The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1878-07-17
A Fruit EyapOl.atOr.

fruit evaporators. but is the oldest.
and is a good type Of them all. The
apparatus that has been described
consists essentially of an upright
wooden shaft or tower erected in a
three-story building. At the base
is some form of hot air furnace. with
proper inlets for fresh air. The air
passes over the furnace, becomes
heated, and ascends through the
shaft and escapes at the top Of the
tower. When the temperature Of
the interior ranges from 250 to 800
deg. Fahrenheit. a tray of fresh
fruit is suspended on the eleVating
chains just above the furnace. At
this temperature the fruit would be
cooked instead of dried, were it not
for the fact that it is dripping with.
moisture. 1t is bathed in a steam.
ing vapor and begins to dry, not on
the outside, bst from the inside
first. The air, saturated with water,
keeps the pores of the fruit open
and the surface unchanged. There
is no formation Of a hard, dry and
discolored skin, as when fruit is
dried in the open air. In this high
temperature, in a few minutes, the
fruit would begin to cook; but be-
fore this can happen, the elevating
chains are moved and the tray is
raised about thirteen centimeters
Give inches), and another tray is
placed below it. The first tray is
now shaded from the direct heat,
and the lower tray gives off clouds
of vapor that rise and battle the fruit
above in hot and steamiDg atmOs-
phere. In a certain number of min
utes. regulated by the heat. the
kind and quality Of the fruit, and
state of the weather. the two trays
are raised another thirteen centime-
ters. and another fresh lot of fruit
is inserted below. The first lot is
stilI more shaded from the heat, but
remains in an atmosphere saturated
with moisture from the new supplies
below. The the fruit rises few
centimeters every ten or fifteen min
utes, moving continually away from
the fire, and yet always bathed in
vapor from the fruit under it. In
from four to six hours it rises to the
top of the shaft, and is by this time
finished It has parted with all its
water. and has undergone an entire
change ia its nature. When fresh.
four-fifths of the ripe peach contain
ed a certain percentage of acids and
a certain portion of sugar. starch
aud other chemical constituents.
After passing through an evarora-
tor, it is reduced to fOur-ifths of its
original weight the loss being al
skeleton of the fruit remains, but
the acids are reduced and the sugar
has increased in quantity. The
other portions-starch, etc.-are
nearly unchanged, the color is re-
tanned, and there is still trace OF
the fragrance OF the ripe fruit. The
process the fruit has passed through
seems to resemble a supplementary
ripening. The familiar instance of
the after-ripening of winter pears
in a dark closet, where the hard and
sour pear becomes sweet, juicy and
mellow, may serve to illustrate the
chemical change that takes place in
this process. The evaporated peach
is dry. but ripe and sweeter than
when fresh. Every valuable quality
of the fruit is retained; the water
alone has been extracted. Soak the
dry peach in enough water to cover
it and it assumes its natural size
and flavor. 1t is then practically a |
ripe peach, with the water restored. !
It makes no difference when the
water is replaced; it may be now,
next year. or ten years hence, in
this or any other climate, and it may
be cooked or eaten in any form that
fancy dictates.-Chas. Barnard, In
Sc1i6ner for Jane.