Middletown transcript., 1873-02-01
For tie MddiHosen Transeripf.

Of canning. based upon his experience in
the business several years since and as
hc has made some other assertions which
are at variance with actunl results. VIC ask
for space in your columns for plain state
mcnt Of facts concerning the Alden meth
cd Of preserving fruits. vegetables, &c
He says, "being an unbeliever that after
the natural juice is dried cut of any kind
Of fruit, by heat. ,ha, il can be restored
by water to its former natural favor" We
are Of the opinion that your correspondent
is an ''unbcliever" from the fact taat be
docs not fully understand the method. or
taken the pains tp make himself familiar
with it. Pneumatic evaporation as scien.
tifcally perfected by Mr. Alden. is essen
tall a novel art; not only distinct from,
but opposite to. disiccation or common
drying in its chemical principles and prnc.
teal results Ii is a process which not
only forestalls decay, aud which not only
seizcs aud perpc,ua,es the fresh favor.
color, and texture of the article (nnimal
or getablc) subjected to il, but which in
doing these things, at the same time ear.
riss out the organic process Of ripenng
itself to an artificial perfection on the same
principles incomplctcly used by Nature.
and with n correspondent increase Of nutr.
tive product. The means used to produce
these results are threcioli namely: rapid
circulation Of air, accurately adapted and
graduated heat. and at all times n consid-
cradle proportion Of dampnc.s I, will be
noticed that each of these paints stands
directly contrary both to the process Of
dcsicca,ion or kiln drying. and to ,ha, Of
ordinary air dying In all forms of life ami.
mated or vegetable water il the circuat.
lug vehicle Of life and growth until these
are perfected. aud then revcrscs its func.
ton aud becomes the minister Of death
and decay. To absorb the water. there.
fore. is t. stop the productive or dccaying
process. Whichever may be- going on, with
equal certainty Ia the Alden process the
rapid circulation Of the fresh heated eur.
rent first stimulates the circulation OF the
sap in the fruit, and keeps up rapid oxy.
eeua,iou aud super ripcning OF the mu-
cous ingredients to grape sugar, so long
as any free moisture remains At the
riI the free mssturc having been partly
vegetable tissue remains incorrup,ihlr by
the further access Of oxygen to indefinite
time
Al lirst. while fresh and wet on the sur
face. the vegetable tissue will endure for
few minutes high degree Of heat, not
only wi,hou, .caldiug. but without lccom-
ing heated. Just US ynu eau pick up y
4
tened thumb and ,ngcrJ As the surface
moisture evaporntcs. that within is drawn
forth by the law of equilibrium to take its
place In this manner. an internal circI.
laion is excited and kcp, up ,hroughou,
the process answering to that in living
fruit on the tree and with similar effect
The active circulation of the acid and 9th
er juices Of fruit, through the entire mass,
brings the combining atoms into contact.
aud is found to produce a rpening Of
them, or increases the swee,ing matter to
the amount. in three or four hours. Of
nearly twenty y.livc per cent on the whole
amoun, Of such matter developed BY weeks
Of ripcuing on the tree This rcsul. has
been proven beyond controversy by chem.
iral analysis Of the highest authority, 1t
is we'll known that frui, will not ripen
aud swee,er up in strictly dry weather nor
in cold wet weather The Alden cvapn-
rated frui, follows the law Of nature in this
respect, 1t does not become therefore n
dried fruit. as nothing evidently can be
dried in vapor without pressure. II is n
well known fact tha, the atmospheric pres
sure at the level ot the sea is about ) lbs
to the square inch upon all sides Of any
matter whatever. At the summit of the
highest mountains this pressure is dimin-
ished very much in fast. evaporation pro.
cecds. by this decreased pressure, at some
attitudes twenty tines as fact as at the
surface Of the earth Therefore rarifcd
air or decreased pressure is the sole cause
Of evaporation; it is also accelerated by
the addition Of heat, and moving air to
carry off the moisture liberated By the ra-
riicd air Aud this principle is the whole
sum aud substance Of the Alden Process.
By evaporation it is impossible to re-
move any acid. starch, or IN fact any solid
contained in fruit or vegetable, and no
change can take place in the article treat.
ed upon by evaporation, except the absence
Of water aud gain in sweetness. As heat
is used only to give US rariied air, We do
not have the temperature high enough to
change the acids or alknlies of the product.
You will see by this Mr. Editor that We
do no. dry out the natural juices by
"heat," but use heat as nm agent only to
give US rariGed air, which is natures
method OF doing the same thing in the
tropical climates. We believe that some
future day VIC will be able to accomplish
the results we do now with the Alden Pro-
cess. by the substitution Of an agent bet
ter. for our purpose. than heat.
There are four properties of the Alden
fruits. &c which we desire TO call your
attention to- First, InoorruptiLiliy; no
other mode Of preserving fruits and vcgc.
tables can guarantee the pcrmaucpce Of
freedom from the slightest change Of quail
ity In the lspse of years secured by this