The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1921-11-17
CIDER PLANT
MAKES STRIDES
COMPANY HAS BIG DEVELOPMENT
Hood River Apple Vinegar Plant Is Now
One of Largest on Pacific Coast
POmace is Salvaged

/ estlng than the development of cider
and vinegar manufacture here and the
expansion of the plant of the Hood
River Apple Vinegar Co.. now one OF
the largest concerns in its class west
OF the Mississippi river. Indeed, the
Hood River plant is only eclipsed by
vinegar manufactures in the New
York apple district, where the tonnage
of low grade fruit is greater several
hundred times than that available in
Hood River.
In 1907 the local factory, with an
authorized capital stock of $3.50, 600.
began business here in one-room
shack and lean-to. Today, its author
lied capital stock increased to $3.50, 600,
its factory covering more than a city
block, the main building rising from
the O.-W. r. & N. tracks to four and
a half stories, the Hood River Apple
Vinegar Co. takes its place in the lead
of ranks of apple by-products concerns.
Except last year, when the business of
Gamers and by-products manufacturers
received one of the worst blows in the
history of the business, the company
has paid a dividend annually on its
stock and in addition has built up re-
serve for expanding its plant. The
buildings and equipment of the local
plant were recently appraised at $l60,
000 The growth of the concern has
been steady. In 1910 capitalization
was increased to $50, 900; in 1916 to
SIS, 900; in 1919 to 100000, and this
year the directorate was authorized to
increase the stock to $3.50, 900.
c. j. CaIkins, founder of the vinegar
plant and continuously it's manager. is
largely instrumental in the success of
the venture. Mr.. Calkins has ever
based his business on quality product.
Time after time Hood River vinegar
has taken first awards, and the gold
medal was awarded the local product
at the San Francisco worlds fair.
Plans of the management of the
vinegar concern call for as great, or a
greater expansion of the plant and
scope of business of the company, dur
ing the next 10 years as have charact-
erized the decade closed. The reading
public long since has been told the |
story of the great American packing |
industry utilizes all of the pig except |
the squeal. The system contemplated |
by cider and vinegar manufacturers |
will ultimately turn to profit every |
last atom of the Gull apple brought |
from the orchards here.
Formerly, presses were so inefficient |
that not even all of the cider was
squeezed from the pulp. Today such |
is the force of the big hydraulic press |
es that the pomace leaves the plant |
remarkably free from moisture. UpI
until recently this pomace was has
tened to a lowland dump. In the flu
ture properties from the pulp will be
extracted to add profits to the Golfers
of the concern that will come near
equaling those from the Juice itself.
Apple pomace is largely peel and
core. Next to the skin of the apple
lies that peculiar property. pectin, or
jelly base that every housewife is
familiar with. If she has some ber-
ries or other fruit lacking in jellying
qualities she is accustomed to add an
apple or two. The local vinegar plant
has set about to salvage all of the
pectin from the pomace. formerly a
waste. A huge six-ton cylinder. filled
with steam pipes and so constructed
that it can be revOlved, has been in
stalled at the plant. The pomace will
enter this i'm the normal state at one
end. At the other il will come forth
as dry as the prepared breakfast cereal
after it has been placed in the oven for
ones breakfast. Later on a process
Of sleeping. almost exactly as tea is
is called for. The resultant
is drawn from the pomace
iregs. 1t will go through process of
iltering and Qualification, and then by
means Of vacuum plan it will be | ,
Jelly base has formerly
been marketed. but never until the ,
ocal factory devised a process, has 1t +,
been without a characteristic flavor. ,
The Hood River jelly base will be odor- ,
ess and tasteless. II will be in great :
demand for the manufacturers of fine +,
ellies, who utilize delicately fla ,
,ored berries that often do not carry Of ,
themselves sufficient jellying proper
les. The greatest market, however, ,
will come from the manufacture of jel-
Y compound utilized bv the hundreds !
# barresful by bakers in their pastries !
md confections. This Jelly base, added /,
o favored sugar and water, will pro- /
luce filters for the bakers.
The vacuum fan, which was origin ,
Illy installed TO reduce cider for ship
nent, is an interesting apparatus. Hot
ider is introduced into the great evil
nder at the rate Of 1000 gallons an
our. IL comes forth a syrup. BY
dding water to this product. which
will keep fresh and sweet indefinitely, =
everage that cannot be told from cider !
resh from the presses is produced. /,
'ut the cider business, partly as a re- =
1lt Of the strict prohibition regula- =
ions and partly as result of the =
nsncial condition Of the country, which =
callers declare, has made heavy inroads Il
n sales Of soft drinks, has decreased :
ntil the demand is negligible. Where \
lrmerly so per cent Of the Gull apples
ere pressed for fresh cider, but very
tile Of the fruit now is utilized for ri
sverage purposes. "a
The extreme shortage Of the apple -
.op in the middle west and east. re =,
lifting from the freezes Of last snring. A.
,wever, will develop a shortage II ~
negar the coming season, and ii is -
Ipected that a heavy demand will be -
ade from Pacific coast factories.
Xpecting this broadening Of markets. ~
e cider plant will utilize its vacuum ~
IN. not only in the manufacture Of
J Jelly base but in reducing sweet ci-
r. which will later be returned by
n addition Of water to the normal
nAN aAtA VI ~ INV flliNA a. 9aA ADI
e process Of reduction. the company nj
lUld be unable 70 realize on the east Di
n demand, as its tankage capacity is DO
nited. OF
Every rural lad knows how the fam II
I each year made a barrel Of cider. wi
ana therefrOm az long as il was its
.eet and even until Do had become th
sterislly fortified with alcohol bow 20
e barrel was left in the cellar to in
rn graanallY into vinegar. Ire pro- hn