The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-06-19
WINTHROP COLLEGE, ROCK HILL,
S. C..
Home Demonstration Department.

May 25, 1917
The DRYING of Vegetables
Drying is a cheap way in which to
keep vegetables and it has this advan-
tage, that the vegetables keep we'll
and require but little space. Dried
vegetables can often take the place
of canned.
Almost all vegetables are blanched
or given light cooking in boiling
water in order to change or coagu-
late the albuminous matter and there
by prevent the dried vegetables from
tasting like hay. They are boiled
from five to six minutes Except as
stated below counting time from the
moment the boiling commences. The
vegetables are cleaned, rinsed and pre-
pared before the boiling, so that they
after being dried, need only to be
rinsed in cold water, then soaked in
luke warm water and boiled as fresh
vegetables. A wire basket is very
handy to use during the boiling or
blanching. The vegetables are placed
in it and the basket then lowered
into the boiling water. a cneese cloth
l. bag may also be used.
After the boiling or blanching, the
water must be drained off we'll before
the vegetables are placed on the dry
ing travs in the evaporation (If it is
! but small lot. the stove oven may
be used. The pans or trays are then
covered with paper. Some drying
trays of galvanized wire netting made
to fit the oven may be used. The
trays or pans are cleaned by brushing
nth soda water and then rinsed.)
The heat must, to commence with.
be 10 degrees F. Cor 43 c. increasing
to 135 degrees F. (57 c. to 145 de-
grees F. (63 c., and the drying re-
uuires from 1-2 to almost 3, some
times four hours.
In order to taKe the correct tempera-
ture of the oven or evaporation for dry
ing vegetables or fruits, put a ther-
mometer in cylinder glass hued
with sweet oil, cooking oil, or olive
oil, and set in the oven.
When the drying is complete and
while the vegetables are warm they
are very brittle, but this will soon
disappear with exposure to the air.
Then they are packed away in tin or
wooden boxes lined with parchment
paper and with parchment paper be-
tween the layers, leach layer about IL
inch thick.) The dried vegetables
must be packed closely and the box
closed, not to be opened until they are
ready to be used. Where the climate
is very damp. a good. way to keep the
dried vegetables is to put them in
small paper sacks, tie with a string
and then paint all over with melted
paraffin, which will prevent the ab-
sorbtion of moisture. Remember that
vegetables lose in weight during the
drying process.
Beans
All varieties of string beans can be
dried If desired to dry them whole
use only young string beans. Wash
and string. put in wire baskets or
cheese cloth bag and blanch in boil
ing water from 6 to 10 minutes. de-
pending on age of beans. If it is de-
sired to preserve the green color,
add 1-2 teaspoonful of soda to each
gallon of water in which they are
blanched. Drain well, spread on
cloths or in sunshine in order to re-
move surface moisture Place on dry
ing traps and put in evaporator or ov-
en- at 10 degrees. Slowly increase
temperature to 14O or 145 degrees Tin
about or l 1-2 hours> and finish
drying at that temperature. They
will dry in about 2 or 2 1-2 hours.
If string beans are little older
(half or three-fourths grown) wash
and string. slice in IA inch strips
cross-wise with knife or vegetable
slicer, blonch six minutes and dry as
above. Old string beans (not ripe)
are hulled. put in boiling water six
minutes and dried. Wax beans are
treated like string beans. Lima beans.
if young and tender are blanched 5
to six minutes If full grown and still
not hard. blanch from to 10 min
utes. and dry as above. only increase
the heat more SLOWLY in order not to
dry hard crust on outside Beans
and thereby leave inside moist.
Sugar Peas.
(Where pods are used) Dry when
Young and tender. Cut in 1-2 or IA
inch pieces. blanch and dry like
, string beans.
English Peas.
SbolI and hlanch for z minutes If