228 THE BANANA 



found in practice that simple solar exposure is not adequate 

 for the preparation of this dried fruit. There are three 

 modes, however, by which the object can be attained : 

 1st, by exposing the fully ripe fruit to an atmosphere of 

 sulphurous acid gas, previous to the drying process being 

 commenced ; 2nd, by a hasty boil of the fully ripe fruit 

 in water containing sulphate of lime (hard water) ; and 

 3rd, by a simple parboil in syrup. By any of these 

 processes the albumen and casein of the fruit become 

 sufficiently coagulated, and the tendency to fermentation 

 and decay is arrested till the proper dryness is obtained. 

 There is some nicety required in knowing the best degree 

 of ripeness of the fruit. It should be full and beginning to 

 turn yellow before the plantain tree is cut down and the 

 bunch gathered. The fruit then should be kept either on 

 the stalk or separated in a close dry place, as recommended 

 in the Mexican plan, till the yellow of the rind has become 

 black at the ends, with large spots over the surface, till 

 on some of these black spots blue mould has begun to 

 appear, and swarms of small grey flies hover over the heap, 

 attracted no doubt by the saccharine odour, and till the 

 fruit yields to a slight pressure of the finger and is somewhat 

 supple in the hand. At this time, if some of the rind be 

 removed, portions of the opaque yellow surface will appear 

 as if melting. There should be no delay then in parboiling, 

 or the fruit will be lost. If, on the other hand, the drying 

 process is commenced too soon, a portion of the starch is 

 still unconverted, and the dried fruit will be hard and want 

 sweetness. This condition is easily discovered after the 

 drying is completed, by the absence of a due amount of 

 shrinkage in the fruit. To dry the fruit in the sunshine 

 a bamboo frame as used in Mexico, or a net, or any other 

 contrivance by which the sun and air can play upon them, 

 is suitable. They must, however, be removed to shelter 

 on the approach of rain or evening dews. In rainy weather 

 the heat of an oven is requisite, but the oven should be 

 left open at the mouth, else the fruit will be baked instead 

 of dried, and the heat should be comfortably bearable by 



