It isn't particularly difficult. Unless you're in an extremely warm and arid climate with a lot of sunny days, you probably should invest in a dehydrator of some type. Many people have reasonably good results with the mass market types sold for around $50, at least as a "starter" unit. Better quality units are probably $200 and up, depending upon size, materials and features. You can also use an oven. It takes longer, and depending upon the type and features of the oven, the lowest setting may still somewhat cook fruit. It will still work ok, I've done this myself many times, but it somewhat alters the flavor. Sugaring is technically optional, but on extremely sour fruits like tart cherries and cranberries, the end product will be too sour for most people to eat out of hand unless you do so. Sugaring also helps to keep fruits from getting very hard, yielding a little bit softer product. I also use powdered Vitamin C on my fruit (Fruit fresh is just Vitamin C and sugars plus anti-caking agents, I believe). It helps to prevent excess browning.

Bill, grafted Loquats (named varieties) are an excellent choice. The fruit from my Golden Nugget tree was superb. But they are prone to fireblight, which eventually killed my tree. They taste a lot like juicy Apricots, with a kick! Birds, unfortunately, love them! I probably will buy another one. It is a nice-looking tree. I grew mine in a half whiskey barrel, and it fruited very well. Isn't that book awesome? I carry it with me all the time and read it whenever I have a few free moments. It is endlessly fascinating! I have a Fuyo Persimmon, newly purchased. It is attractive and healthy, and supposedly the fruit is very good. I have not ever eaten a Persimmon though.. I also have a Guthrie Plum, but it is a regular Plum, (low-chill). It produced small, yellow fruits last year, nothing this year. My 7 Plum trees simply cannot bloom together to cross-pollinate! Lisa

Thanks Theresa! I googled it and it brought up The Quilt Patch.They have some great ideas for placemats. I have a table runner that I made from a kit that I bought there. I have been there a few times but probably won't go there again. Since I moved,it's too far away. Linda OH

I think I understand what you have now. I will say that blacktop patch would give you good traction and have other benefits. First, being black it'd absorb the sun, heat up so on a nice day it should melt, solving part of the problem. It's a rough texture so that would help. It's cheap, about $5 for a 40# bag (you'd probably need several bags). And it'd make a slope instead of the bump. I used it to build up in front of my garage skirt and my sister used it to build up her driveway next to the house to slope it away from the foundation. But you'd need it fairly clean and dry so you'd need a reasonably nice an sunny day and keep the patch in the house until you use it. You could warm things up with a salamander heater and a couple heavy tarps. That should bring the temp up enough to get a patch on. It probably wouldn't be very permanent but it might help you get through the winter. Looks like we're having an old fashioned one this year! Oh, and you could mix in some pea rock or something too. Even some larger stuff to make a rougher surface. Don't hesitate to overlap it onto the garage skirt if you wanted although if you wanted to take it off later, it might not be easy. Hope you find a solution! Permanent or temporary!