CRYSTALLIZED AND DRIED FRUITS 447 



time retains the natural shape of the fruit. All kinds of fruit are capable of 

 being preserved under this process. Though the method is very simple, there is 

 a certain skill required that is acquired only by practice. The several successive 

 steps in the process are about as follows : 



First, the same care in selecting and grading the fruit should be taken as for 

 canning; that is, the fruit should all be of one size, and as near the same ripe- 

 ness as possible. The exact degree of ripeness is of great importance, which is at 

 that stage when fruit is best for canning; peaches, pears, etc., are pared and cut 

 in halves, as for canning ; plums, cherries, etc., are pitted. The fruit, having thus 

 been carefully prepared, is put into a basket, or a bucket with a perforated bot- 

 tom, and immersed in boiling water. The object of this is to dilute and extract 

 the juice of the fruit. The length of time the fruit is immerced is the most im- 

 portant part of the process. If left too long, it is overcooked, and becomes soft; 

 if not immersed long enough, the juice is not sufficiently extracted, which pre- 

 vents a perfect absorption of the sugar. 



After the fruit has been thus scalded and allowed to cool, it can again be 

 assorted as to softness. The next step is the syrup, which is made of white 

 sugar and water. The softer the fruit, the heavier the syrup required. Ordi- 

 narily about seventy degree, Ballings' saccharometer, is about the proper weight 

 for the syrup. 



The fruit is then placed in earthen pans, and covered with the syrup, where 

 it is left to remain about a week. The sugar enters the fruit and displaces what 

 juice remained after the scalding process. 



The fruit now requires careful watching, as fermentation will soon take place, 

 and when this has reached a certain stage, the fruit and syrup are heated to a 

 boiling degree, which checks the fermentation. This heating process should be 

 repeated as often as necessary for about six weeks. 



The fruit is then taken out of the syrup, and washed in clean water, and it is 

 then ready to be either glaced or crystallized, as the operator may wish. If glaced, 

 the fruit is dipped in thick sugar syrup and left to harden quickly in the open air. 

 If it is to be crystallized, dip in the same kind of syrup, but allow to cool and 

 harden slowly, thus causing the sugar which covers the fruit to crystallize. The 

 fruit is now ready for boxing and shipping. Fruit thus prepared will keep in 

 any climate and stand transportation. 



Thus far the crystallized fruit produced in California has sold well. 

 There is a considerable importation of French fruit to the United 

 States, which may be displaced by the California product, and the busi- 

 ness commends itself to those who have ingenuity, patience, and capital 

 enough to enable them to 'experiment and wait for future success. The 

 California producer has the advantage of an abundance of very fine 

 fruit at a low price, but he carries a handicap in the high cost of trans- 

 portation and of labor. 



CALIFORNIA DRIED FRUIT INDUSTRY 



A special census of the fruit-preserving manufactures of the United 

 States in 1905 shows not only that California stands first in the dried 

 fruit industry, but that the product (excluding raisins) was in that 

 year valued at about fourteen million dollars and was over eighty-eight 

 per cent of the whole national product. An adjacent tabulation com- 

 piled from the records of the California State Board of Trade gives 

 interesting details of this product for a number of years. 



As suggested on page 21 it is the function of the sunshine and dry 

 air of California not only to bring vigorous growth to the tree and 

 vine, and carry the fruit of both to fullness of size, beauty and quality, 

 but to continue its beneficent action until the fruit, which is not required 



