886 FRUIT CULTURE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



they are then dipped into the caramel and then placed on small wire 

 sieves, of which the meshes are made of proper size to hold the grapes, 

 and placed as usual above a marble slab. 



Small fruits, such as currants, raspberries, strawberries, almonds, 

 filberts, hazelnuts, etc., can be carameled, but care should be taken 

 that the fruit be separated when removed from the sugar. 



JOHN L. FKISBIE, 



Consul. 

 UNITED STATES CONSULATE, 



y November 11, 1885. 



BORDEAUX. 



REPORT BY CONSUL ROOSEVELT. 



Having carefully examined the methods employed in crystallizing 

 fruits, I am enabled to report as follows : 



All fruits indigenous to France, and a few select fruits from other 

 countries, as also several species of soft shell-nuts are employed. 



The kettles used are generally of copper (much broader than deep, 

 to prevent crushing the fruit), provided with a wire frame placed 1 or 

 2 inches from the bottom to protect the fruit from scorching. When 

 ready for use they are three-fourths filled with water, which is heated 

 to boiling point (95 centigrade) and covered by a towel or straw cover. 



The fruit should be gathered several days before maturity ; and, if 

 possible, early in the morning of a dry day. The first important step 

 is the bleaching, or, more properly speaking, the parboiling of such fruits 

 as are to be subjected to this preliminary process. The fruit should be 

 picked and bleached the same day to obtain best results. The pits are 

 carefully removed and the fruit plunged into very cold water before 

 being transferred to the kettle. During the process of boiling, the fruit 

 is occasionally gently stirred, so that each separate piece may be equally 

 cooked. When the fruit begins to settle at the bottom of the kettle the 

 fire is reduced for ten minutes, then gradually increased until the fruit 

 again rises to the surface and becomes sufficiently tender to be punct- 

 ured with a straw. They are then carefully removed from the* kettle 

 with a skimmer and dropped into very cold water, which is renewed 

 several times, or until they are thoroughly cold j they are then placed 

 upon wire frames to dry. The boiling should be accomplished quickly 

 so as to submit the fruit to as rapid and sudden change of temperature 

 as possible. The boiling is generally done over an open fire, but the 

 most satisfactory results are obtained when steam is employed, as it is 

 an easier matter to regulate the heat from steam necessary to the differ- 

 ent kind of fruits. 



Great care must be taken in the first boiling, since the fruit, if over- 

 done, falls to pieces, and if underdone the pores are compressed, prevent- 



