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Show If TELLS HOW TO : DRY THE I APPLES , So man" letters asking how to dry Jl npples hnvo been rccolvcd that the 1 following Information, on the subject -i is published: j Most of tho apple drying is done 1 in prune dryers, probably because 5t theso are available. In New York II stato, when apple drying is done ox- 1 tensively, evaporators much like tlio f 'hop kilns here are used. In fact, f some apples are dried in hop dryers, r Prune dryers are fairly well adapted s to this work, and have 'the advantage hZ being available for drying several I crops. M X The best fruit Is peeled, cored and j,l jmt on trays. An. experienced oper- Vj ator with a hand maohine will pare 1 3 BO bUBhols a day if the fruit Is not gjj too Braall. It is usually exposed then li to the fumes of sulphur for a few jfil minutes to bleach It, or keep it from J5M turning dark. It Is Important that it feft be bleached as soon as possible after 5 1 paring and slicing. A simplo form of lr bleacher is a tight compartment with ITI': '.. oleats to accommodate a number of Jill; trays at a atimo, at tho bottom of 'if which a pan of sulphur is burned. The f fruit should not come nearer than ( two fet o tho sulphur. Trays with. it; woodon slats are preferable as gal- jrl Tanixed wire Is affected by sulphur tjEt fcmoB, If the fruit is handled in M$ bulk a box with a series of Inclined IJB& plauoa place one above the other and Jf, sloping In opposite directions is used. 'M The fruit is thrown in at the top and 'jjf slides down these planoB, exposed H constantly to the fumes of sulphur, O and collects at the bottom whence it t Is removed from time to time. Care ljJ, ; must be exorcised lest too much K sulphur be absorbed by tho fruit, a ' condition forbidden by law. The l time required for sulphuring Is vari- A) i ously estimated at from 20 minutes to an hour and a half, depending on the amount of sulphur used. Ten , pounds of sulphur to a ton of fruit . is perhaps a good estimate of tho h amount required. j Slicing usually follows, but may t : I precede the bleaching. Slices are cut U a quarter of an Inch thick and when- A over possible should be at right an-1 H ' file to the hole whexce the core was j ' removed., The proportion of rings governs the grading of the fruit to a 5 considerable extent in kiln evaporators the nut is spread some eight inches deep This I is, of course, impossible when trays ; are used. Tho general practice in : ' New York evaporators Is to start the i ' fruit at 150 degrees, finishing at 125 degrees. In prune dryers this is nec-5 nec-5 ' esarily reversed, and a higher tcm- ' perature Is frequently maintained. In If kilns the fruit is turned from time to "ji J time to pr.Svent It from sticking to the J : slats. When ono lot has been roll ro-ll ' moved, the floor is treated with tal-Jf tal-Jf low to further prevent sacking. A 4 good kiln usually drys a lot of sliced fruit in 10 to M hours; in pruno dry- t ers 24 hours is the most common pell pe-ll J llod for drying. It : The fruit should dry until there is i; r little or uo visiblo moisture on the II ' surface. A Jest, sometimes employed jj is the squeezing of a number of n slices together in tho hand. Properly U. dried slices will pcparale at once up- j on being released After it is taken In , from tho drier the fruit should be i allowed to "sweat" gn a clean floor. aB prunes are shoveled over from time ,1 : to time. This makes the fruit more 1 unform as to moisture. Most of tho dried apples are sold j in sacks. If one Is drying on a largo ' scale, however, it will be found ad-4j ad-4j i vantageous to pack in an attract v it I manner in 25 and 50-pound boxes, or i' r in one-pound cortans, as largo opera- ttors in other regions do. Reports from experienced apple rr dryers indicato that a bushel of green 2 apples will produce 8 to 12 pounds of 5a dried fruit, the amount varying with tho method of drying and the variety L used. King, Baldwin and Northern Suy arc generally considered good ap- ! pies for drying. Opinions as to the Ben Davis vary. Summer apples in J general lack tho firmness required in ' ; r good drying apple, although tho Duchess of Oldenburg is considered i good. Though, it is reasonable to ' : suppose a goo eating apple will make I ' ? the bet rled apple, at present tho ' market does not discriminate, and seedlings are frequently employed i The grading is usually based upon ! whiteness, cleanliness and general attractiveness, at-tractiveness, and proportion of slices 1 ; in rings. |
