The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1879-09-17

part of its maturity, it is rather milky
and contains much starch. Ii 1t is
roasted in ashes, or boiled In water,
it forms very nourishing food, cap
able of being substituted for bread.
If cut at three-fourths OF its growth,
it is less nourishing, but contains
more sugar: in this state it is eaten
as an accompaniment to meat. Lastly,
when the fruit is perfectly ripe, all
the starch is changed into gum or
sugar; it then develops an acid prin-
ciple; in this state it is eaten either
raw or in the form of fritters. The
banana fig, which is eaten when per
fectly ripe, is rather fruit than
nutritive substance it is soft, full OF
sugar, melting, possesses a powerful
perfume, and forms principal dish
for dessert in tropical regions. In
some countries they cut them while
they are green, and hang the punches
in their houses to ripen. To hasten
their ripening in China they are COW
cred with rice, or even with lime.
The Chinese also eat the flowers OF
the banana picked with vinegar.
The banana when plucked keeps
fresh for week; at the end OF that
time it becomes yellowish and more
sugary; in twelve or fifteen days it
begins to decompose and terment
In America there are two methods
Of preserving the banana; the first,
used when the fruit is green, produces
banana farina the other, when the
fruit is completely ripe produces the
platamopasado of the Mexicans,
or the 2olatano- curdClo Of the prov
ince of Neba, New Granada.
There is a method of utilizing this
plant, made use of in South America,
but it is defective in great many
points as compared with that already
noticed. They crate the fruits, having
first peeled them, squeeze the mols-
ture out in a press, bake them, like
manioc, in an oven, and by this means
obtain coarse kind Of flour. But
the nutritive property of this is infer
ior 10 that prepared from the dried
slices, for no doubt the pressure
which extracts the moisture expels
also the soluble albumen, and other
nutritious qualities.
The next method OF preserving the
banana very closely resembles that
commonly used in the preparation OF
| dried fruits, such as figs, prunes, ETC.,
The time chosen is when the fruit is
quite ripe, and its skin has become OF
yellow color, shaded with black.
In Mexico in the "terras culientes, "
and particularly in Mechoucan and
Xarisco, bananas are dried simple by
exposure to the atmosphere. Ac-
cording to Colonel Colquhoun, they
proceed in This manner: the fruits
are exposed to the sun in bundles,
and when they begin to wrinkle they
are peeled, for the skin, it lett on,
causes a disagreeable flavor. They
are kept for some time, until an Ell
florescence of sugar appears on their
surface, as on dried figs and prunes.
They are then pressed in masses OF
about twenty-five pounds each, and
wrapped in leaves Of the banana
plant, or else kept in boxes. OF
course, these methods can only be
adopted in countries where the eli
mate is very dry. In others, recourse
must be had to artificial means, which
are unfortunately more costly.
There are three distinct ways in
which the ripe banana may be dried.
First, exposing the fruit to an atmos-
phere of sulphuric acid gas before the
dessication is begun. Second, boil
ing rapidly very ripe fruit in water
which contains sulphate of lime.
Third, by boiling it in syrup. u By
either OF these, the albumen and
caseine of the fruit coagulates, and
the tendency Of the banana to decay
and terment is stopped at period
favorable for dessication. Expert
ence shows that the second method
is the best to employ; in moist eli
mates, without this precaution, the
fruit, instead of drying, becomes
damp. To expose the fruit to the
SUMS rays after boiling, trays OF bam-
boo, as i'll Mexico, or OF anything
which permits the free action of the
air and light on the fruit, may be
used. If rain tails, they are dried
in furnace, which must be left open,
otherwise the bananas bake instead
Of d. wing. The heat, also, must be
moderate. The bananas when dried
are pressed and packed in boxes.
The fruit thus prepared is a very good
article Of food, resembling. figs, and
its abundance and easy preparation