DEHYDRATION TEST

Grey River Argus, 22 September 1945, Page 6

DEHYDRATION TEST

How good are dehydrated fruit, and vegetables? Will anybody want to use them after the war? The best way of finding the answer to questions like these is to get the opinion of people who have used dehydrated vegetables. That is precisely what was done recently, when sets of four sample tins were provided for testing to each of 50 families, mostly in New Zealand, but a few in the Dominion's Pacific Island territories. With each set of tins went a typed sheet of instructions telling the best way of cooking the contents, together with a questionnaire to be filled in after completing the test. Dehydrated apple and dehydrated carrot came ton of the list in this small public opinion poll. Of the families polled 70 per cent, replied that they would like to use the dehydrated apple “usually’ or “frequently”. There was the same percentage response for dehydrated carrot. For dehydrated cabbage the answer “frequently” was given in 60 per cent, of replies, and for dehydrated potato it was 50 per cent. Particularly interesting was the comment of a returned sserviceman: “100 per cent, improvement on what we got overseas. My wife too, was prejudiced right till they were served at table. Apple is equal to fresh except it saves a lot more work.” The contrast between the serviceman’s home and overseas experience is probably explained by the fact that in the field dehydrated vegetables mostly have to be cooked under bad conditions, often also without the help of the correct cooking instructions. The addition of only the correct amount of water, the time allowed for soaking and quick cooking are important in preparing dehydrated vegetables. However, New Zealand is a country well-served with fresh vegetables, so the question remains—to what extent will New Zealanders use dehydrated foods? The Internal Marketing Division which built and controls the Dominion’s dehydration factories, believes the product of these factories will be used after the war mainly as canned goods have been.used in the past —for variety and in household emergencies.

Apple seems at the moment to have the best commercial prospects of all the dehydrated foods, because it cooks up like stewed fresh apples, and also because dehydration of apples produces a saleable by-product in bottled apple-juice.