Help needed!

[lins]

First one. This year I would like to make my own sun dried tomatoes, my tomato plants are doing well, and I have bamboo to make racks, Has anyone got any tips for me please!
Second one. I have for some years been trying to grow purple basil, and this year for the first time I have small seedlings but when I transplant them they die. Why!
Third. I would also like to make my own raisins, I'm clueless any help would be appreciated!
Sorry to put three questions in one post!

[tcapper]

I cant really answer any of your question but what is the bamboo for and sun dried tomatoes, you dont actually sun dry them do you.

I slice my tom in to quaters (or size you want) sprinkle with rock salt, drizzle with olive oil and pop into the plate warmer for a couple of days and hey presto they are ready. Depending on how moist you want them depends on time in warmer.

[Pinot]

In regard to question 2. Purple basil does seem very tricky. You would probably need to use seed insitu rather than transplanting.

But even when I was sucessful I was not impressed with the flavour or the slowness of growing. So I am back to good old traditinal stuff.

[siduri]

I'm a disaster with growing any plant (well, except yeast!) but i bought a plant of purple basil and it's doing quite well, in a pot outside. I have an automatic watering system and the terrace is very very sunny. I like it because it doesn't go to seed so quickly. In fact i've had it since end of june and it's still full of leaves and no seeds yet. Taste is different, but there are dozens of types of basil plants, each one different in a way.

tcapper- sun-dried tomatoes are really dried in the sun. Hence the term, "sun-dried"! (sorry, couldn;t resist)
the oil is added later, if it's added. I usually buy them dry without oil, then soak, then use. Of course, you can dry tomatoes any way you like and if they taste good, who cares?