the dehydration procedure.  The fresh peas came through the process well, but garden beets did not have a very appetizing appearance.

 The vegetables were blanched in boiling water to set the color, then heated to 150 degrees for 4 hours.  The heat was provided by four 250 watt reflector bulbs.  An electric fan circulated the heat and ventilators provided a means for the moisture to escape. Mr. Deines had made his dehydrator by using plans given in the General Electric magazine and he encouraged others in Junction City to support the War effort by giving this method a try.   

            We have a sample of a typical “Victory Garden” in our gallery on the main floor of our museum.  You could not dehydrate or eat the vegetables in our garden, however, because they are made of plastic.  But at least you can see what such a garden looked like during WWII. 

            That’s today’s story on “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.