FROZEN PEACHES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 27 March 1915, Page 2

FROZEN PEACHES.

An experiment in keeping, peaches in cool 'storage ror the purpose of. exporting mem, and also of selling them on tiie V jctorian market after the season, has been made by the direction of the Minister for Agriculture at the Government cool stoves, with every promise of success (reports a Melbourne paper). On Marcn 5 Mr Hutchinson and a number of fi'.ait-growers inspectedi fruit that had been kept at the stores for tlie past six weeks, and the visitors, after testing samples, pronounced it excellent. Some of the fruit was wrapped and some had been put into the chambers just as it came from the growers. Then, again, there was green and ripe fruit. The experts present, were satisfied that ripe fruit came out of the ordeal as well as that which had been picked before maturing. The appearance of the peaches that had been wrapped was better than those unwrapped, and, on the whole, double wrapping seemed to be preferable to single wrapping. Mr Hutciiinson said that the Department proposed to carry out these experiments 'for two or three years in succession in order to guard against placing any fruit on the London market that might prove unsatisfactory. The peaches liave been kepii in the cool chambers at a temperature of 32deg. Fahr. with the &ir. at a humidity of 75 per cent. These conditions appear to be the most suitable for storing peaches.

To more fully test the value of the experiments conducted last week, a further examination of the chilled peaches was made by the departmental ofticials and others interested in the peachgrowing industry on Monday, March 8. The fruit, which had been stored at a temperature of 32deg;, was allowed to remain in the butter examination shed until the Monday. The temperature in this room was approximately from 50 deg. to 60deg., which,would correspond with the interior .temperature of the average retailer's premises. This was done to ascertain whether cool-stored fruit would maintain its condition sufficiently long to enabteitto be disposed of to the consuming public. The results obtained from Monday's inspection were somewhat disappointing, the majority of the fruit, while lacking nothing in appearance, had lost both flavour and iuciliess. There are many who contend that the main value of cool storage is that of enabling the grower to hold and place the fruit on the market in apparent good condition. If this view is accepted, the experiment was largely satisfactory. It showed that such soft fruit as peaches can be stored for long periods more than sufficient to enable the produce to be shipped to London. It is highly probable that experiments which are to be carried out next season and that following will show that some varieties may be stored over periods long enough for. successful exportation, and that these will retain all their most desirable qualities.