THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 137 



If products are not dried sufficiently, the moisture 

 retained makes a medium for the development of bac- 

 teria and mold, and spoilage occurs. How much water 

 to extract becomes therefore, an important considera- 

 tion. The abundant sugar present in most fruits acts 

 as a preservative and therefore it is not necessary that 

 they be so dry as vegetables. A rational method of 

 determining the right degree of drying for the finished 

 stage is by the texture of the products. Most vegeta- 

 bles should be rather brittle when taken from the drier, 

 and fruits should be leathery and pliable. One method 

 of determining whether fruit is dry enough is to squeeze 

 a handful, and if the fruit separates when the hand is 

 opened, it is dry enough. Another way is to squeeze a 

 single piece; if no moisture comes to the surface the 

 piece is sufficiently dry. Berries are dry enough if they 

 stick to the hand but do not crush when pressed. 



There is considerable shrinkage in bulk and weight 

 when products are dried. The reduction in weight is in 

 direct proportion to the amount of moisture lost, but the 

 reduction in bulk varies with both the structure of the 

 product and the amount of water removed. In general 

 terms it may be said that foods, in drying, are reduced 

 to a bulk ranging from one-third to one-fifth of their 

 original volume and to a weight from one-sixth to one- 

 twelfth of the weight of the fresh material. 



After the Boer War, considerable surplus dried vege- 

 table material, no longer needed for the English army, 

 was put into barrels and stored away. The barrels 

 were opened during the European war and the contents 



