The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-10-22
AGRICULTURAL.
Fruit Batter.

The american Grocer gives the following
account of the manufacture of fruit butter:
'lh general only dfled fruit is used from
winch to make the butter. They can and
sometimes do use the green fruit, but it is
not so practicable in the cities. The princi-
pal kinds made are from apples, peaches and
ounces. Recently they have commenced
making pear butter also. 1t is not easy to
get dried ounces in the market, consequently
during the season when they are ripe the
green fruit is used, and its manufacture
pushed, and large quantity also put up in
Theoretically sealed cans for use later in the
year. We saw several hundred cans that
would hold two or three hundred pounds
each, awaiting the incoming fruit. Apple
and peach butter, however, are the kinds
mostly made. Almost any reasonable amount
OF these kinds of goods can be found at all
seasons, and, consequently, the manufacture
can continue all the year round. As mat
ter of fact, however, there is generally very
little to do in July and August, the dull
months. We are told that the Southern
dried fruit is better suited tor the purpose
than that of the North and West The dried
fruit is first carefully washed and picked over
and soaked, so as TO get everything out that
ought not to be in. 1t is then put into large
copper kettles holding about 1900 pounds.
which ale surrounded by steam jackets, and
a sufficient quantity of sugar is put in and
enough water to answer the purpose, and the
batch is cooked and constantly stirred until it
is done. The three large kettles used BY the
firm can turn out, when fully at work, at
least $4,000 pounds of fruit butter day.
about nine tons. After it is sufficiently
cooked, which the experienced manufacturer
can very accurately judge, it is forced through
peculiarly constructed sieve, which revoIves
upon a row of pestles, by which>process any
cores or Jumps are prevented from going into
it. 1t is then passed down into another de-
partment, where it is put into pals ready for
shipment. The pals are of different sizes,
holding respectively five lbs, six lbs and
thirty-five lbs. The goods will keep excel
lently we'll under all favorable circumstances,
and will bear shipment to all parts of the
country. 1t might not be best to have it on
hand in a southern latitude in the middle of
the summer. We do not know an article that
promises to be more popular and useful than
this. 1t combines the utiIe ct dulce to per-
fiction, and no well regulated grocer'S es-
Enlistment should be without it. 1t is cheap
enough to sell readily and give good mar
gin for profit. 1t is only nine years ago that
this article was first introduced into the mar.
ket of Philadelphia, and only two years since
its manufacture was begun here. The whole
sale trade generally handles these goods.
Fruit butter may be easily made in the coun-
try. The same purpose that sugar subserves
in manufactures here, may be accomplished
there by the use of cider. When apples are
ripe make, say, three barrels of cider. Then
pare and core four bushels of apples. Then
boil down the three barrels of cider to one
and hall, and set it convenient to the cop
per kettle, in which place the four bushels of
apples. Pour on the apples from the cider
enough to answer the purpose, and fire up.
As the cider boils away add more and more
until it is all used up and the contents of the
kettle are brought down to a proper conss-
tency, OF which one must be Judge. A little
practice will make one perfect i'll this process.
This is for apples. 1t will apply equally we'll
to any other kind of fruit from which it is
practicable to obtain the juice as one would
from apples"