HOW TO KEEP PEARS

Southland Times, Issue 20525, 29 June 1928, Page 8

HOW TO KEEP PEARS

NEW METHOD EXPLAINED. At the fruitgrowers’ conference in Wellington, Mr. Benzies, a Government inspector, described a new method of keeping pears without the aid of cold storage or vacuum. He produced a large round tin which had been filled with pears on April 16 last and then carefully sealed with beeswax. Mr. Benzies explained that similar experiments has been made at Cambridge, England, where they sealed pears in carbon dioxide gas with partial success. By the new method the pears themselves made this gas after they were sealed in tins, thus keeping themselves fresh at normal household temperatures. Mr. Benzies said that it was important not to select immature fruits, as they did not ripen properly after being unsealed. Amid considerable interest Mr. Benzies produced several large pears from the experimental tin, which were passed round for the delegates to inspect. Mr. T. C. Brasch (the chairman) said that the experiments were well worth continuing. No one could tell what it would lead to, and he thought some specially selected pears should be sent to England in sealed kerosene tins to see what happened on the voyage.