6 



PEANUX., BUTTEE. 



ever, must be determined by the judgment and experience of the 

 operator. 



In tlie model factories the peanuts are elevated to a hopper over 

 the roasting machine and are fed by gravity through a chute into 

 the end of the roasting drum. When the roasting is completed the 

 drum is dumped directly into the portable cooler having a perforated 

 bottom. This is then wheeled to an opening in a suction blast pipe, 

 and cold air is pulled downward through the roasted peanuts in order 

 to cool them quickly. 



The quality and flavor of peanut butter depend largely upon the 

 care exercised in roasting. Some markets prefer a "high" roast, 



Fig. 1. — A roasting and cooling equipment in a modol peanut-buttor factory. 



while others want a very " mild " roast. If the roasting process is 

 carried too far the butter will have a dark-brown color and a burned 

 or bitter taste due to the carbonizing of the fats and cell tissue. 



Wliere peanuts are grown large quantities are eaten raAv. While 

 no careful digestion experiments have been reported with raw and 

 roasted nuts, there is a belief, borne out by data collected by the 

 Department of Agriculture in its nutrition studies, that the raw and 

 medium roasted nuts are less likely to cause digestive disturbance 

 than those that are parched or overroasted. However, as with other 

 foods, individuals will be found avIio can digest the raw product 

 without trouble and to whom the roasted ones are not so wholesome, 



[Cir. 08] 



