The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1915-08-13
Fruit Juice Products
FRUIT JUICE FACTORY TO BE M
PORTANT INDUSTRY.

Andt the manufacture OF fruit Juices
Will be an important industry in this
section is probable. In a recent is
sue of the Times we mentioned the
Yost cherry-juice contract and this
suggested an interview from a repor-
ter of the Boise Statesman as fol-
lows:
An experiment being tried this year
at the fruit farm of Harry Yost, east
or Meridian, may lead to the estab-
lishment of a profitable new industry
In the Boise valley. This proposed
industry is the manufacture of cherry
Juice.
Just at the time he was beginning
to dispair of finding any satisfactory
or profitable means of disposing of
the big crop from 10 acres of sour
cherries, Mr.. Yost obtained an order
from Portland confectionery firm
for 500 gallons of cherry juice Mr..
Yost Immediately engaged a large
force of pickers and got busy press
ing out and preparing the liquid for
Shipment. The pickers will finish
their work about Friday and few
days later the juice will be ready for
delivery.
There are number of things about
the new industry that point to graft
flying possibilities. Among these may
be mentioned the ease with which the
juice may be prepared; the fact that
the price obtained for the fruit is bet
ter than can be realized by market
ing the cherries direct and the addi-
tional important fact that it consti-
taltes an ideal method of disposing of
4 a surplus which would otherwise
prove practically dead loss.
fortunately all the equipment need
ed for manufacture of cherry juice is
already at hand. 1t consists merely
Of cider presses and steri1izing out
fit, Mr.. Yost is making 900 gallons
Of Juice this year right on his ranch
without the purchase of new equip
ment. After the stems are rubbed off
the cherries are put into the cider
mills with the pits unremoved. The
Juice expressed in then sealed in gal
Ion tin cans which have been lac
quered on the inside to prevent the
acid element from coming in con-
tact with the tin. The cans are then
sterilized and the process is COM
plete.
The price realized is easy to figure
as 2 pounds of cherries make a gal
lon of juice. The price this year is
80 cents per gallon. Mr.. Yost thus
figures that each crate of cherries is
bringing him 85 cents, which is much
In excess of the price he could obtain
for the fresh fruit this year, this hav-
I ing dropped as low as soc a crate.
figuring the average price of cher
Ties at 70 cents crate, Mr.. Yost real
izes profit nearly Il 5 per cent great
er, this being his own estimate of the
advantage of selling by the new
method.
AS stated above, Mr.. Yost expects
to manufacture approximately 900
gallons of the juice from the surplus
OF cherries grown on his farm.
y Though his contact calls for but 800
gallons he has the assurance of the
Portland buyers that if they find as
great use for the juice as anticipated
they will take the additional 400 gal
Ions off his hands in January Should
this firm not need the juice he be-
4 lieves he will have no trouble in sell
ing to other confectionery factories.
Before contracting for this large
f amount of juice the buyers sampled
some of Mr.. Yost's product and de-
clared themselves pleased with it.
Should the confectioners find sue
cessful uses for sour cherry juice
y Idaho will have quite corner on the
\ product for the simple reason that
mos sections of the northwest pro-
duce sweet cherries almost exclu
sively.
It develops that progress of the new
industry is being eagerly watched by
proprietors of the Crescent Brewing
company at Nampa. 1t is said that
MIR. Yost has agreed to turn over the
manufacturing end of the business to
the Nampa firm another year. Jacob
Loekman, principal owner of the
brewing plant, has already announced
his Intention or converting his con-
Germ into the Overland Beverage
company. He expresses willingness
to try the manufacture of grape juice
IL considerable acreage of vine
yards will be set out by the ranch
ers of the Boise and Snake river val
levs. Because of the competition and
questionable success of this venture
In the end, it is pointed out that the
new Industry may be just the thing
ne is looking for. Those who have
well as himself, are more than mildly
enthusiastic over possibilities of de-
veloping big cherry juice industry
in southern Idaho.