The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1886-02-24
frozen Apples.

Of the Sun has gathered the follow.
ing interesting facts.
"If your garreI orlOft is only cold
enough, there isn't any reason in
the world why you shouldn't treat
your friends with plump, full,lay.
oted Rhode Island Greenings, Bald.
wins, or any other choice apples
just as wellnOxt June as you did
last Christmas, /" said a Washington
street commission merchant "lll
have last years Baldwins, and I
don't know but last years Green.
ings, as sound as a knot, in MY
house next summer, in the sams
dish With this years harvest pp,
pies; set nine out Of ten people
would have tboughtthese aue lp.
Iples were ruined two months agoi
and would have treated them az
cotdiogly. Why2 Simply becansg
they we're frozen"
doesn't the freezing Of apples
spoil them, thenP" asked the repor.
ter.
"Tho general opinion Is" replied
the merchant, "ihat after an apple
freezes its value is gomez but tho
fact is Iha! just the contrary is the
math, Let barrelof apples freeze
in the Fall, and keep them frose,or
raj her, do not disturb them, and in
the Spring they will be in the very
condition they wete when taken
from the tree. Baldwins, aud, in
fact, all favorite eating apples, do
not have their full flavor or mel.
lowness when first packed in the
Fall. They ripen in the barrel,
and are at their best in January
After that they begin to decay, and
when March comes they are few
and far between, those that are left
being the result Of especial good
care and attention,
"If they are frozen in the Fall,
however, the ripeniug process is,
checked. The vitality Of the apple
is simply suspended, aud ii only
needs proper treatment to restore
it to its natural action. The tron-
bic has always been that when a
barrel Of apples was found to be
frozen, it was rolled of at once to n
warm place and subjected toa rapid
thawing, Some people take the
applesout oftho barrels and plunge
them into cold water to draw the
frost out. The result is a tlabby,
Iaagofless fruit, really not gotlh
the room it occupies, and subjectto
speedy decay;all because Of popular
Ignorance. A frozen apple is one
Of the most sensitive things in the
world. Touch your finger upon it,
and when the frost is thawed from
the apple the spot touched will be
mark Of. decay, which spreads
rapidly over the fruit,
Therefore, if you ever find that
your barrel of Baldwins is frozen,
heat it gently. II the apples are
thoroughly frozen the barrel will
not be full by nearly a peck, SO
much has the fruit contracted With
the frost. II would be impossible
to move the barrel without running
every apple in it. So, il it stands
where it will not be subjected ta
sudden warmth, and thus thawed
GU! rapidly, let il stand. Cover
the apples up where they will be
kept dark. Then go away and let
them alone until Spring comes aud
draws the frost ont Of everything,
Then uncover yourapples. I,may
startle you, but you will End bar
rel full to the head with the plump
fellows that were rolled into your
house in the Fall, and which wero
a sorry looking lot Of wtinkledi
shrunkup frui! the last time you
saw them.
"lf they were assorted apples
when packed, you need not pick
them over, for they will be Just as
sound and hard as they were In
November. By the middle Of May
or 1st of June they will be in the
fragrant, mellow condition that
they would have been in FIVE
months before if the frost hadn't
stepped in and held 1t back. I've
had apples frozen and thawed three
times in one Winter, owing to sud.
den changes in the weather. but
they were all right when the Anal
drawing Of the frost took place, A
barrel of apples might be kept fro.
zen thousand years, | believe, aud
the fruit would be just as smul
and tlne favored when thawpd oul
and ripened as il was the day it
was picked"