184 MISC. PUBLICATION 5 4 0, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



in table 22, together with averages. From these percentages the ratios, 

 in weight, of water in the vegetables to "bone-dry" matter have been 

 calculated and are shown also. Bone-dry matter must not be confused 

 with the finshed product, which contains a low percentage of moisture, 

 as shown by the maximum percentages permitted under Government 

 procurement specifications. The ratio of water to dry matter in the 

 raw product is useful to the operator, because it shows him how much 

 water is contained in the raw commodity and makes readily calculable 

 the weight of water that must be removed. 



Table 21. — Blancher loading and blanching time for specific vegetables 



Vegetable 



Type of piece 



Approxi- 

 mate 

 blancher 

 loading 

 per square 

 foot 



Suggested 

 blanching 



time in liye 

 steam 



(210°-212° F.) 





Whole, shelled 



Pounds 

 1.5 

 2.0 



Minutes 



1 5 





Cut 



5-10 





Whole 



2.5 25-40 



Beets . - - 



Cubes, slices, strips 



3. 0-4. 

 1. 0-1. 25 



3.0-4.0 

 1. 0-1. 25 



.8 



2.5 2-4 





Shreds _ 



3 2-4 





Cubes, slices, strips 



2 4-10 



Celery 



Slices 



3 1-2 





Trimmed leaf__ . 



32 





Whole kernels on cob . 



4-8 



Kale 



Trimmed leaf _ _ _ . _ 



.8 



.8 



1.25 



3. 0-4. 



1.5 



4.0 



32 





. do 



32 





Shreds, slices. . 



* 1-1. 5 





Cubes, slices, strips ______ 



2 6-10 



Peas, green . _ _ ____ 



Whole, shelled. ______ 







Cubes, slices, strips 



2 2-10 





Quartered. _ _ _____ 



20-25 



Do 



Sliced _ 



4.0 



3.0-4.0 



.8 



3. 0-4. 



1 



6-10 





Cubes, slices, strips. . . 



2.5 5-10 



Spinach . _ _ 



Trimmed leaf _ _ 



3 2 







2.6 6-10 



Tomatoes 



Slices 



2-3 



1 Large-seeded lima beans may require 1 to 2 minutes longer for proper blanching. 



2 Goyernment specifications require blanching until the peroxidase system is inactiyated. 



3 Goyernment specifications require blanching until the catalase system is inactiyated. 



4 Goyernment specifications do not require blanching of onions. 



5 As the peroxidase test is interpreted at present, it is usually impossible to destroy the peroxidase 

 system in rutabagas and beets in less than 30 minutes, but if blanched as suggested above, the dried 

 products will probably keep well in storage. 



6 Sweetpotatoes should not be permitted to come in contact with iron during blanching. 



Table 22. — Moisture contents of fresh and dehydrated vegetables 



Vegetable 



Beans, lima 



Beans, snap 



Beets 



Cabbage 



Carrots 



Celery 



Chard, Swiss... 



Corn, sweet 



Kale 



Mustard greens_ 



Onions 



Parsnips 



Peas, green 



Potatoes * 



Do s 



Rutabagas 



Spinach 



Sweetpotatoes. _ 

 Tomatoes 



Approximate moisture 



Ratio of moisture content 



Maximum 



content of fresh vegetable ; 



to bone-dry matter ' 



moisture 











content of 



Range 



Average 



Range 



Average 



dehydrated 

 vegetable 



Percent 



Percent 







Percent 



58. 9-71. 8 



66.5 



1.4- 2.5 



2.0 



5 



78. 8-94. 



88.9 



3.7-15.6 



8.0 



5 



82. 3-94. 1 



87.6 



4. 6-15. 9 



7.1 



25 



88. 4-94. 8 



92.4 



7. 6-18. 2 



12.1 



24 



83. 1-91. 1 



88.2 



4.9-10.2 



7.5 



25 



89. 9-95. 2 



93.7 



8. 9-19. 8 



14.9 



24 



89. 9-92. 9 



91.0 



8.9-13.1 



10.1 3(io.8) 



4 



61.3-86.1 



73.9 



1. 6- 6. 2 



2.8 



5 



81.4-91.2 



86.6 



4. 4- 9. 3 



6.5 



4 



86. 7-95. 7 



92.2 



6. 5-22. 2 



11.8 3(12.2) 



4 



70. 2-95. 2 



87.5 



2. 5-19. 8 



7.0 3(8.8) 



24 



72. 6-89. 2 



78.6 



2. 6- 8. 3 



3.7 



27 



56. 7-84. 1 



74.3 



1.3- 5.3 



2.9 



5 



66. 0-85. 2 



77.8 



1.9- 5.8 



3.5 3(4.0) 



2.4 7 

 2.«8 



86.1-91.8 



89.1 



6.2-11.2 



8.2 



25 



89. 0-95. 



92.7 



8.1-19.0 



12.7 



4 



58. 5-82. 7 



68.5 



1.4- 4.8 



2.2 3(3.0) 



.7 



90. 6-96. 7 



94.1 



9. 6-29. 3 



15.9 



5 



1 Calculated from data of Chatfield and Adams (10). 



1 According to Government procurement specifications. 



8 Data in parentheses obtained at the Western Regional Research Laboratory, Albany, Calif. 



♦Cut. 



• Rlced. 



