32 CIRCULAR 619, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Fruits 



APPLES 



Firm-flesh, late-maturing varieties of apples are more suitable for 

 dehydration than soft-flesh apples. The white-flesh varieties and 

 those that bleach readily in the fumes of sulfur have a clean, white 

 appearance when dehydrated, which adds to their market value. 

 Apples of the medium and lower grades are dried in years of normal 

 production, but when large production causes low prices for the fresh 

 fruit, better grades are used. 



Apples should be mature but not overripe. The picking and 

 handling should be done with great care in order to minimize bruising. 

 Bruised spots become discolored and must be removed from the fruit 

 when uniform color is desired. 



The fruit is pared and cored by machine in one operation, trimmed 

 by hand, cut into the desired form by machine, trayed, sulfured, and 

 dried. As apple tissue discolors rapidly upon exposure to the air, 

 the cut fruit is covered with cold water or weak saline solution between 

 succeeding steps of the preparation. Apples are commonly dried in 

 the form of ring slices, pie slices, or cubes. 



APRICOTS 



The most desirable flavor of the apricot is not developed until the 

 fruit is fully ripe, but in this condition it is difficult to handle. There- 

 fore, apricots should be dehydrated just before they become so soft 

 that they are mashed or lose their shape during preparation and 

 drying. At this time the color is nearly uniform throughout, and the 

 slightly astringent flavor of the less mature fruit is absent. 



Apricots are never peeled before drying. The remaining processes 

 in their preparation and drying are similar to those for peaches. 



BERRIES 



Loganberries and red and black raspberries are handled in the same 

 manner. When of market ripeness and firmness, they are picked into 

 shallow containers. As they crush easily, special precautions are 

 necessary during all steps in their preparation and drying. 



Berries are spread on drying trays and washed by light sprays of 

 cold water, but they are not otherwise treated before drying. Only 

 the conspicuously soft or crushed fruits that would mat and stick to 

 the trays need be removed before drying. Pieces of stem, leaves, and 

 undersized berries are readily removed by screening the dried product. 



CHERRIES 



Both sweet and sour cherries are dried. They are sorted to remove 

 stems and imperfect fruits, thoroughly washed in tanks of cold running 

 water or by sprays of cold water, pitted by machine or left unpitted, 

 trayed, steam-processed, and dried. Unless it is collected and utilized 

 in some way, much juice is lost in the pitting process. 



CRANBERRIES 



Ripe cranberries are washed, fed into machines that cut or chop each 

 berry into two or three parts, trayed, steam-processed, and dried. 



