Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-09-01
DRYING FRUIT IN the SUN.

DRYING FRUIT IN THE SUN.
/ Pennington Hustler The economic
value OF dried fruit is realized by only
Few people. In canning it takes
Two pounds OF fresh fruit aad one.hali
a pound OF fresh sugar TO make two
and half pound can. while with dried
truit it takes FROM three TO eight
pounds Of fresh fruit to make one OF
dried Perhaps the economical dis
tinctlon between dried and canned
trmt Will be made more apparent by
an Illustration, We take 100 pounds
or fresh fruit put It with twenty-five
pounds OF sugar and tin. making 1875
pounds OF the finished article. while
in drying we take 100 pounds of fresh
trut and dry it down to twenty
pounds. Tho twenty pounds OF dried
fruit will represent the same food val.
ne as the 100 pounds OF canned goods
but in the first place we have to pay
the cost of packing and freight on
twenty pounds. while in the second we
have TO pay on 125 pounds-which OF
itself would make great difference in
the cost to the consumer Of dried fruit.
The cost of drying fruit is also
much less than that Of canning. 1t
does not require so expensive a plant
AS canning nor as much capital to op-
crate. Dried fruit is destined to be-
come a more popular article of diet
than at present II will be better ap.
preeiated when people have learned
how TO prepare IL properly There
are two methods Of drying; sun-dry-
ing and evaporatug. but in this
bright and sunny climate we do not
have much use for the latter. In
fact our sun-dried fruit sells for eyap-
grated I'm the east consequently !
yill oonina my remarka to sm-dryiug
IN order to produce a fine article of
dried goods it is necessary to grow
only FIRST class fruit The trees
should have been property cultivated
puucd fri ated aul the fruit thinned
out lt is the prevailing idea that any
fruit is good enough for driving, and
there aro altogether too many half
gipa and halcgrown culls Fruit that
Is not ht for canning or eating fresh Us
often drIgd and as Il consequence
good deal Of poor fruit finds its way
to the market to the detriment of the
trade. have heard people says
What pity 20 dry such fine fruit
but the phrase Should be revised to
read "what a pity there is SO much
poor fruit dried,'
Size is more important with dried
fruit than canned or with fresh fruit
for shipment As "a rule the largest
specimens of any green variety nre
bpst in quality. Size also makes
great difference in cost of picking and
cutting, while there is relatively less
waste I'm the pits of large fruit than
small It is necessary to bleach fruit
with fumes OF burning sulphur in or
Ter TO secure as bright an article as
the trade demands and some fruit
really -requlres it, Tho peach VIII
burn il dried iu the sun and retain
decided burnt taste unless It Is sui
phurca However. in most eases it is
used only 90 improve the color and
70 reluce the risk Of fruits becoming
wormy Fruit should at first be
50 dNtN lIllb lNb bI ANif' EINl'o ue ~
comes from the orchard in order that
the fruit on tray may dry evenly
and an OF 1t be ready to move at the
ame time After being cut iuto
halves and spread ON trays Ii is then
treated to sulphur fumes. allow two
or three pounds Of sulphur to goo
pounds of fruit, letting It remain In
The sulphur boxes about three hours
A wooden frame covered with building
paper makes a very handy sulphur
box. and It should be made large
enough so as to 6t over stack of
eighteen or twenty trays. If person
has large amount Of fruit fl will pay
to have "a sulphur house with compart
ments i'm which 10 run truckoads OF
trays The burning sulphur should
have some air In order 10 secure prop
err combustion. In case OF lack Of air
sulphur viii melt and only a small
portion of IT. will burn. When the
fruit has been sulphured the trays
should be spread on the ground to
dry-Guy p Hawley in Pennington
Hustler