Wilmington journal., 1871-08-11


UtflIztng Fruat-The new Process CT
EvaporafIon--Une Thousand Bushels
Preaerved In Twenty. Four Hours.
The Wilmington, Delaware. Commercial
says the great increase of frnit gro wing in
Delaware, which was thought by many
would outreach the demand seems not
only to result in the opening of new ave-
nues of transportation to new markets, but
in improved methods of condensation and
preserving at home, SO that the poorest
family in the land can have fresh fruit the
whole Year round at less cost than is now
paid for the commonest article of food
The new process of preserving fruit and
vegetables by evaporation. though in its
infancy, has develo ped sufficiently to show
| that q great revolution is TO be effected In
housekeeping.
Obe of the reporters of the Commercial
being in Middletown recently. called on
the firm Of Jackson, Pyle & Cox, who have
| just put in operation in that town one OF
those establishments for preserving fruit
by evaporation. The principal machinery
is steam engine and what is called an
evaporator. The latter is mads of wood,
being about five feet square and fifteen feet
high.
On the outside of the evaporator are four
endless chains, one at each corner, which
| pass up the outside and into the top of the
evaporation. Upon these chains are loose
| bearers, nine inches apart, which, after
entering the evaporator. becomes support
ers to wire hurdles, upon which the fruit
| has been placed.
The hurdles are made five feet square,
and being put in the evaporator nine
inches apart, abont twenty are required to
fill it.
La the bottom OF the evaporation is coil
OF 1000 feet of iron pipe, which Is heated
| l. frc khoI e 81 In
! temperature at the bottom being 1S0 de-
grees. fan is 80 arranged that the hot
air is tempered by blast of cold air The
fru,t is all put into the evapOrator at the
top and taken out at the bottom. with the
watery matter entirely extracted and the
sugar ard nutritious elements not only
preserved but increased. when compared
with its raw condition. The hurdles rest
ing upen the endless cba:rs are lowered
by means of a crank, which regulates the
fruit according to the capacity and temper
ature OF the evapOrator.
After the fruit is taken from the hurdles
it is placed in paper boxes, generally two
pound boxes, and sent TO market.
One busheI of tomatoes makes four
pounds after having gone through the pro
cess. These four pounds are said to equa
C twelve quart air-tight cans of the same
fruit, costing one-half the price now PAID
for canned tomatoes.
OF berries the proportion of pounds tc
the bushel is greater and varies according
to the quantity of liquid in the fruit
which has all to be evaporated.
OF peaches the proportion of pre- served
fruit TO the bushel is said to be from eigh
" to ten pounds, sold at half the price fo
canned fruit.
We were shown several varieties of frui
, which had been put through this new pro
C IS, which were quite palatable wi;hou
cooking, from the fact that all the water,
substances had be en- eXtirpated, and tn
sugar, starch, and other nu Ii 1us ele
ments had not only been preserved. bu
ilcrease in quantity and quality. To
matoes, peaches, and apples, are sliced BY
machinery for that purpose, and aftel
=. having gone through the evaporator, ap
pear | Ike waters. these waters or silica
are placed loosely into cubical shaped
! paper boxes, two pound to box. Th
fruit, when taken to be used for culinar,
D purposes, and soaked in water, will resum
It's original proportions, the two pound
(of tomatoes) making a bushel of fruit
Experimenting upon this new process, Mr.
!. Pyle, one of the firm, sent to Lippincott'
Hotel two pounds of blackberries, whicl
we're made into pies, and served forty-fiv
persons for dessert, not more than hal
the usual quantity of sugar being required
> Amongst the sc who partook of these pie
was J. B. Fennimore ard other prominen
and reliable citizens of Middletown, wht
unhesitatingly pronounced them the bes
; blackberry pies they had ever eaten.
It is believed that the experiment will
peaches will prove equally as satisfactory
and the firm is now engaged largely il
pres vrviDg that delicious fruit.
> The entire es ablishment, when unde
full operation, will require force Of abou
twenty hands, principally young ladies
y and will preserve 500 bushels of peache
per day, or 1000 bushels if run day an
night. MIR. Jackson informs us that ther
is no necessity for more than two idl
months IN the year, as by this process no
only fruit, but corn aud all kinds of vege
: tables, as we'll as fish, meat. oysters, AN
CLANS, can be preserved.