The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1897-11-27
DRYING VEGETABLES.
- New industry o1 the Paoand
Coast


A new and important industry has
come into existence In Santa Clara
county. which bids fair in time to rival
the fruit drying. This IL the prepara-
ton Of dried vegetables for the mAn
ket. which at present II generally con-
fined to the abort season at the dr1ers
between tho ripening Of the different
fruits. Just lately the vegetables have
been usurping the place OF the apricots,
but they have now already begun to
give way In turn to the prunes.
On approaching drier It does not
take one long to decide whether fruit
or vegetables are being prepared. tor
in tho latter case . pungent odor
rushes out to sting ones eyes and
crawl uncomfortably up ones nostrils
for the trail Of onions il over the Land.
Within lively scene IL presented. Men
are hurrying to and fro bearing traps
and boxes, while long rows OF women
and children sit busily peeling pota-
toes and carrots, which, together with
the onions, form 1T present the staple
product. When boxes Of potatoes or
carrots are filed. they are poured into
a large hopper, and from there TED to
machine with rotating knife-blades,
which cuts them up into small sllves
a quarter Of an inch thick. The FUR
ther process which the potatoes under
90 is simple, and for carrots and the
other minor vegetables it 10 practically
the same.
After being sliced the tubers are
slightly sulphured in . chamber built
of wood. Here great discrimination
must be used, Tor, If they are sulphursd
too much, the potatoes win taste OF
the fumes; II too little, they will not
contain enough antiseptic property,
and bacteria attracted by the starch viii
develop. Moreover. little sulphuring
in necessary to preserve the color OF
the vegetables a far AZ possible and to
prevent decay.
After this process the potatoes are
not spread out in the sun, but put into
an evaporator. The latter looks like
q small Ferris wheel, and is inclosed in
q sort of brick oven with glass windows.
Within this it revolves close to hot-air
pipes for few hours. When the mois-
ture il sufficiently evaporated the cars
of the wheel are emptied through the
windows, and their contents are now
ready for shipment in sacks.
When this stage il reached the sliced
potatoes resemble dry chips, and II
takes ak or seven pounds of the fresh
to make one pound OF the dried.
By their pungency onions possess the
power Of warding OF bacteria. and are
therefore. only slightly sulphured to
preserve theircolor. They are next evap.
GRATED until oneAhird OF the moisture il
expelled, and then placed in trays in
the sun, just as is done with fruit. The
drying process shrivels the onions &c
much that it takes 20 parts of the fresh
to make one of the dried. While the
onions are being cut up the moisture
coming from them is very disagreeabl<
and hard on the eyes Of the employees.
When carrots are evaporated it takes
about nine parts OF them to make one
dried part. Perhaps the drying process
used in the case of both carrots and
potatoes might be improved upon were
steam employed. By using the latter
the starch in the potatoes would be part
" cooked and sterilized, and after this
| the tubers could be evaporated in
chamber similar to the one above de
scribed. In this way the potatoes coult
be rid Of sulphur, well dried and ye
| capable Of being quickly soaked, ant
there would be NO chance for bacteri'
| to develop.
Other vegetables than these men
toned are at present in proces: OF de
velopment; but 80 far the industry ha
| proved very profitable, a. evinced b.
! the increased demand for dried vege
tables al over the country, but esPe
cially in the mining regions. Fran
/ nsn<~> Call