XIII 



GINGER 403 



They are then dried in the sun for eight days, and 

 again shaken in the basket, and after two days' more 

 drying are ready for sale. The shaking in the basket 

 is to remove the skin and scales. In Bombay the 

 rhizomes are rubbed with tiles to remove the skin, and 

 then baked and dried in the sun. 



/ 



PEELING 



In Jamaica the finest ginger is peeled or uncoatedLj 

 The peeling of the rhizomes requires some care and skill 

 It is usual for the most skilful peelers to peel between 

 the toes, the easier sides of the rhizomes being done by 

 children or less experienced persons. The peeling is 

 done with a specially made knife, with a narrow-edged 

 blade riveted to a handle. Some attempts were made 

 by the Jamaica Agricultural Society to invent a peeling 

 machine, but I can find no record of success in this 

 direction. After peeling the hands are thrown into 

 water and washed. The purer the water and the more 

 that is used the whiter becomes the ginger. The hands 

 are peeled during the day, and are allowed to remain in 

 the water all night. The water acquires a slimy feeling, 

 and if concentrated becomes mucilaginous, and acquires 

 a warm and aromatic taste. Kilmer put some pieces in 

 a running stream for twelve hours, and found that the 

 ginger became several shades lighter, but at the same 

 time less pungent. Some planters use lime-juice in the 

 water in which the ginger is washed ; this makes it 

 whiter, as the lime-juice dissolves out the colouring 

 matter, but at the same time the ginger so treated is 

 apt to grow mouldy. Kilmer then tried utilising citric 

 acid, vinegar, and acetic acid ; all worked well, but citric 

 acid gave the best results. However, these processes 

 were found both expensive and troublesome. 



CURING 



After washing the ginger is dried in the sun. Some 

 planters made use of a barbecue, such as is used in 



