Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1917-08-10


One of the most prominent features
Of the food conservation program Of
European countries has been the uni
versal drying of fruits and vegetables.
The surplus vegetables in the city mar
kets were forced by the governments
into large municipal drying plants.
Community dryers We're established
In the trucking regions and even itin-
Grant drying machines were sent from
farm to farm drying the vegetables
which otherwise would have gone to
waste. In addition, large quantities of
dried vegetables from Canada and this
country were shipped to France dur
Ing the last two years, and there Is a
possibility that dried fruits and vegc-
tables may continue to be shipped
abroad in considerable quantities to
supplement the concentrated food diet
Of the men in the trenches.
The drying Of vegetables may seem
strange to the present generation, but
TO our grandmothcrs ii was no nov
city. Many housewives even today pre-
fer dried sweet corn to the product
canned by the old method, and say
that dried pumpkin and squash are cX-
cellent for pie making. Snap beans
| often are strung on threads and dried
above the stove. Cherries and rasp-
berries stlll are dried on bits Of bark
-. ,,,n lartnnI Ar rntgiDu In IOpt
many of the everyday foodstutfS nj
ready are dried at some stage Of their
preparation for market. The common
dried fruits, such as pruncs, %raislns,
fgs, dates and apples, are staples In
the worlds markets, while beans and
other legumcs, ten, coffee, cocoa, n
various manufactured foods, Ike
starch, tapfoca, macaronl, etc, are
dried either In the sun and wind or In
specially constructed drlers.
Even though the drying Of fruits and
vegetables az practiced n few decades
ago on many farms has become prac-
tically n "lost art" the present food
situation doubtless will cause n marked
stimulation Of drying ms II means or
conserving the food supply. This coun-
try Is producing large quantities OF per-
ishable foods this year, which should
be saved for storage, canned, or prop
erly dried. Drying Is not n panacea
for the entire waste evil, nor should 1t
take the place Of storing or canning
to any considerable extent where prop
or storage facilities are available or tin
n n or glass Jars can be obtained
readily and at n low cost.
Advantages Of Drying.
The advantages Of drying vegetables
are not so apparent for the farm home
as they are for the town or city house
hold, which has no root cellar or 9th
er place in which to store fresh vege-
tables. For the farmers wife the new
methods of canning probably will be
better than sun drying, which require n
somewhat longer time. But shorter
methods of drying are available, and
me dried product holds m advantage
in that usually 1t requires fewer Jars,
cans, or other containers than 90
canned fruits or vegetables; also dried
material can be stored in receptacles
which cannot be used for canning.
Then, too, canned fruit and vegetables
freeze and cannot be shipped os con-
veniently in winter. Dried vegetables
nm be compocted and shipped with a
minimum risk.
Special Advantages.
To the housewife in the town the
drying of vegetables and fruits pre-
sents special advantages. During the
season when the market Is oyersup-
piled locally and prices are low she
can lay in a stock, dry IT, and put 1t
away for n winters emergency without
It's taking up much Of the needed small
storage space in her home. If she Is
accustomed to canning her fruit and
vegetables and finds she cannot Sc
cure Jars or tin cans, she can easily re-
sort TO drying.
With simple and inexpensive facil!-
ties, all housewives can save quentl-
ties of food which are too small con
veniently to can. A few sweet pota-
GOES or apples or peas or even Il single
turnip can be dried and saved, Even
when very small quantities are dried
nj a time, a quantity sufficient for a
meal will soon be secured. Small lots
Of several dried vegetables, such rs
cabbage, carrots, turnips, potatoes, and
onions, can be combined to advantage
for soups and stews.
Cleanliness Is Big Factor.
Cleanliness Is as necessary In thu
preparation Of vegetables and fruit.
for drying as in their preparation fol
canning, perhaps even more 50. II
secure n fine quality Of dried product.
much depends upon having the ycge
tables absolutely fresh, young, tender
and perfectly clean. If steel kriye.
are used in pairing and cutting have
them clean and bright so as not to dis
color the vegetable. The earthy smel
and flavor will cling to root crops /
they are not washed thoroughly befOr0
sliclng, and one decayed root may ia
vor several kettles of soup If the slice
from It are scattered through Il Who'll
batch Of dried material. Nigh-grnd
dried root" vegetables can only b
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