THE ORCHARD.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1199, 22 February 1895, Page 7

THE ORCHARD.

FRUIT DRYING.

The following are extracts from a paper,on .." Fruit Drying," which was read by the hon secretary of the Angastonßranch Bureau (Mr A. B. Robin) at a recent meeting of that body. The full report appeared in the South Australian Chronicle : «' The demand for dried fruits has yet to a large extent to be created, and an increased consumption of this cheap and wholesome form of food will depend upon its being not only of good quality but of an attractive appearance. "In this district artifical heat is necessary for drying raisins and the late kinds of prunes, but, although apricots cr other fruits may be dried successfully in the open air in most seasons I think it is safer and better to depend upon evaporators rather than the sun. A few days of cool, mo'st weather during drying may considerably depreciate the sample if it does not spoil it. The expense is greater, but, on, the other hand, properly evaporated fruit will always command a higher price than the sun dried, owing to its superior quality and better keepiugproperties. The greater the temperature and the more rapid the process of evaporation the better will be the product, a free circulation of hot air being essential. "Trays made of laths are the best, as they are light and easily handled, sft x 2ft being of convenient size. " Apricots.—Apricots should be fully ripe for drying, but firm enough to retain their shape when cut. When picking, inferior, scabby fruit should be kept separate, and the rest afterwards graded to from two to four sizes, by which means they dry evenly on the trays. Jf done on a large scale it will pay to purchase a machine for this purpose. The fruit should be cut clean all round, and as soon as possible after spreading out on the trays it should be sulphured for about 30 minutes, or less if it is to be dried in an evaporator. There is no doubt that by sulphuriug the flavour is greatly deteriorated, but the public are not educated to this fact, and consequently the brighter the colour of the fruit the better it sells. The process of drying lasts from eight hours in an evaporator at a great heat to from four or five days to a week in the sun, the loss of Weight being about five and a half to one. % When sufficiently dry the fruit is taken off the trays and placed in heaps for two or three weeks to sweat, after which it should be packed tightly in 251 b boxes, neatly lined with paper. In connection with the packing, what is known as ' facing' is a thing in which we would do well not to imitate the Oalifornians. The top layer of every box should be a fair criterion of its contents. The most suitable varieties of apricots for drying are the JVloorpark, Late Superb, and Royal. ,'/ Peaches.—The methods of drying peaches are the same as in the case of apricots. The best sorts are the Muir, Early Crawford Foster, Sal way, and LaJy Palmerston, the Muir probably being the most profitable on account of its solid flesh and small stone, only 4£lb of fresh fruit of this variety being reduced to one of dried, the average loss in drying being from 7lb or 81b to en?. *' Prunes and Plums —Tut- main difference between prunVs ami plumis that the former dry sweet, and have comparatively small stones; the latter become tart and, when dried, being only suitable for cooking, should be sold under the name of dried plums. The best variety of prunes are the i.Ciofcien. Drop, Silver Prune, Prune d ? Agen or French Prune, Fellemberg Imperatrice, and Milan; Prunes should be left to hang on the trees until they can be easily shaken off. For the smaller kinds, such as the French Prunes, it is a good plan to spread a tarpaulin under the trees upon which the ripest fall when the branches are gently shaken. It is a mistake to harvest all the crop at once. To facilitate drying, the prunes should first be dipped in a boiling solution of soda or potash at the rate of lib to 10 gallons, and it is advisable to rinse them immediately afterwards in fresh water to remove the sediment of the lye. The time of immerson depends on the variety, , temperature, &c. If left too long the J skin will peel off instead of cracking. ; Most of the varieties do not ripen ]

sufficiently for drying until the latter part of March, when there is not enough heat to dry them in the open air. They will stand a high temperature at first, say about 180 deg. Fahr., which should be reduced, or more ventilation afforded, as soon as the fruit begins to drip. In less than two days they will be ready for the sweating process. Prunes should of course be graded before they are placed in the evapox*afcor, as the smaller ones dry so much quicker than the large ones. A first-class sample of French prunes should average from 45 to 60 to the lb, whilst the inferior run up to 100. The Golden Drop, which is perhaps the best all round kind we have in the colony, should average 25 to 30 to the pound."