Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-03-11
Better Frozen.
Products Aim
'OfVPI t ests
BY the Assoeiated Press

II you like to eat. you stand to
profit by research underway at
the Virginia Experiment Station.
DR.. Lyle L. Davis is delving into
such questions as how to keep
chickens in frozen storage for
longer periods; how to prevent
browning of apples. peaches and
cherries: how to improve the
flavor of certain processed foods
even horseradish.
For instance, DR.. Davis and DR..
j. H. Bywaters are compiling data
on two-year study of chickens
in frozen storage.
Their work has shown that GER
tain anti-oxidants can lengthen
the frozen storage life of the
birds up to at least two years
perhaps more.
Tastes Fresh After Two Years.
Treated chickens, when observed
and tested by food tasters last
week, had the quality of fresh
chickens. although they had been
in storage for over two years.
They were bright. firm and good
eating.
On the other hand, a check"
line of untreated chickens, also
in storage two years, had dis
tinct off -odor, we're dull and
slightly Shiny, and the meat had
a crumbly texture.
Chickens. DR.. Davis explains,
ordinarily are moved out of stor-
age after six months for two
reasons: 1t is not economical to
store them longer and the quality
deteriorates.
Now it Is believed that COM
mercial professors can double the
marketing season Of frozen poul-
try. without loss of quality, by
treating the birds with an anti
oxidant.
The anti-oxidant also has
practical home use. BY using 1t,
the housewife can keep birds in
her home freezer for a long time.
Meter Checks Fruit Status.
A machine called a reflecto-
meter Is available in the labora-
tory to gauge Immediately the
amount of browning" in apples
and peaches. The machine, DR..
Davis explains, is not subject to
opinions of humans, and enables
the scientists to speed up re-
search.
For instance, a certain material
may be added to the fruit to slow
up or prevent browning-which is
closely associated with spoilage.
The machine. with click of the
needle can tell the scientist al
most Immediately whether or not
the anti-browning material has
worked-even before the change
is apparent to the eye. Thus, 1t
lis possible to test many materials
and to arrive more quickly at a
definite opinion.
"A study on apples. conducted by
DR.. Davis and DR.. George Mathis,
involves the use Of activated car
bon from coconut shells. This
study. still in its infancy. al
ready shows that the carbon not
only will 1engthen the storage life
OF some apples. but has a definite
and desirable effect on the taste
and keeping quality Of Juice.
Carbon from coconut shells works
much better than carbon from
wood.
Peanuts and Pigs.
Taste tests are being conducted
on samples Of pork. The pork
comes from pigs which have fig
ured in feeding tests conducted at
the Tidewater field station ct
Holland by w. r. Thomas and DR..
c. M. Kincaid. Varying amounts
of peanuts were fed the pigs in the
last a days Of the fattening Pc
Rod. did the peanuts impart q
flavor to the pork?" Tasters agree
that there Is a difference, but how
much and It's Importance are yet
to be determined.
AS for horseradish, DR.. Davis
has found that the simple step of
adding egg albumin results in a
more uniform flavor and a longer
shelf life. Other food "additives"
In horseradish have enabled DR..
Davis to store it in a refrigerator
for over one year. Normally it's
storage life is about one month.
Another problem solved in tie
station laboratories Is how to can
fried apples. Many people have
tried it with no success, because
the frying greases always became
rancid after the apples were
canned. DR.. Davis simply fried
the apples in their own Juice,
without grease.
Floating Vinegar Made.
Another product developed al
most accidentally in the labora-
tories Is a pale, lemon -colored
vinegar" with the texture of ap-
plesauce. It is being tested all
over the country, and many tasty
recipes have been developed. 1t
can be used "as Isl and won't sink
through lettuce, or whatever you
use vinegar ON. It has the adj
vantage of increasing the food
value Of vinegar. And of making