Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-08-24
HOW TO DRY PRUNES
Do NOT ATTEMPT TO DRY THEM
TOO FAST.

Do NOT ATTEMPT TO DRY THEN
TOO FAST.
Some Suggestions About Picking
and Preparing for Market-Fruil
Should He Mature Estimated
Cost OF Planting and Cultivatins
In Our Neighboring state.
' Oregonian.
l am asked to write as to the curing
OF prunes and will try to give the re.
suits OF long personal experience and
observation ,foz tbs -benaft Of -A-~y
who are new to The he-husipass.
Last year late spring rains made the
fruit very watery, so that it had less
per centum of substance in it and the
product was light. Early fall rains
came all through prune-drying time,
so it was impossible to handle or cure
the fruit we'll. 1t is beyond question
true that all our prunes were inferior
in quality to any former year, as we'll
as lighter in quantity. 1t was there
fore great triumph for Oregon and
Washington prunes to have made the
reputation they did, for they stand
generally at the East as superior to
any.
While this is true. complaint is
made that they were oftentimes not
cured enough, and that when they
were cured they turned white in many
cases, not from mold or any serious de.
feet, but, think, from the effect of
the season, as the rains made them
watery and they could not cure per-
fectly, as usual.
The present year is favorable to
fruit. All varieties are less watery,
and green fruit ships more safely.
Prunes could not make saccharine in
the rain and did not have usual excel.
lence. This year we may look for ex.
cellent fruit that will cure well, be
rich in flavor and solid in meat. If
our prunes are pronounced good in
1893, they will be excellent in 1884
that is, if we'll cured. So we will see
what has been learned about curing
prunes in the lost dozen or more years
since prunes were dried in Oregon.
Much interest has been taken in
this matter OF late, and much said and
written about it. 1t is generally con-
ceded that prunes dried too quickly
are not 30 fine favored or 80 meaty !;
that they must be cured, not cooked.
That is. the cured prune should break
open with . bright look 70 its fiesh
and considerable solid substance. All
the sun does is to expel the water
in fruit and leave the flesh cured by
its action so it will preserve, the sac
charine being made sugar, or nearly
80, and the albumen jellied. If dried
more it has little good quality; if dried
less, it will sour, or mold, and will not
keep. The most experienced believe,
by what they have tested. that fruit
may be dried too fast; that to dry Pc.
tites, or French, in 16 to "a hours, &C.
cording TO size, will make good fruit,
and that Italians should be SO hours
curing, and larger iruit-as Silvers-
yet more; that such moderate process
insures the heaviest per cent. OF yield
and the best quality OF marketable
prunes. We have dried prunes in
much less time that were considered
good, but We want the beet.
Some claim that the prunes should
be finished on high heat, but that is
dangerous, and l cannot think neces-
sary. The current Of air prevents
dead heat that will burn fruit, and in.
sures better work-that is better fruit.
To let the heat run down while the
fruit is curing injuries it, because it
stops the draught Of air and the fruit
sweats, or becomes clammy cold. 1t
is as we'll to make heat of ITS deg.
at the beginning, and let it run down
to 125 deg. at the close. 1t is possible
to burn fruit, and also possible to in
jure its quality by want of attention.
To insure regular heat have good wood
and careful firemen, and watch your
thermometers.
To insure ventilation, have air holes
to let in air near the ground, and re.
member that no more air can come in
than can exhaust, or find exit above.
So have plenty Of air holes; but be
careful that there is not too much
vent above; there must be enough
ventilation and not too much. This
can be easily regulated, as the air
holes below and vents above can be
closed as found necessary.
A most important need is that the
fruit shall be fully ripe. 1t is the sac
charine that we need to perfect and
fully mature. This will increase even
after the prunes fall off the true.
Experiments made in California,
with the French, or Petite, prune,
showed that when dried as they came
from the tree they contained II per
cent. of sugar, and out of the same lot
some were put aside for 20 days in .
cool warehouse, and then analyzed
again, and yielded SO per cent. of
sugar. This proves that fruit must
not only be ripe, but very ripe, and
that even when prunes fall off the
trees they can be set away and gain
saccharine and make better fruit.
ANY experienced man can tell imma.
ture fruit when dried, because it shriv-
els and is light weight, has no charac.:
ter, and is almost worthless.
1t is said that the skin should be
tender, which can only be secured by
dipping the green fruit in a solution
of lye and hot water, one pound of lye
to 10 gallons of water. In California
when they work on large scale 1
have seen an iron tank, 4xlO feet and
On ;rohes deem haatod H.,