42 MASS. FXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 203 



The yield is about 3.5 gallons of pure juice to 50 pounds of fruit. The clarified 

 diluted juice with the addition of sugar makes a very satisfying beverage and one 

 not at present marketed. The heat-extracted juice is already being manufactured 

 on a commercial basis in this State. 



Cranberry jelly has never been a satisfactory commercial product. The jelly 

 is soft and watery. This objection has been entirely overcome by treating the 

 cold-pressed or heat-extracted juices with pectinase enzyme to remove the quick- 

 setting cranberry pectin. This is followed by filtration and the addition of citrus 

 or apple pectin. A perfect jelly retaining all the flavor and color of the cranberry 

 is thus obtained. 



Effect of Microorganisms on the Jellying Power of Fruit Juices. (C. R. 



Fellers, J. A. Clague and R. L. France.) The several species of yeasts and bac- 

 teria employed to date do not decompose pectin in fruit juices. However, several 

 species of Penicillium and Aspergillus are very active pectin decomposers. Juice 

 or pulp harboring these actively growing molds will not make satisfactory jelly 

 or pectin. 



Utilization of Onions by Canning and Drying. ((?. R. Fellers.) This 

 project has been inactive during the year except insofar as canned, dried, and 

 pickled onions, previously packed, have been examined for keeping quality. 

 There has been much commercial interest shown in the onion powder from cull 

 onions which was developed several years ago. 



Utilization of New England Fruits in Ice Cream. (C. R. Fellers and AT. J. 

 Mack. A report of this work was published in July as Bulletin 287. This co- 

 operative project has been continued with a view to ascertaining whether straw- 

 berries still retain vitamin C after freezing and storage and incorporation into ice 

 cream. I^esults clearly indicate that the high vitamin C content of fresh straw- 

 berries is retained in both frozen strawberries and strawberry ice cream. 



Research on Dates. (C. R. Fellers, J. C. Clague and M. M. Cleveland.) 

 The mineral composition of dates was determined and published in Industrial 

 andEngineenng Chemistry, Analytical Edition , 4:267-268, July 1932. 



The souring of dates was found to be due to the growth of sugar-tolerant yeasts. 

 Some of the results were published in the Journal of Bacteriology 23:63, January 

 1932. 



This work was made possible by a grant from the Hills Brothers Company of 

 New York. 



Vitamin Content of Blueberries. (C. R. Fellers and P. D. Isham.) Native, 

 Maine, and Newfoundland blueberries were examined for vitamin C content, 

 funds to help in this work having been furnished by the Birdseye Laboratories of 

 Gloucester. The native tall-bush blueberry, fresh, frozen, or canned, was a good 

 source of vitamin C, about 4 to 5 grams daily sufficing to protect guinea pigs from 

 scurvy. However, the Maine and Newfoundland low-bush blueberries were not 

 over one-third as active in this vitamin. 



Effect of Fertilization on Vitamin A and C content of Asparagus, (t . R. 

 I'ellers, R. E. Young and P. D. Isham.) With the financial assistance of the Pot- 

 ash Export Company, My., asparagus grown at the Waltham Field Station was 

 tested for vitamins A and C. The first season's results show that asparagus is a 

 rich source of vitamin C, from 2 to 2.5 grams daily fully protecting guinea pigs 

 from scurvy. The fresh asparagus also contained 5 to 7 units of vitamin A per 

 gram. No conclusions may yet be drawn as to the efTect of fertilizer treatment 

 on vitamin content. 



