The Canadian Horticulturist. 



419 



THAWING FROZEN FRUIT. 





XPERIMENTS have been conducted by Professor MuUer- 

 Thurgau, with the vievf of learning the least destructive or 

 injurious method of thawing vegetables and fruits when in 

 a frozen state. Taking fruits of the same kind and quality, 

 and as nearly as possible of the same size, he froze them 

 and then placed a portion of them in lukewarm water and 

 another portion in water at zero, or 32 degrees Farenheit. 

 A third portion he hung up in a room at about 68 degrees Fahr., and a fourth 

 in a place at zero, Fahr. The result, in each case, was as follows : — At a tem 

 perature of from 23 to 19 degrees Fahr., the hardest kind of fruits remained 

 uninjured, whether the thawing was slow or quick. Of those which were some- 

 "what over ripe, only the ones which were thawed in warm or cold water were 

 injured, and those thawed in warm or cold air showed little or no evil effects. 

 Of those still more over-ripe, the fruits thawed in water were completely killed, 

 ■while those thawed in the air were only partially injured. From the above it is 

 deduced that the freezing of fruit is not always fatal ; as if the cold be not too 

 intense, it can be again thawed, and still remain sound. Should the cold be 

 ■very severe, however, frozen fruit is quite spoiled, and cannot be saved by any 

 -means whatever. As soon as it is perceived that the fruit is frozen, it should 

 'be warmed, just sufficient to prevent any further freezing ; for the more the ice 

 forms in the fruits, the greater the damage. The warming should be as slow as 

 possible. To immerse them in cold water, or to handle them with warm hands, 

 •would effect nothing but injury. Frozen fruit is very susceptible to pressure, 

 ■which is another reason for not handling it. If it is possible to warm the room 

 where it is lying, it had better be done, and leave the fruit alone. If experiment 

 shows the fruit cannot be kept after slow thawing, it should be kept in the frozen 

 state until eaten. Frozen apples thrown into water and boiled at once, cook as 

 if they were sound, and are not impaired in flavor. If allowed to stand after 

 thawing, chemical decomposition takes place, giving them a flavor characteristic 

 thereof. Frozen apples can best be utilized, however, for cider making, as the 

 flavor of the cider is not impaired, if care is taken to see that the actual work 

 of fermentation begins at once. The same process is pursued in thawing vege- 

 tables. — Cal. Fruit Grower. 



Bildad Jones : " Father, kin I go down cellar an' git some apples ter 

 eat ? " Farmer Jones : " Yes, Bildad ; but see ye sort 'em all over fust, an' 

 don't pick out none but th' bad ones." Bildad : " But s'pose thar ain't no 

 bad ones, dad? " Farmer Jones : " Then ye'U hev ter wait till they gits bad, 

 Bildad. We can't afford ter be eatin' good, sound apples that's wurth a dollar 

 a bushel." — Judge. 



