The herald., 1893-09-03
packing house; this prevents the fruit
from getting hard.


from getting hard.
DIPPING THE FRUIT.
All signs of moisture on the surface Of
the fruit having disappeared, it is placed
in wire baskets and dipped into boiling
water, the hotter the better. This dip
ping closes up the pores, kills all germs,
and again reduces the skin somewhat
and gives the fruit beautiful color. Ii
is only necessary to dip the fruit into
hot water two or three times, raising 1t
up Immediately. If allowed to remain
too long in the hot water 1t is liable to
get cooked, and Is also liable to be rem
dered sour. After dipping, and the
water having drained off the figs, they
are thrown in q pile, either on clean
wooden floor or table, or bin, and
from time to time are shoveled back
ward and forward until they become
cold. When the moisture has entirely
evaporated, which will be in two or three
days, it is time to back the fruit.
GRADES OF FRUIT.
In processing figs there will always be
at least two grades OF fruit, the first of a
light pinkish color, and the second much
darker. The reason for this variation in
color is the unevenness in the ripening
of the figs on the tree-and in picking 1t
is impossible to gather the fruit about
the same degree of ripeness. Fruit that
has shriveled considerably will dry dark
er. The fruit is assorted and the grades
packed separately.
CULLs.
All discarded fruit is assorted and the
best put into boxes in layers, simply
thrown in and evened with the hand,
and between the layers granulated su-
gar is busted, and then the boxes put
under heavy pressure; the sugar serves
to cover up many defects in the fruit.
Such fruit becomes a good marketable
article for cooking. Culls are also used
for making vinegar, to which purpose
they are we'll suited.
DARK FIGS.
Figs prepared without bleaching are
picked from the tree when shriveled
considerably, and placed on trays on
their sides. and en- put in the sun to
dry. The trays are made of Stats and
placed on staging, which should be suf-
ficiently high from the ground to allow
free circulation OF air beneath the
trays. 1t is best to place the bloom end
of the fruit toward the rising sun, as
that part requires more heat to dry than
the stem end, and in the afternoon as
the sun changes to the west the tray is
simply turned around. The figs being
all one way, brings the bloom
end in direct contact with the
sun during the hours of drying. After
the fruit has been cut for two days, "fin-
ger pulling" or rolling begins. The figs
are rolled between the fingers and
turned over ON the trays at least twice
while drying, although this can be per-
formed oftener without injury to the
fruit. The fruit having dried is placed
in boxes-half full-in the storehouse
and piled one on another. The
fruit is kept in the boxes for
at least eight or nine days to
allow it to undergo a sort of natural
sweat. Every day the boxes are emptied
from one into another to allow the fruit
resting on the bottom to become on the
surface and to prevent it from getting
moldy. After the moisture among the
figs has disappeared, they are assorted
and packed.
SULPHUR.
The only chemical action of the sui
phur fumes on fruit is to bleach it on
the very exterior surface. The sulphur
fumes only determine the color of the
dried article. and it is simply used to
stop discoloration and brighten the fruit.
The fumes deoxidize any germs that are
attached to the fruit or produced right
on it. The subjecting of fruit to sui
phur fumes for considerable length of
time to render it transparent and
of a light color, rather tends
to detract from its true flavor than to
add TO it's improvement. Fruit should
only be confined in sulphur fumes with
the objects herein stated. Figs, especi-
ally, are not cooked for eating, and differ
in this respect from other fruits, there
fore the process should be one TO retain
that flavor 30 essential in marketable
article for consumption in raw state.