Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-29
SOME FACTS ABOUT CIrRON.
An Agricultural Industry of the Future
How the Fruit In PREPARED.

An Agricultural Industry of the Future
How the Fruit i. Prepared.
THE CULTIVATION OF THE CTTRON rs
Il a growing industry in California and Florida,
and the time is likely to arrive before many
years when the large demand for the fruit in
this country will be supplied by domestic pro-
duction.
The citron figures in one OF the prettiest Of
fairy stories, where the hero. who is, OF course.
prince. Is given three magic citrons, with
very particular instructions as to the manner
IN which he is to use them. In obedience to
these. he seeks spring of pure water, aud there
with silver knife cuts ono Of the citrons. I'M
mediately beautiful young woman appears
and asks for drink, but the prince is so dumb
founded that he stands motion less and she dis
appears. Presently he cuts the second citron,
and at once girl even fairer than the first
stands before him demanding cup Of water.
Again he is too slow, being fabbergasted, SO to
speak, ut the sight of such charms, and she, too
vanlshes. After lamenting and cursing his
folly. he cuts the third citron and instantly
gives drink to the fairy who appears. She
becomes his bride thereupon. after some re-
markablc adventures. and the two reign hap
PLY together over the kingdom of wild oats
Such fairy citrons, good for a lovely young
woman apiece. do not grow nowadays alas !!
But the ordinary fruit affords a very delicious
condlment, and, therefore, there 10 interest in
description of its preparation for market,
which the Department of Agriculture has pub
lished for the instruction of growers in the
United States. OF course 1t is the thick rind
only that is utilized.
placed in casks filled with a strong solution Of
brine. In this shape it is delivered by the
growers at the mandatory.
THE DIFFERENT PROCESSES.
The first process to which 1t is then subjected
is the separation Of the pulp from the rind.
This Is done by women, who. seated around a
large vessel, take out the fruit skillfully gouge
out the inside with few rapid motions of the
forefinger and thumb. and throwing this aside,
place the rinds unbroken in q vessel alongside.
The rinds are next carried to big casks filled
with fresh cold water in which they remain
immersed for two or three days, the object be-
ing to rid them OF the salt they have absorbed.
The rinds upon being taken out of the casks
are boiled in copper caldron to make them
tender and to extract from them the last trace
OF salt This process performed, the peel is
sufficiently soft to absorb the sugar readily
from the sirup in which they are next put.
This is the most important part of the
operation. 1t requires eight days. because the
absorption OF the sugar must be very slow in
order to be thorough. Each batch of rinds
must be soaked in eight sirups of different
strengths. The first day they are put into a
great earthen jar containing weak solution of
sirup the next day they have a stronger solu-
ton poured upon them. and so on to the
eighth dav, at the end of which they are ready
for second boiling. This is done for an hour
in copper vessel filed with strip of extra
strength, over a slow coke fire.
Taken off the fire, the vessel is carried to
big wooden trough, over which is spread a
coarse wire netting. The contents are poured
upon this and the sirup permitted to drain off
them. Now it is considered that the peel has
taken up as much sugar as is necessary.
Next comes the final process, which is the
candying Of the surface of the peel with layer
OF sugar crystals. To effect this, quantity of
crystallized sugar is dissolved in water, and in
the solution the peels are again boiled. few
minutes suffice for this last operation. the water
evaporatlnS and the sugar forming its natural
crystals over the rinds. Once more the latter
are dried on the wire netting. whereupon the
product is finished. Last of all, the candied
peel is carried to the packing room in shallow
baskets and put up carefully by women in
boxes for shipment.