Evaporated Vegetables.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1440, 5 October 1899, Page 5

Evaporated Vegetables.

The factory of the British Preserving Company at Rayne is in the county of Essex, England. The main feature of the large hall (apart from the shafting and numerous machines, connected to it by belting, which first catch the eye) is what is called the drying canal. This runs along one side of the building, and has the appearance of an exaggerated wooden counter. Its internal dimension is about 4ft square and through its length is laid a small tram line, along which run the waggons containing ten or twelve perforated zinc shelves for the prepared vegetables. Outside the canal runs a similar tram line, by which the waggo/s, having passed through the canal, are returned to the end to be again filled and passed-through. A hot blast is driven into the canal by a powerful fan, and rapidly takes up the moisture of the vegetables,so much so that at the further end an exhaust fan with a high number of revolutions is required to extract the moisture-laden air, and expel it through an upcast shaft. The amount of moisture extracted from vegetables differs largely in various kinds. Onions being reduced to about one-tenth of their original weight, and and other vegetables to a less extent. The time and degree of heat required by each also largely differ, and in the knowledge of this lies much of the success of the process. When the vegetables leave the canal the' slices are crisp as biscuit, and a slight re-absorption of atmospheric moisture must take place before they are ready for compressing and packing. For this purpose they are spread on a wooden floor, and here again experience is needful in order to seize the proper moment. It is claimed that all the natural and essential qualities of the vegetables are retained without any diminution by this process. Having described the most important part first, we will now rapidly follow the process of preparation. Down the middle of the room are tables at which girls stand, each with two baskets on the floor, ■on either side. On the table or beneath it are various small machines for peeling or slicing, most of them very ingenious. The idea of peeling potatoes in a lathe strikes most people as ludicrous, but it is true. Larger machines for washing potatoes, carrots, onions, and other kinds by rotary action, and slicing them, stand round the walls, while a notable pea-shelling and sorting machine of large dimensions makes a sort of centre. Steam-heated plunging tanks occupy one corner, and large butts of cold water another. The machinery in the conserving room is of the newest description. It may be well to state here that the vegetables prepared at Rayne are absolutely free from chemicals, and have passed the Government analyst as perfectly pure. The principal feature of successfully evaporating vegetables is to wholly extract the water without burning or drying up the fibres and tissues that are in them, otherwise the vegetables will not thoroughly re-hydrate again or re-as-sume almost their normal size, while no matter how properly and carefully they are cooked they will be harsh and flavor-

■ less, and lose their natural aroma and ; colour. When properly evaporated each ' vegetable should, retain its own peculiar aroma, essential oil, strength, goodness, color and flavor. . Almost every kind of vegetable and herb is capable of being preserved by an evaporating process, and if care be taken, to get rid of the moisture contained in. them they will keep for an indefinite period in any climate, so long as they are kept covered .in a. tin. box, so as to prevent their absorbing the moisture contained in the air. Radishes, lettuce, watercress and such like vegetables, cannot be done successfully, because it is impossible by re-hy-drating to get back the orispness, which is their leading characteristic. The time required for the. drying process is from two hours and a half to four hours, starting from a gradual heat up to i'deg to 7odeg Celsius (equal to Pah.), such heats varying according to the vegetable dealt with. It is inadvisable, as also almost impossible, to lay down a fixed rule as to temperature required, as the condition of the vegetable, whether a wet or dry season, its growth, and even the soil upon which grown, have to bo taken into consideration.

Tiie process of evaporation does not in any way alter the condition of the vegetable so treated either in making it fresher or staler. Fresh vegetables will come out from the process fresh, and stale vegetables cannot be altered, but will come out stole. The best time to put the vegetables through the process is wheu they are at their full growth, and then- nutritive qualities at the highest point. Vegetables grown upon sewage farms or on very highly manured market gardens are not the best for the factory, as in both cases they contain a much higher percentage of water than these grown upon less forcing soil, and it is an open question as to whether they should have such good keeping qualities when grown on the former as on the latter. At the same time it is important to avoid using vegetables that are .grown on poor soil, which consequently are a long time growing, and must be necessarily coarse and spongy, iix the case of. roots and such-like, and stringy and tough in the case of cabbage, etc.

By the evaporation process, ail classes of vegetables require soaking in water for from two to six hours, according to the sort. After soaking they may be cooked in the same way as ordinary fresh vegetables of a. similar nature. Vegetables required for soups need not be soaked so long as those for the vegetable dish. By adopting a sound and proper proeess of evaporation, and by taking great care for the cleanliness of all the surroundings, and quickness in dealing with the produce from the first _ commencement of the process, which is the peeling, to the last, which is the pressing and packing, the colour of each vegetable and its own natural aroma and qualities may be retained without the use of any colouring matter or chemicals. For army, navy and colonial use/where vegetables are scarce or impossible to obtain, evaporated vegetables form a splendid substitute for the original article, and beyond question hold their own far beyond any tinned substitute, both in flavor and quality, while they are certainly much cheaper, comparing solids with, solids, and very much es-sier to handle. By hydraulic pressure, which in no way injures them or deteriorates from their value, it is possible to confine a large quantity of evaporated vegetables in a. very small compass, which very materially lessens the cost of transport both by land and sea. Dried vegetables may be seen and bought in most of the grocers' shops on the Continent, as they have now become universally used by tthe householders of the great cities and towns. For cheapness, saving of time and trouble in peeling and preparing, for doing away with the nuisance of the peelings and garbage stored in or near the house, evaporated vegetables should be extensively used in all great centres of people. The gold medal and diploma of honour were awarded to the Rayne vegetable* at the University Food and Cookery Exhibition, held at the Imperial Institute in March last, where there were extensively used in the practical demonstration.—Extracted from a paper read by R. G. Salmond at the Horticultural Club, London.

At the tallow sales held at the c: Baltic" salerooms there was a marked advance in all descriptions. Fine mutton ruled 10s per ton higher, medium 20s higher. Fine beef rose 30s per ton and meamni 20s. Last week there was an allround adance of 10s per ton, and the improvement this week illustrates the strength of the market. The offerings and sales during the past seven-weeks, together with the prices realised for me-t cliuin qualities, are as under:— '• ?

In three weeks medium mutton has advanced 40s per ton, and in "two weeks medium beef has risen 25s per ton. £27 10s pe2 ton for medium mutton tallowand £25 15s for medium beef are prices that have not been realised for a very long time.

Casks Casks. ■ Medium. . Medium. Offered. Sold. Mutton. ■■ :B.eef. perewfc. percwt. s. d. "'s. : ""'d.' Aug 16 1775 1400 25 3 24 3 Aug 23 1900 625 25 3 24 3 Aug 30 1225 950 25 3 24 3 Sep 6 1400 1100 25 6 : '.' 2A '•'■: %i Sep 13 .1000 925 26 0 24 6 Sep 20 800 650 26 6 24 9 Sep 27,1400 1125 * 27 6 25 9