The sun., 1897-10-03
TEG ETABLES DRIED LIKE FRUIE
A New California Industry That Promiscs TO
necomo Important.
From the san francisco Call.

from the san francisco CdW.
A new and important industry has come into
existence in Santa Clara county, which bids
fair in time TO rival the fruit drying. This is
ket, which at present is generally confined to
the short at the driers between the ripen.
ing OF the different fruits Just lately the vege-
tables have been usurping the place Of the
apricots. but they have now already begun to
give way in turn TO the prunes.
On approaching a drier 1t does not take one
long to decide whether fruit or vegetables are
being prepared, for in the latter case pungent
odor rushes out to sting one eyes and crawl
OF onions is over the land. Within a lively
rro bearing trays and boxes. while long rows OF
women and children sit busily pccling potatoes
and carrots, which. together with the onions.
form at present the staple product When
boxes OF potato and carrots are filled, they
are Toured into large hopper and from there
which cuts them up into small slices quarter
Of an inch thick. The further process which
the potatoes undergo is simple. and for carrots
and the other minor vegetables 1t is practically
the same.
After being sliced the tubers are slightly sui
phurcd in a chamber built of wood. Here great
discrimination mus be used. for II they are sui
phured too much the potatoes will taste Of tho
fumes; II too little they will not contain enough
antiseptc property. and bacteria attracted by
the starch will develop. Moreover, little sui
phuring is necessary 70 preserve the color of the
cay.
After this process the potatoes are not spread
out in the sun, but pU, into an cvRporator. The
latter looks ike small Ferris wheel. and is in
closed in sort of brick oven with glass win
dows. Within this ii rCvOlves close to hot-air
pipes for few hours. When the moisture is
sufficiently evapurafed the cars OF the wheel are
cmptcd through III" windows and their con-
tents are re Idy Tor shipment IN sacks.
When this stage Is reached the sliced pota toes
resemble dry chips, and 1t takes six seven
pounds of the fresh TO make one pound OF the
dried.
by their pupgenCy onions possess the power
OF wHrding Oft bacteria, and are. therefore, only
slightly sulphured to preserve their color. They
are next evaporateli until one-third OF the mois-
ture ia expelled and then placed in trays in the
sun. just as Is done with fruit The drying pro-
cess snrivclS the onions 30 much that it takes
twenty parts of the frcsh to make one OF the
dried. While the onions arc being cut up the
moisture coming from hem Is very disagrcearle
ard hard on the eyes of the employees.
When carrots are evaporated il takes about
nine parts OF hem to make one dried part. Per
haps the drying process used in the of bot h
carrots and potatoes might he improved upon
were steam employed. BY using the latter the
starch In the potatoes would be partly cooked
and steriliZed, and after this the tuhers could
be cvapornt ed in a chamber similar to the one
above described. IL this way tho potatoes could
being quickly soaked, and there would DO no
chance for bacteria 10 develop.
Other vegetables than these mentioned are at
present In process OF development but SO far the
industry has proved very profitable cyinced
10y the Increased demand for dried vegetables
all over the country but especially in the min.
ing regions.