Pizza Dough trays = humidity trays

[alpickrel]

I remember on this group how the question of finding good humidity trays used to come up frequently.

recently I learned that the pizza industry uses a standardized tray to ripen dough. A Google search on "dough tray" you will find lots of examples of these for sale. From $5 used to $19 or so new. Stacks of five. Lots of different colors, etc...

The interior of each tray measures 23½"W x 15½"D x 3"H.

Everybody who has ever worked in a pizza place recognizes these trays. I don't know how all businesses handle used trays, but If you have a Poppa John's Pizza place near you then hang around by their dumpsters and try not to look too creepy and eventually they will throw some of these out. When dough goes bad they toss out the whole tray. Probably because it is cheaper to buy them new by the train load than to sterilize and clean them. Dig them out of the dumpster, clean them up and you got some pretty good humidity trays for free.

[Diana Kulaga]

[alpickrel]

Dumpster diving. I so trashy! I am also fine. :-) It wasn't me who collected them. A cusotmer of mine who has a tattoo parlor next to a papa John's has been collecting them for his carniverous plant fetish for while and just brought me a truck load of moldy icky trays to clean. He didn't even charge me. They clean up well with a little clorox and soap. And really are quite usable. I don't think it would be wise to use any of the dough I found in them.

It may even be possible to string them together to use as ebb and flow hydroponic trays.

I got an email from one you a while back asking where I have been and mentioning my droll sence of humor being missed. Since the fire (18 months) I have been cursed with a weekly greenhouse maintenance emergency. I guess after nearly 15 years everything that wasn't destroyed is reaching the breaking point simultaneously. Very frustrating. So... I thought I would come here and be droll for bit and then go attack the frackin failing inflation blower with a chain saw since the oil can no longer has any effect. Picture me up a ladder with chain saw leaning way over.... Or better yet, come and watch....and bring a mop.

Anyway, those trays would fit most people's humidity tray needs. Very sturdy, they stack, and they are ubiqutous enough to be fairly cheap compared with what you find when searching 'humidity tray'