Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-05-10
FACTS ABOUT RAislNs.
How Grapes Are Dried In Various Pc,
tiOns OF tho Globe.


How Grapes Are Dried In Various Por-
tions OF the Globe.
Several varieties of grapes are used
IN making raisins. but the different
names of the varieties of dried fruit
are usually given from the locality
whence they are imported. The COM
mon mode of drying is to spread the
punches on platforms or suspend them
on lines in heated rooms. where they are
allowed to shrivel slightly. They are
then dipped in I've of wood ashes and
barilla. to each four gallons Of which
a pint of oil and handful of salt is
added. This causes the sugar to ex-
ude through the skin. and makes
slight varnish on the outside of the
fruit. In this way the Valencia raisin.
the favorite cooking raisin. is pre-
pared. 1t is shipped principally from
Valencia. Spain. Malagas also take
their name from the Spanish port,
whence they are most largely sent.
These are made from richer grape
than the Valencia, and are dried on
the vine in the sun. The grapes do
not fall off wien ripe. so the stem is
twisted and the grapes shrivel by the
evaporation of their own water.
In this way the fruit keeps
more freshness and bloom than
in any other, and there is
very little emulation of sugar. These
rai>ins are also called Mu>catelles, and
are the favorite table raisins. Spain
is still the greatest producer of raisins,
though large quantities are also raised
in Turkey. and California is becoming
an important locality for the produc-
ton of this favOrite fruit. The Sui
tana or seedless raisins are produced
in Turkey. These are cured in the
sun, light sprr King of oil being en-
ployed to prevent the too great evap-
grafton of the moisture. and also to as
sist in the preservation of the fruit
when packed and shipped. The Eleme
raisins are also produced in Turkey.
and are used chiefly for export to dis
tant colonies and for ships stores. As
their name implies, they are picked
raisins. and are packed specially for
ship use from the vines of the Car
bourna and Vouria districts in ASIA
Minor The great proportion of the
raisins from Smyrna are known as
"Chemse, the name of an island near
the mainland. These are the Turkey
grapes. pure and simple. without Sc
lection, picking of stalks. or any
manipulation whatever. They find
a ready market in Eastern countries,
but are the special feature of
fruit trading between Turkey and Ger
man ports. There are vast districts
in Persia where raisins are cultivated.
but the difficulty of getting them to
market is so great that it does not pay
to export. consequently they are used
for distilling and local purposes. At
the Cape of Good Hope raisins are
produced which find a market chiefly
in Australia. Distillation of raisins
into wine is becoming quite an inn
portant business. the flavor of the dry
fruit giving very pleasant taste to
the beverage. The raisins used for
this are the small black SMYRNA raisins.
The dried fruit known to commerce as
the Zante currant is variety of raisin.
1t is not made from a currant, but
from very small grape dried in the
sun. These small raisins were at first
called Corinths. because they were inn
ported from the port of Corinth. Their
similarity to currants caused the name
10 be corrupted later, as many sup
posed them to be kind of dried cur
rent.-T0Ledo Blade.