The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-10-07
State Food and Dairy Commissioners
Tells Iowa Farmers What to do
With Big Crop Of Apples
This Year.
TO KEEP CIDER SWEET
Keeping It Cool 10 One Requirement.
Another 10 to Put In Small
Amount Of Benzoate Of
Soda.

Many Iowa counties are e1perienc-
ing an unusually heavy crop Of fall
and winter apples and the problem Of
converting the windfalls and under
grade fruit into cash Is In many
places serious one.
Dairy and Food Commissioner Bar
ney, who has given this matter con-
siderable attention, has prepared the
following suggestions which may be
useful to those who wish to utilize
their excess crop of low grade ap-
pies:
Manufacture of Sweet Cider: The
apples for this purpose should be
clean, free from dirt, leaves, twigs
and rotten fruit Have cider-mill
and press conspicuously clean and re-
barrels and kegs in which the cider is
handled should be thoroughly washed
and then scalded with from three to
five gallons of boiling hot water to
each barrel. Do not put cider in a
metal container. As soon as the cider
Is pressed, put 1t in the cellar or 9th
er place where it will be as cold as
possible until sold. Clean, cold cider
will remain sweet for several days,
whereas turbid and warm cider be-
comes hard very quickly. The ap-
pearance Of cider, as well as the
keeping qualities may be improved by
first straining and then running
through an ordinary cream separator.
The working of cider may be re-
tarded for several days by the addi-
ton of benzoate of soda. The food
law, however. does not permit of the
addition OF more than one-eighth OF
one ounce Of benzoate OF soda to the
gallon. Larger amounts Of benzoate
may be injurious to the health Of the
consumer. Where benzoate of soda
is added, the package must be labeled
so as to show that fact The sale of
cider which has become hard or even
slightly hard, is not permitted In dry
territory. as such cider contains alco-
hol. Farmers selling cider In such
territory should exercise particular
care to see that their product is
fresh and sweet
Bottled Cider-Cfder can be easily
sterilized in bottles. jars or jugs in a
manner similar to that used for put
ting up grape Juice. Sterilized In
this manner it will keep Indefinitely
and is preferred by many to grape
juice as summer beverage. It has
about the same food value as grape
Juice
Boiled Cider-Boiled cider is useful
in the home kitchen. 1t may be made
by boiling the sweet cider down to
about one-ifth to one-sixth original
volume, after which it is poured into
sterilized bottles, jugs or jars and
then sealed.
vinegar-The manufacture of cider
vinegar on the farm opens up an un-
limited field for those having large
excess OF low grade apples. While
the manufacture Of vinega@ requires
some care in order to secure a good
product, anyone who will follow d.
recttons carefully will be sure TO
turn out marketable product. Bulle-
tin No. u Of the Dairy and Food Com
mission. gives full instructions for
the manufacture OF cider vinegar.
and Il may be obtained free OF charge
By any citizen OF Iowa. Dairy and
Food Commissioner Barney has signi-
fed his willingness 10 answer in
Gufries pertaining 10 the manufacture
Of apple products. Simply address
yorr inquiry on postal card to ".
q. Barney. Dairy and Food Commits
sionsr, Des Moines. Iowa
3s-. Barney has often pointed out
the fact that many carloads of apples.
cider and vinegar are shipped into
Iowa each year and at the same time
good fruit viii be rotting In the or
chzrSs for want Of market.