DEHYDRATION OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES 37 
from the cobs, either by hand slaw cutters or by power-driven corn- 
cutting machines, after which it is trayed and placed in the drier. 
Driers especially designed for drying sweet corn without using indi- 
vidual drying trays are in general use in the drying sections of Penn- 
sylvania and Ohio (19). In driers using trays the maximum tempera- 
ture of the air need not exceed 150° to 165° F., under which condi- 
tions the corn will be sufficiently dry in 5 to 10 hours. Temperatures 
as high as 170° can be used with safety if such temperatures prevail 
only during the first part of the drying. The freshly dried corn is. 
fanned to remove all pieces of silk or cob or fine pieces of kernel. 
ONIONS 
The outer discolored layers are removed by hand, and the onions 
are sliced in a rotary slicer. After traying it is best to give them 
a light steaming, although they may be dried raw. Onions are 
especially susceptible to injury by heat, and should not be dried at 
temperatures above 140° F. 
PARSNIPS 
After being graded for size, parsnips are peeled and washed in a 
rotary abrasive peeler. Hand trimming, cutting, traying, and steam- 
processing complete their preparation for dehydration. 
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PEAS (GREEN OR SUGAR) 
Peas are gathered when of full size but still green and tender and 
before the pods have begun to turn yellow. After vining, shelling, 
cleaning, and grading by machinery they are water-blanched, the 
_ processing being stopped before it splits the skins, and trayed for 
drying. 
: POTATOES 
It is not profitable to use any grades of potatoes lower than No. 2, 
because of the great waste and extra labor in preparation. After 
being roughly graded for size they are peeled and washed in a rotary 
abrasive peeler. As potatoes darken rapidly in the air after the skins 
are removed, they are handled rapidly and kept covered with cold 
running water between the steps of preparation. They must be hand 
trimmed before being fed through the cutting machine. On leaving 
the cutters the pieces are covered with loose starch grains, which, 
if allowed to remain, will ruin the appearance of the product during 
drying and storage. The starch is most effectively removed imme- 
diately after cutting and traying by passing the loaded trays on a 
conveyor belt through a hood, in which they are copiously sprayed 
on both upper and lower sides by jets of cold water. This should be 
immediately followed by steam processing, which should be stopped 
when the pieces have been heated through to the centers but before 
they become mealy. 
PUMPKIN AND SQUASH 
Pumpkin and squash receive identical treatment. The firmer- 
fleshed, deep-colored varieties give a larger yield, with a more attrac- 
tive color and fuller flavor. The necessity and difficulty of removing 
the skin make it impracticable to dehydrate such varieties as the 
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