In the 18th century Drying fruit in a “slack” (cooling wood stove) was a kitchen staple for saving fruits to preserve throughout the long winter months. After the baking was finished, the cook would lay the fruit on racks in the wood stove as it was cooling down, leaving the fruit overnight to dry. Then it would be dutifully tied up in scrap cloth to hang from the rafter or put in a crate stowed away in the fruit cellar. 4x2x1 inch